Commentary on Joshua Part 2 (No. F006ii)

Introduction

From Part I we saw that Israel occupied the Jordan Valley and took Jericho. Chapter 7 deals with the subjugation of the area of the Jordan.

Chapters 8 to 11 deal with the conquest of the lands of Canaan. Chapter 12 in Part 3 summarises the conquest.

Chapter 7

Achan’s Sin (The Trespass of Achan)

Joshua 7:1-26 But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things; for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel. ²Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-a'ven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai. ³And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, "Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are but few." ⁴So about three thousand went up there from the people; and they fled before the men of Ai, ⁵and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six men of them, and chased them before the gate as far as Sheb'arim, and slew them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. ⁶Then Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads. ⁷And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why hast thou brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! ⁸O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! ⁹For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt thou do for thy great name?" ¹⁰The LORD said to Joshua, "Arise, why have you thus fallen upon your face? ¹¹Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, and lied, and put them among their own stuff. ¹²Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become a thing for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. ¹³Up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in the midst of you, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies, until you take away the devoted things from among you." ¹⁴In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes; and the tribe which the LORD takes shall come near by families; and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man. ¹⁵And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a shameful thing in Israel.'" ¹⁶So Joshua rose early in the morning, and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken; ¹⁷and he brought near the families of Judah, and the family of the Zer'ahites was taken; and he brought near the family of the Zer'ahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken; ¹⁸and he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. ¹⁹Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and render praise to him; and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." ²⁰And Achan answered Joshua, "Of a truth I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: ²¹when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them, and took them; and behold, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath." ²²So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. ²³And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the people of Israel; and they laid them down before the LORD. ²⁴And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the mantle and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and asses and sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. ²⁵And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones; they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones. ²⁶And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day; then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.

Because of the fact that one man violated the oath of Destruction at Jericho Israel lost the first battle for Ai (see Joshua 7:1) above.

This is symbolic of the problems that came into the law through Judah. Judah perverted the law and, to this day, the law is not properly kept in Judah. The inheritance was taken away from Judah. The wrath of God was placed on Israel because of their corruption of the Law of God.

Verse 1 anticipates verses 6-21. In Joshua 7:2 we see that Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-a'ven, east of Bethel, to spy out the land. Ai is on the mountain ridge Northwest of Jericho. The Oxford Scholars consider that the words which is near Beth-aven should be omitted since “Beth-aven” (House of Wickedness) is a deliberate mocking distortion of the name Bethel. Many scholars consider this is not really an account of the battle for Ai but for Bethel, since otherwise the book of Joshua contains no account of the capture of this important site (comp. however Judg. 1:22-26).

v. 3 The spies reported the place to be so weak that a small force could take it. They lost the first battle but they conquered Ai.

7:6-26 Discovery and punishment of the criminal

v. 11 applies the ancient and unitary view of society that blames the entire social group for the sin of one of its members as the sin is visited back on the group as the sin is punished against the group under the laws of God due to the dedication of the entire system to destruction.

v. 14 The Lord Takes (here by the casting of lots).

vv. 24-25 The punishment under the law fell also on all the members of Achan’s family group, both human and animal. They were to be purged from Israel (see also Dan. 6:24 where the collective punishment was also applied under the Babylonian system).

v. 25 The Hebrew word trouble is from the same root as the proper name Achor (comp Hos. 2:15 see also the last sentence of v. 26.

They then commenced the destruction and the pacification of the rest of the nations. That is what we see happen from Part I: the elect go in and establish a foothold and then go on dealing with nation after nation. The millennial restoration of this planet is also to be done on a systematic basis. There is a period of mourning. There is a period of occupation, and the occupation is then done systematically to deal with the nations. They are all systematically brought down in that wrath of God to be dealt with and destroyed as a group under the seven vials of the wrath of God, and the Seventh Trumpet, which is symbolised around Jericho. The systematic pacification of the planet is then completed so that the millennial system can be set up, and the elect (No. 001) can occupy the world in peace for the thousand years of Revelation chapter 20 (F066v).

From Part I of Joshua and here, we gain an understanding of how Israel knew from the book of Joshua what the book of Revelation was going to say. Everything in the Bible is interlinked. The fact that the Jews do not have the New Testament does not excuse them, as we see from the study on the book of Esther. Judah has Joshua and they have Esther and the Song of Songs, Isaiah and Zechariah and they know what the end result is. One does not need the New Testament to find out what is going to happen in the last days. One can tell everything in the New Testament from Scripture, which is the Old Testament. The Old Testament will tell us the beginning from the end as Christ declared it under the direction of God through the prophets.

Through Joshua we are able to understand what was going on when we took hold of Israel in the initial conquest. The other texts show us what is to occur at the return of the Messiah at the end of Days for the millennial system.

