Joshua Chapter 11

This chapter is about the northern kings being defeated. It pretty much goes the same way as the last chapter. Lots of Israelites winning, lots of their enemies losing. But at the end of the chapter, there’s peace. Enjoy.

When King Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of what Joshua had been up to, he (the king) sent word to King Jobab (king of Madon), to the kings of Shimron & Acshaph, & to the northern kings (This is feeling awfully Game of Thrones to us. Anyone else?!) who were in the mountains, in the Arabah. Which is south of Kinnereth. King Jabin also sent word to the Canaanites in the east & west, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, & Hivites.

They all came out with all of their troops, horses, & chariots. All these kings joined forces & made camp together at the Waters of Merom, to fight the Israelites.

God starts talking to Joshua, telling him that by this time the next day, the enemy is gonna be unalived. They had to “hamstring their horses & burn their chariots.” Joshua & the Israelites went to the Water of Merom & fought. The Israelites won, hands down.

The Israelites pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon to Misrephoth Maim, & to the Valley of Mizpah in the east. No survivors were left. Joshua made sure that the horses got “hamstrung” & the chariots were set on fire.

Then Joshua circles back & captures Hazor. Hazor’s king, unalived. Hazor had been at the top of all these kingdoms. Everyone in Hazor was killed. Hazor was razed to the ground.

Joshua took all the royal cities & their kings, killing them all. The Israelites didn’t burn any of the towns built on their mounds. Except Hazor. The Israelites took all the plunder & livestock from these cities. The people of these cities weren’t so lucky.

So Joshua took the entire land: the hill country, all of the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountains of Israel with their foothills, from Mount Halak, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon.

Joshua captured all their kings & killed them. Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon. Not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle.

At that time, Joshua went & destroyed the Anakites. From Hebron, Debir, & Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, & from all the hill countries of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them & their towns. No Anakites were left in the Israelite territory. Only in Gaza, Gath, & Ashdod did any survive.

So Joshua took the entire land, just like God told Moses. Then the land had rest from war.