Chapter 8

Ai Destroyed (Conquest of the Land)

Joshua 8:1-35 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear or be dismayed; take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land; ²and you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves; lay an ambush against the city, behind it." ³So Joshua arose, and all the fighting men, to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night. ⁴And he commanded them, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it; do not go very far from the city, but hold yourselves all in readiness; ⁵and I, and all the people who are with me, will approach the city. And when they come out against us, as before, we shall flee before them; ⁶and they will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, 'They are fleeing from us, as before.' So we will flee from them; ⁷then you shall rise up from the ambush, and seize the city; for the LORD your God will give it into your hand. ⁸And when you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire, doing as the LORD has bidden; see, I have commanded you." ⁹So Joshua sent them forth; and they went to the place of ambush, and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people. ¹⁰And Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people, and went up, with the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. ¹¹And all the fighting men who were with him went up, and drew near before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. ¹²And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. ¹³So they stationed the forces, the main encampment which was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley. ¹⁴And when the king of Ai saw this he and all his people, the men of the city, made haste and went out early to the descent toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.¹⁵And Joshua and all Israel made a pretense of being beaten before them, and fled in the direction of the wilderness. ¹⁶So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. ¹⁷There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, who did not go out after Israel; they left the city open, and pursued Israel. ¹⁸Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. ¹⁹And the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and took it; and they made haste to set the city on fire. ²⁰So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven; and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. ²¹And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and smote the men of Ai. ²²And the others came forth from the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side; and Israel smote them, until there was left none that survived or escaped. ²³But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. ²⁴When Israel had finished slaughtering all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. ²⁵And all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai. ²⁶For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. ²⁷Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took as their booty, according to the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua. ²⁸So Joshua burned Ai, and made it for ever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day. ²⁹And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day. ³⁰Then Joshua built an altar in Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel, ³¹as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, "an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man has lifted an iron tool"; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. ³²And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. ³³And all Israel, sojourner as well as homeborn, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Ger'izim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel. ³⁴And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. ³⁵There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

8:1-29 Victory at Ai Israel, now cleansed of Achan’s guilt, captures Ai by a clever strategy.

vv. 4 -8 The plan of battle is outlined.

vv. 9-23 tell how the ambush was placed and carried out.

v. 9 Bethel, the modern Beitin, was to later become one of the chief shrines of the Northern Kingdom (1Kgs. 12:28-30) is approx. 1 and 1/4 miles from Ai.

v. 18 To stretch out the javelin is a symbolic gesture (from Ex. 17:8-13; 2Kgs. 13:15-19).

v. 29 A great heap of stones i.e. it was an historical monument evident in the writer’s day (comp. 4:9; 7:26; Jdg. 6:24; 1Sam. 6:18).

8:30-35 The Altar on Mt. Ebal Joshua is seen here to carry out the command given to Moses in Deut. 27:4-5 (comp. 11:29-30). He was to build an altar and set up a copy of the law. The Oxford scholars think that this text may not have been original here as 9:3 naturally connects with 8:29 (see Oxf. Annot. RSV). Mount Ebal is one of the twin mountains that flank the pass at Shechem in Central Palestine; Mt. Gerrizim is the other, about 20 miles north of Ai.

v. 33 As Moses... had commanded (comp. Deut. 27:11-12) (see also The Blessings and the Curses (No. 075)).

Establishment of Israel

God planned the Creation and outlined the Plan of Salvation (001A) to the Host. Its purpose was to create man and turn them into Elohim (see the Elect as Elohim (No. 001)). The Demons objected to this plan. God decided to create a nation system from Abraham and through Jacob he was to create a nation and that nation was named Israel after Jacob meaning he shall rule as God. This nation was chosen and called according to the Prescience of God (see Predestination (No. 296)).

In this way Israel was to become the Plan of God (No. OO1B) and to become the Vineyard of God (No. 001C) and was to become the mainstay for the Salvation of the Gentiles through the tribe of Ephraim and to a lesser extent through the tribe of Manasseh (Gen. 48:15-16). To accelerate the development of this nation they were sent into captivity in Egypt over 430 years. They were taken out in a dramatic fashion through the Red Sea, re-given the laws under Moses by their Elohim at Sinai, and then shown and finally given the land they were promised that was to be taken from the sons of Canaan, by force. This plan was to extend over 7000 years, the last thousand years being the millennial rule of the Christ from Jerusalem, and finish over the final one hundred years of the Second Resurrection and the Great White throne Judgment (No. 143B). The ex anastasin or Out-Resurrection (Phil. 3:11; Rev. 20:4) is the First Resurrection (No. 143A) that occurs at the return of the Messiah and is the resurrection of the Saints to rule the world in the Millennium under Christ.

God then planned to come to the earth once the human phase was ended (see The City of God (No. 180)). Heaven and hell were fictions of the demons to destroy the faith using False Religion through Gnostic Antinomianism.

The Entities at Sinai

The instructions given to Moses at Sinai as recorded in the Pentateuch, and here and in Judges, were given by Christ, as the Elohim given Israel as his inheritance and hence all mankind by the One True God Eloah (Deut. 32:8-9) (see also Acts 7:30-53; 1Cor. 10:1-4). Scripture is definitive that it was Christ as the subordinate Elohim of Israel that ruled and was at Sinai (Ps. 45:6-7; Heb. 1:8-9). (See also Ascents of Moses (No. 070).) Christ is the same yesterday today and tomorrow (Heb. 13:8) and thus his instructions regarding the Law of God ( L1) and punishment do not change (see also The God We Worship (No. 002) and The Shema (No. 002B)).

The Law of God (L1) is the test of the elect, and the Fallen Host set up many systems to deceive humanity and stop them keeping the law. Thus keeping them out of places in the Kingdom of God and reducing their inheritance. These systems are the differing false religions and the attendant forgeries of the Bible texts (see 164, 164B, 164C, 164D, 164E, 164F, 164G).

The Last Days

The Bible instructions are solid and consistent. We see from the instructions given by him to the prophets that Christ will enforce the law on his return to set up the Millennial Sabbath system. The world will be restored and they will keep the Temple Calendar and keep the Sabbaths and New Moons (Isa. 65:9-66:24) and also the Feasts; and they will send the national representatives to Jerusalem at Tabernacles each year to receive instructions (Zech 14:16-21). Those nations that do not obey and keep the Calendar system (God’s Calendar (No 156)) will get no rain in due season and die of famine and the plagues of Egypt. The Plan has never changed.

We will see that this problem of false religion of Baal worship and the mother goddess cults, and the Mystery and Sun cults (see No. 235, 105, 222, and B7), and diseases were the reasons Christ gave instructions to kill the foreign nations in Canaan on its occupation. Christ and the Elohim had already decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah previously under Abraham and Lot before the captivity in Egypt (see No. 024). This judgment will carry on into the millennial system. Only the Holy Seed will be left alive for the millennial occupation (Isa. 6:9-13; Amos 9:1-15).

The warnings regarding the return of Messiah will begin from Dan-Ephraim (Jer. 4:15-27; Jn. 1:19ff (F043)) and then at Jerusalem under the Two Witnesses (see Wars of the End Part II: 1260 Days of the Witnesses (No. 141D)). Those who refuse to repent of the Jews in Israel will be removed or killed. The Hillel system will be removed along with all who keep it (see 156; 195, 195B, 195C). The warnings were given under the prophets Daniel (see F027ii, ix, xi, xii, xiii), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel (F029), Amos (F030), Habakkuk (F035), Haggai (F037), Malachi (F039), the Gospels F040, F040i, F041, F042, F043, F043vi and in Revelation (F066iii, iv, v). (See also The Sign of Jonah... (No. 013) and Completion of the Sign of Jonah (No. 013B).)

Christ and the Host will then come and exterminate the rebellious groups and nations (Wars of the End Part III: Armageddon and the Vials of the Wrath of God (No. 141E)). Christ will be resisted and those that resist will be wiped out (Wars of the End Part IIIB: War Against Christ (No. 141E_ 2)). Christ and the Host and the First Resurrection will stamp out all false religion on the planet (see Wars of the End Part IV: End of False Religion (No. 141F)).

False religious leaders that teach the Gnostic false doctrines of Heaven and Hell, and that the Law is done away, will die under the Witnesses and be exterminated at the return of the Messiah.

There is nothing inconsistent about the Judgment of God and His Prescience and Predestination (No. 296) and the rule of Christ. For this reason we are next given the text re the Gibeonites, explaining the dilemma faced over the final 3000 years from David’s entry to Jerusalem in 1005 BCE which finalised the conquest (see also Nos. 272; 282A, 282B, 282C, 282D).

Chapter 9

The Gibeonite Deception (Treaty with the Gibeonites)

Joshua 9:1-27 When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites, heard of this, ²they gathered together with one accord to fight Joshua and Israel. ³But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, ⁴they on their part acted with cunning, and went and made ready provisions, and took worn-out sacks upon their asses, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, ⁵with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes; and all their provisions were dry and moldy. ⁶And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; so now make a covenant with us." ⁷But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?" ⁸They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?" ⁹They said to him, "From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ash'taroth. ¹¹And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, 'Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; come now, make a covenant with us."' ¹²Here is our bread; it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey, on the day we set forth to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and moldy; ¹³these wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they are burst; and these garments and shoes of ours are worn out from the very long journey." ¹⁴So the men partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD. ¹⁵And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. ¹⁶At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them. ¹⁷And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephi'rah, Be-er'oth, and Kir'iath-je'arim. ¹⁸But the people of Israel did not kill them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. ¹⁹But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. ²⁰This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we swore to them." ²¹And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had said of them. ²²Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us? ²³Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God." ²⁴They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; so we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing. ²⁵And now, behold, we are in your hand: do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us." ²⁶So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel; and they did not kill them. ²⁷But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to continue to this day, in the place which he should choose.

9:1-27 The Gibeonite Deception

In order to avoid the fate of Jericho and Ai, The men of Gibeon tricked the Israelites into making an alliance with them by pretending to come from a long distance. Gibeon is the Modern El-Jib about seven miles SW of Ai.

v. 6 The law in Deut. 20:15-16 states that Israel was only permitted to make peace with those who lived in a far country and the natives of Canaan were to be exterminated. This was for the reasons stated above in the notes on Ch. 8.

v. 10 Og king of Bashan lived at Ashtaroth which was named for the consort of Baal. She is the goddess Easter that infects Israel to this day.

v. 20 An oath once taken, even by subterfuge and in error, could not safely be broken.

v. 27 To this day indicates that, even in the writers own time, a group of Gibeonites performed these menial services in the Temple. The place which he should choose is held to be a circumlocution for Jerusalem (Deut. 12:5,11, 14, 18 and Joshua and Kings) but really means where God places his hand and effectively means, in these latter days, (after the fall of the Temple (No. 298)); where the religious authorities allocate the responsibilities. The nethinim of later times (see Ezra 8:17) were mostly foreigners who, like the Gibeonites, had come into the hands of the Hebrews usually as captives in war, and dedicated as Temple servants (Ezra 8:20). The implications of this fact again points to the salvation of the Gentiles.

Chapter 10

The Sun Stands Still (The Long Day)

Joshua 10:1-43 When Ado'ni-ze'dek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, ²he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. ³So Ado'ni-ze'dek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhi'a king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, ⁴"Come up to me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel." ⁵Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces, and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. ⁶And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country are gathered against us." ⁷So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. ⁸And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; there shall not a man of them stand before you." ⁹So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-hor'on, and smote them as far as Aze'kah and Makke'dah. ¹¹And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-hor'on, the LORD threw down great stones from heaven upon them as far as Aze'kah, and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the men of Israel killed with the sword. ¹²Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the men of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand thou still at Gibeon, and thou Moon in the valley of Ai'jalon." ¹³And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. ¹⁴There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD hearkened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. ¹⁵Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. ¹⁶These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makke'dah. ¹⁷And it was told Joshua, "The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makke'dah." ¹⁸And Joshua said, "Roll great stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them; ¹⁹but do not stay there yourselves, pursue your enemies, fall upon their rear, do not let them enter their cities; for the LORD your God has given them into your hand." ²⁰When Joshua and the men of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were wiped out, and when the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, ²¹all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makke'dah; not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel. ²²Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out to me from the cave." ²³And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. ²⁴And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings." Then they came near, and put their feet on their necks. ²⁵And Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and of good courage; for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." ²⁶And afterward Joshua smote them and put them to death, and he hung them on five trees. And they hung upon the trees until evening; ²⁷but at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set great stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day. ²⁸And Joshua took Makke'dah on that day, and smote it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed every person in it, he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makke'dah as he had done to the king of Jericho. ²⁹Then Joshua passed on from Makke'dah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah; ³⁰and the LORD gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining in it; and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. ³¹And Joshua passed on from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and laid siege to it, and assaulted it: ³²and the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah. ³³Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he left none remaining. ³⁴And Joshua passed on with all Israel from Lachish to Eglon; and they laid siege to it, and assaulted it; ³⁵and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword; and every person in it he utterly destroyed that day, as he had done to Lachish. ³⁶Then Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron; and they assaulted it, ³⁷and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it; he left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and utterly destroyed it with every person in it. ³⁸Then Joshua, with all Israel, turned back to Debir and assaulted it, ³⁹and he took it with its king and all its towns; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person in it; he left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and to its king. ⁴⁰So Joshua defeated the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. ⁴¹And Joshua defeated them from Ka'desh-bar'nea to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, as far as Gibeon. ⁴²And Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. ⁴³Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

10:1-27 Israel’s Victory over the five kings

Joshua actually came to the rescue of his new allies the Gibeonites when they were attacked by the alliance of the five Amorite kings of the five powerful cities.

vv. 1-5 Three important cities are lost in Canaan, two by conquest and one by capitulation. The losses forced the Canaanite leaders to take the Israelite threat more seriously and forced them to unite and discourage any defeatism in the morale of the cities.

v. 3 Hebron was the most important city in the south of Palestine. The other three cities were a considerable distance to the SW of Jerusalem.

v. 10 The two towns of upper and lower Beth-Horon controlled the pass to the coastal plain west of Gibeon. The majority of the dead were killed by the hailstones inflicted by the Host than killed by Israel in the fighting. This will be so in the last days also. Modern scholars tend to dismiss these reports of divine intervention and they will also suffer because of that view over the Last Days. The book of Joshua portrays the occupation as a miracle of the Elohim host rather than a military achievement, even though the appearance of the Elohim of Israel as the Captain of the Army of the Lord in Part I sets the scene for such a miracle.

v. 13 The Book of Jasher was an ancient text (now lost) of Hebrew poetry (comp. 2Sam. 1:18). The modern publication is not to be regarded as a genuine copy. Modern scholars view the statement that the sun stayed as a “prosaic literalizing of the poetic imagery of the preceding lines.” (Cf. Oxf. Annot. RSV).

vv. 16-27 The five kings are captured, humiliated

and killed. v. 27 again the term to this very day shows the stones were still visible at the time of the writer.

10:28-43 Summary of Joshua’s conquests in the South. After the defeat of the five kings, Israel had no difficulty in subjugating the whole of Southern Palestine. vv. 40-43 details the completeness of the victory. Joshua was seen as following the orders of the Elohim of Israel we know as Christ (Ps. 45:6-7; Heb. 1:8-9).

Chapter 11

Northern Kings Defeated (Conquest of other Kings; see 11-12)

Joshua 11:1-23 When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Ach'shaph, ²and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chin'neroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, ³to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Per'izzites, and the Jeb'usites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴And they came out, with all their troops, a great host, in number like the sand that is upon the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵And all these kings joined their forces, and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel. ⁶And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel; you shall hamstring their horses, and burn their chariots with fire." ⁷So Joshua came suddenly upon them with all his people of war, by the waters of Merom, and fell upon them. ⁸And the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel, who smote them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Mis'rephoth-ma'im, and eastward as far as the valley of Mizpeh; and they smote them, until they left none remaining. ⁹And Joshua did to them as the LORD bade him; he hamstrung their horses, and burned their chariots with fire. ¹⁰And Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and smote its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. ¹¹And they put to the sword all who were in it, utterly destroying them; there was none left that breathed, and he burned Hazor with fire. ¹²And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took, and smote them with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. ¹³But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor only; that Joshua burned. ¹⁴And all the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the people of Israel took for their booty; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any that breathed. ¹⁵As the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses. ¹⁶So Joshua took all that land, the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the lowland and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland ¹⁷from Mount Halak, that rises toward Se'ir, as far as Ba'al-gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. And he took all their kings, and smote them, and put them to death. ¹⁸Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. ¹⁹There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all in battle. ²⁰For it was the LORD's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be utterly destroyed, and should receive no mercy but be exterminated, as the LORD commanded Moses. ²¹And Joshua came at that time, and wiped out the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. ²²There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain. ²³So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.

11:1-23 Israel’s Victory over the Kings of the North

The Northern Canaanite rulers were alarmed by the news of the conquests of Israel in the South and united to oppose her.

v. 1 Hazor was one of the largest cities in Galilee. Archaeologists have demonstrated its importance in antiquity and confirmed the fact that it was captured at the time of the Israelite occupation.

v. 2 The Arabah is the Jordan valley. Chineroth is the ancient name for the Sea of Galilee.

v. 5 The Waters of Merom are identified by many scholars with a brook that flows from Merom (modern Meiron) into the Sea of Galilee on the Northwest.

v. 8 Sidon is the Phoenician seaport to the North of Palestine.

vv. 16-20 With victory in the North the conquest of the land is now complete.

v. 21 The Anakim were reputed to be a race of giants and these aspects link them to the Nephilim (No. 154). These and their genetic system were major reasons they were ordered killed, as were those above in Bashan. So also will that take place in the last days.

v. 23 The next phase was to divide and settle the land (chs. 12-15).

Bullinger’s Notes on Chapters 7-11 (for KJV)

Chapter 7

Verse 1

children = sons.

a trespass = a treachery, unfaithfulness. Hebrew ma'al. App-43 . Compare Leviticus 6:2 . Deu 32:51 . 1 Chronicles 5:25 , breach of faith or trust.

accursed = devoted. Compare Joshua 6:17 , &c.

Achan Troubler; called Achar, 1 Chronicles 2:7 .

took. Septuagint has enosphisanto = took for themselves, i.e. sacrilege. Same word as in Acts 5:1 , Acts 5:2 of Ananias and Sapphire.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

Verse 2

men. Hebrew, plural of ish or 'enosh . App-14 .

Ai. Near Beth-el. Compare Genesis 12:8 ; Genesis 13:3 .

Beth-aven = House of vanity.

Beth-el = House of God. Compare Genesis 28:19 .

Verse 3

go up = go toilingly thither.

men = Hebrew. ish . App-14 .

Verse 5

melted = became as water. Figure of speech Hyperbole. App-6 .

Verse 7

Alas. Figure of speech Ecphonesis. App-6

Lord GOD = Adonai Jehovah . See App-4 .

wherefore. ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

would to God. Hebrew "would that". No "to God "in Hebrew text.

Verse 8

O LORD *, Hebrew O Adonai; but this is one of the 134 places altered from Jehovah to Adonai by the Sopherim

turneth = hath [once] turned.

Verse 9

what. ? Figure of speech , Erotesis. App-6 .

Verse 10

said. See note on Joshua 3:7 .

Verse 11

and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton. App-6 .

for = and. All these "ands" might be well rendered "moreover".

Verse 12

(10-13) There is a minute correspondence between Joshua 7:10-13 , an Extended alternation of five members each, for which we have no space; also between Joshua 7:14 and Joshua 7:16-18 .

Verse 13

God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .

Verse 14

taketh = taketh [by lot], i.e. by the Urim and Thummim. Sec note on Exodus 28:30 and Numbers 26:55 . The Urim stone bringing to "light" the guilty, and the Thummim declaring the "perfection" or innocence.

man = geber. App-14 .

Verse 15

burnt = burnt up, but not necessarily alive, Hebrew. saraph. See App-43 .

Verse 17

family Some codices, with Septuagint and Vulgate, read plural "families".

man by man . Some codices, with two early printed editions, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "by their households".

Verse 19

give . . . glory to the LORD. All the Vulgate versions corrupt this passage by omitting "to Him". The Portuguese version of Figuoredo changes "Him" to "me".

Verse 21

a = one.

Babylonish. Hebrew = "of Shinar", i.e. of Babylonia.

shekels. See App-51 .

Wedge = bar. Hebrew tongue: put by Figure of speech, Metonymy (of Adjunct) for a coin of this shape ( App-6 ).

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos, App-6 ).

it. Feminine. Probably referring to the garment.

Verse 23

the midst. Figure of speech Pleonasm ( App-6 ).

Verse 24

son of Zerah. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species) for great-grandson. App-6 .

and. Note the Figure of speech Polysendeton ( App-6), emphasising each particular.

Verse 25

Why. . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis ( App-6 ).

troubled . . . trouble. Hebrew. Achored . . . Acker .

stoned them : i.e. the people, not the property.

Verse 26

the fierceness. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia ( App-6 ).

Chapter 8

Verse 1

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .

said. See note on Joshua 3:7 .

see. Figure of speech Asterienios ( App-6 ).

and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton ( App-6 ) emphasising each particular.

Verse 2

Jericho. Compare Joshua 6:21 .

the cattle. Compare Deuteronomy 20:14 .

Verse 4

Behold. Figure of speech Asteriaaeos. App-6 .

Verse 7

God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .

hand. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause) for the power which is in it ( App-6 ). Compare Joshua 8:20 , where it is rendered "power.

Verse 8

See. Figure of speech Aeteriemos. App-6 .

Verse 9

between Beth-el and Ai. The place of Abraham's altar, Genesis 12:8 : so that the place where the promise of the Land was made, is the place where it began to be fulfilled. Abraham had come down from Sichem: Joshua goes up to Sichem, and builds his altar on the same spot where Abraham had built his. Compare Genesis 12:6-8 with Joshua 8:30-35 and Deuteronomy 11:30 .

Verse 10

numbered = inspected or mustered.

Verse 12

of the city. Another school of Massorites read "of Ai", with many codices and Aramaic.

Verse 13

went. Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "lodged in".

Verse 14

men. Hebrew, plural of ish or 'enosh . App-14 .

wist not = knew not. Anglo-Saxon witan , to know,

Verse 15

made as if they were beaten. The only form of the verb in the Hebrew Bible.

Verse 16

in Ai. Some codices read "in the city",

Verse 17

man. Hebrew. ish . App-14 .

Verse 19

spear = a short javelin. First occurrence of Hebrew. kidon.

Verse 20

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .

power. Hebrew hands. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause). for the power put forth by them ( App-6 ).

pursuers = the pursuing force (singular)

Verse 22

let none. Compare Deuteronomy 7:2 .

of them. One Massoretic reading is remain "to him"

Verse 24

consumed = spent.

Verse 26

destroyed = devoted.

Verse 27

the cattle. Compare Numbers 31:22-28 .

commanded Joshua. Compare Joshua 8:2 .

Verse 28

heap. Its only name to-day is "Tell" = the Heap.

Verse 29

as soon as. Compare Deuteronomy 21:22 , Deuteronomy 21:23 and Joshua 10:27 , that remaineth. Figure of speech Parenthesis (relative). App-6 .

Verse 31

Moses the servant of the LORD. See note on Deuteronomy 34:5 .

children = sons.

as = according as.

Book of the Law. See note on Exodus 17:14 ; Exodus 24:4 ; and App-47 . So that Joshua had a copy of Deuteronomy.

whole stones . Compare Exodus 20:25 .Deuteronomy 27:5 .

Verse 32

he wrote. See note on Exodus 17:14 .

a copy = duplicate.

Verse 33

and officers . Some codices, with Aramaean and Syriac, read "and their officers".

before = at the first.

Verse 35

the congregation = assembly (as mustered).

were conversant . Hebrew walked.

Chapter 9

Verse 1

the Canaanite, the Perizzite. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "and the Canaanite and the Perizzite".

Verse 2

accord. Hebrew "mouth" put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for what is said by it: i.e. one consent.

Verse 3

inhabitants. The Gibeonires were Hivites (Joshua 9:7 ), condemned to extermination as mixed with the descendants of the Nephilim ( App-26 ). Exodus 23:32 ; Exodus 34:12-15 .Numbers 33:51-56 . Deuteronomy 7:1 , Deuteronomy 7:2 ; Deuteronomy 20:16 . They were aware of this. Hence their mission; by which they exposed themselves to the enmity of the other nations (Joshua 10:1-4 ).

Gibeon = High place. About six and a half miles from Beth-el, eight miles north-north-west of Jerusalem.

what. Some codices, with Septuagint and Vulgate, read "all that".

Verse 4

They They too.

made as if they had been ambassadors. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "furnished themselves with provisions", as in Joshua 9:11 and Joshua 9:12 .

bottles = skins i.e. wine-skins.

Verse 5

clouted = patched (Anglo-Saxon, clut.)

mouldy = become crumbly.

Verse 6

men. Heb, 'ish . App-14 .

Verse 9

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .

God. Hebrew Elobim. App-4 .

Verse 11

with you, Hebrew in your hand,

Verse 12

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. Revelation 6:0; Revelation 6:0 ,

Verse 14

the men. Hebrew, plural of ish or 'enosh. App-14

took of their victuals. Probably tasted, or partook of their food; or, ate with them--a token of friendship.

asked not: i.e. by "Urim and Thummim". Compare Exodus 28:30 , note.

mouth. Put by Figure of speech Melonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for the counsel given by the mouth.

Verse 17

children = sons.

Verse 18

made a league = solemnised a covenant.

Verse 21

be = become.

promised. Compare Joshua 9:15 .

Verse 24

commanded. Compare Deuteronomy 7:1-5 .

our lives = our souls. Hebrew. Nephesh . See App-13 .

LORD. There is an Homoeoteleuton ( App-6 ) here, preserved in the Septuagint; a scribe going back to the former of the two words "Lord"; and reading ' the altar of Jehovah [and the inhabitants of Gibeon became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the altar of Jehovah]", even unto this day, &c.

even . Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis ( App-8 ), thus = "[as they are] even".

in = for.

Chapter 10

Verse 1

Jerusalem = vision of peace. First occ, is connected with war, and next mention is siege and fire (Judges 1:8 ); called Jebus (Judges 19:10-11 ). Assigned by Joshua to Benjamin (Joshua 18:28 ).

taken Ai . Compare Joshua 8:23-29 .

as = according as.

Verse 2

men. Hebrew, plural of ish or 'enosh . App-14 .

Verse 4

children = sons.

Verse 6

hand . So some codices, with two early printed editions; but Hein text has "hands".

mountains = hill country.

Verse 8

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .

said. See note on Joshua 3:7 .

hand. Written plural, but read singular in Hebrew text. In some codices and six early printed editions, "hand" both written and read. Other codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "hands".

there. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "and not", i.e. "and there shall not", &c., or "and not a man".

man. Hebrew. ish App-14 .

Verse 10

Beth-horon = the 'Upper Beth-horon, which stood at the head of the Pass to the coast.

Azekah. Near Shochoh, where Goliath afterwards opposed Israel (1 Samuel 17:1 ).

Verse 11

heaven = the heavens; i.e. the clouds.

Verse 12

Israel. Here the Septuagint supplies the words omitted by Homoeoteleuton ( App-6 ) of the word "Israel, [when He destroyed them in Gibeon, and they were destroyed before the sons of] Israel".

Sun = the sun itself, because of what is said in the next verse.

stand thou still . Habakkuk 3:11 . This is not the only miracle in connection with the sun. See shadow going back (2 Kings 20:11 ;. Isaiah 38:8 ). Going down at noon (Amos 8:9 ). No more going down (Isaiah 60:20 ), Darkened (Isaiah 13:10 . Ezekiel 32:7 . Joel 2:10 , Joel 2:31 ; Joel 3:13 .Matthew 24:29 . Revelation 6:12 ; Revelation 8:12 ; Revelation 9:2 ; Revelation 16:8 ). Miracle to be again performed (Luke 23:44 , Luke 23:45 ). His motion described (Psalms 19:4-6 ).

upon = in, as in next line.

Verse 13

stood still = waited silently.

the book of Jasher. Why may not this be "the book of the Upright", another name for Israel, like Jeshurun? See note on Deuteronomy 32:15 . Is. It is so in Arabic and Syriac. It is mentioned in 2 Samuel 1:18 . In the Targum it is "the book of the Law". Josephus appeals to it as a book in the temple, which probably perished with it. Two spurious books so called, A.D. 1394 and 1625.

Verse 18

men. Hebrew, plural of ish or 'enosh . App-14 .

Verse 19

God. Hebrew Elohim . App-4 .

Verse 24

men . plural of ish App-14 .

these kings. Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "these five kings".

Verse 25

be strong, &c. See note on Deuteronomy 31:6 .

Verse 27

took them down. Compare Deuteronomy 21:22 , Deuteronomy 21:23 .

Verse 28

souls. Plural of nephesh. App-14 . Seven times in this chapter: Joshua 10:40 puts "all that breathed" instead.

as = according as.

Verse 29

Libnah. Afterward one of the cities of the priests. Joshua 21:13 . See note on 2 Chronicles 21:19 .

Verse 30

edge = mouth. Figure of speech Pleonasm. App-6 .

Verse 31

Lachish. Destroyed and rebuilt seven times. A strong city, as shown by recent explorations.

Verse 32

on the second day. A most significant statement. In 2 Kings 18:17 . 2 Chronicles 32:9 , Sennacherib besieged it; yet when Rabshakeh returned from Jerusalem he found the siege raised (2 Kings 19:8 ). Similar proof of its strength given in Jeremiah 34:7 .

Verse 33

Gezer. See note on 1 Kings 9:16 , 1 Kings 9:17 .

Verse 34

Eglon, about two miles east of Lachish, now Ajlan.

Verse 36

Hebron, before called Kirjath-arba, Judges 1:10 . Some Canaanites afterwards returned here, Judges 1:9-11 .

Verse 38

Debir = Oracle: south of Hebron. Called Kirjath sepher = Book Town (Joshua 15:15 .Judges 1:11; Judges 1:11 ), and Kirjath sannah = Precept Town (Joshua 15:49 );.

Verse 40

country of the hills = the land of the hill country.

breathed = had neshamah. App-16 .

commanded. Compare Deuteronomy 20:16 , Deuteronomy 20:17 .

Verse 41

Kadesh-barnea. This verse describes Joshua's conquests West, South. and North.

Verse 42

fought for Israel. For the reason, see App-23 and App-25 .

Chapter 11

Verse 1

when Jabin. heard. Note the stages. (1) Jericho, unresisting; (2) Ai, a sortie; (3) Gibeon, confederacy; (4) Jabin, aggressive.

Hazor. Celebrated in Judges 4:2 , Judges 4:17 .

Verse 2

of the mountains = in the hill country.

of the plains = in the low country.

Chinneroth. Compare Numbers 34:11 .Deuteronomy 3:17 . After-ward called Lake of Gennesareth, Sea of Galilee, and Sea of Tiberius (Matthew 4:14-18 , Matthew 4:23 ).

borders = uplands. Used only in connection with Dor. Hebrew. naphah. Compare Joshua 12:23 "coast", and 2 Kings 4:11 "region".

west = sea, or coast.

Verse 3

Mizpeh = Watch-tower.

Verse 4

they went out, &c. Compare Joshua 11:4 with Revelation 20:8 , Revelation 20:9 . as, &c. Figure of speech Paroemia. App-6 .

Verse 5

met together : i.e. by appointment. Compare Amos 3:3 .

Verse 6

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

said. See note on Joshua 3:7 .

hough = sever the hamstring.

Verse 8

Mierephoth-maim. Salt, or glass, works.

Verse 9

as-according as.

Verse 11

souls. Hebrew, plural of nephesh. App-13 .

edge. Hebrew mouth. Figure of speech Pleonasm . App-6 . breathe. Hebrew. neshamah. App-16 .

Verse 12

as = according as. Compare Numbers 33:56 Numbers 33:2 .Deuteronomy 7:2 ; Deuteronomy 20:16 , Deuteronomy 20:17 . See also Structure, verses: Joshua 11:11 , Joshua 11:15 , &c.

Moses the servant of the LORD. See note on Deuteronomy 34:5 .

Verse 14

children = sons.

man. Hebrew. adam . App-14 .

Verse 15

As = according as. Compare Exodus 34:11 .

on . Compare Deuteronomy 7:2 .

Verse 16

the hills = the hill country,

valley = the low country.

Verse 18

a long time = many days.

Verse 20

of the LORD. Because they were the descendants of the Nephilim; and it was as necessary for the Sword to destroy these, as the Flood those.

Verse 21

Anakims = the descendants of the second incursion of evil angels (Genesis 6:4 ) through one, Anak. See App-23 and App-23 , and notes on Numbers 13:22 and Deuteronomy 1:28 .

mountains = hill country.

from Anab. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and from Anab".

Verse 23

according to. Compare Numbers 26:53 . But some codices, with seven early printed editions, Septuagint, and Syriac, read "in their portions".

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