Joshua 11

Jos 11:1 And it happened when Jabin, king of Hazor, had heard, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,

Jabin king of Hazor - he took this upon him, because as Adonizedek king of Jerusalem was the principal king in the southern part of the land, so was he in the northern part; Joshua 11:10 And Joshua at that time turned back and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword. For Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. Hazor fell to the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:36. It was situated, as Josephus says, on the lake Samachonitis, the same with the waters of Merom, Joshua 11:5. According to Adrichomius, it was four miles from the castle Theron to the north, six miles from Caesarea Philippi to the southwest, and nine miles from the great sea to the east; and was, in the times of Christ, one of the ten principal cities of the region of Decapolis, in which he preached, Matthew 4:25 And great multitudes of people followed Him, from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and beyond Jordan; and is now called Antiopia; and lay eighty miles from Jerusalem to the north:

Jabin king of Hazor - It is probable that Jabin was the common name of all the kings of Hazor. That king, by whom the Israelites were kept in a state of slavery for twenty years, and who was defeated by Deborah and Barak, was called by this name; see Jdg_4:2, Jdg_4:3, Jdg_4:23. The name signifies wise or intelligent. The city of Hazor was situated above the Lake Semechon, in Upper Galilee, according to Josephus. It was given to the tribe of Naphtali, Jos_19:36, who it appears did not possess it long; for though it was burnt by Joshua, Jos_11:11, it is likely that the Canaanites rebuilt it, and restored the ancient government, as we find a powerful king there about one hundred and thirty years after the death of Joshua, Jdg_4:1. It is the same that was taken by Tiglath-pileser, together with Kadesh, to which it is contiguous; see 2Ki_15:29. It was in ancient times the metropolitan city of all that district, and a number of petty kings or chieftains were subject to its king, see Jos_11:10; and it is likely that it was those tributary kings who were summoned to attend the king of Hazor on this occasion; for Joshua having conquered the southern part of the promised land, the northern parts seeing themselves exposed made now a common interest, and, joining with Jabin, endeavored to put a stop to the progress of the Israelites.

Jobab king of Madon - of which place we nowhere else read but in Joshua 12:19;

king of Achshaph - a city which fell to the lot of the tribe of Asher, Joshua 19:25. The Septuagint calls it Aziph, as if it was the same with Achzib, or Ecdippa, now called Zib: but Achshaph and Achzib are manifestly distinguished, Joshua 19:25. Jerom says in his time it was a little village, and went by the name of Chasalus, eight miles from Diocaesarea, at the foot of Mount Tabor.

Jabin - Probably the hereditary and official title of the kings of Hazor, see Judges 4:2 And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. The captain of his host was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the nations. The word means literally “he shall understand,” and is equivalent to “the wise” or “intelligent.”

Hazor - This name, which means “enclosed or “fortified,” belonged also to two other towns in the south of Judah. The Hazor here in question, the head of the principalities of Northern Canaan Jos_11:10 overlooked the lake of Merom, and was afterward assigned to the tribe of Naphtali Jos_19:36. It doubtless was one of the strongest fortresses in the north, both by nature and art. It is mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions of an early date. Its situation in the midst of a plain, though itself on a hill, rendered it especially suitable as a stronghold for people whose main reliance was on horses and chariots Joshua 11:4 And they went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. Judges 4:3 And the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron. And he mightily oppressed the sons of Israel twenty years. Its position on the northern frontier led to its being fortified by Solomon 1Kings 9:15 And this is the reason of the labor force which King Solomon raised to build the house of Jehovah and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. Its people were carried away captive, with those of the other cities of Naphtali, by Tiglath-Pileser 2Kings 15:29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he deported them to Assyria.

The sites of Madon and Achshaph are unknown.

Shimron is known as Khirbet Sammuniyeh and is located in the Plain of Esdraelon north of Megiddo.

Jos 11:2 and to the kings on the north of the mountains, and on the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,

on the north of the mountains - the mountains of Naphtali (Jos_20:7). Of Libanus and Antilibanus, with others near them; so Josephus says, the kings about Lebanon being Canaanites, fought against them, for Lebanon lay to the north of the land. The reference is to the mountain district of Galilee, called Jos_20:7 “mount Naphtali.”

and of the plains south of Cinneroth - or Gennesaret, of the land and lake of which we read in the New Testament, Matthew 14:34 And when they had passed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and seems to have respect chiefly to the famous plain of Jezreel, or Esdraelon, the northern part of the Arabah, or valley of the Jordan.

and in the valley - the low and level country, including the plain of Sharon. Which may more especially design the valley of Jezreel, as it is called in the above place, and distinguish it from other plains; it was two miles broad, and ten long:

and in the borders of Dor - Dor was a royal city, and gave its name to the district around it. Its importance was derived from its having an excellent and well-sheltered haven, and from the abundance among its rocks of the shellfish which furnished the famous Tyrian purple. The site of Dor is identified by travelers as the modern Tantura or Dandora - a name which is itself only a corruption of the ancient Dor. It lies near the foot of Carmel some six miles north of Caesarea.

and in the borders of Dor - the highlands of Dor, reaching to the town of Dor on the Mediterranean coast, below mount Carmel. The town of Dor, which was built by Phoenicians, who settled there on account of the abundance of the purple mussels. The city fell to the lot of the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11; so Josephus says, in Phoenicia, near Mount Carmel, is a city called Dora, four days' journey distant from Judea; that is, that part of the land of Israel particularly so called. According to Jerom, it was nine miles from Caesarea of Palestine, as you go to Tyre; and in his time a desert. It was a haven in the Mediterranean sea, and lies three leagues from the castle of the "pilgrims" near Mount Carmel; and, as a traveller says, is now so decayed, that there is nothing more extant than a large and high tower, which the inhabitants still call Dorteite.

Jos 11:3 and to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh.

the Jebusite in the mountains - in the mountainous part of Judea, in the mountains about Jerusalem, and which they still inhabited, and did to the times of David:

the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh - so described to distinguish them from the Gibeonites, who were also Hivites. Hermon was a mountain that adjoined to Lebanon, where it is certain some of the Hivites dwelt, Judges 3:3 five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon to the border of Hamath.

The land of Mizpeh - or Mizpah,” the land of the watch-tower” This one was at the foot of Mount Hermon. The Mizpeh here mentioned must not be confounded with the Mizpeh of Gilead (Jos_13:26, and Jdg_11:29); nor with the Mizpeh of Judah Jos_15:38; nor yet with that of Moab 1Sa_22:3. There were several cities of this name: one in the tribe of Judah, (Jos_15:38); a second in the tribe of Benjamin, (Jos_18:26); a third beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Gad; and a fourth beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Manasseh, which is that mentioned in the text. One scholar (Calmet) supposes this Mizpeh to be the place where Laban and Jacob made their covenant, and from which circumstance it took its name. Gen_31:48, Gen_31:49.

the Canaanites on the east and on the west--a particular branch of the Canaanitish population who occupied the western bank of the Jordan as far northward as the Sea of Galilee, and also the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Numbers 13:29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan.

Jos 11:4 And they went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.

much people, even as the sand that is upon the seashore in multitude - a proverbial expression, to denote an exceeding great number: Their combined forces, according to Josephus, amounted to three hundred thousand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, and twenty thousand war chariots.

with horses and chariots - The war chariots were probably like those of Egypt, made of wood, but nailed and tipped with iron. Josephus gives us the number of this great army, and says it consisted of three hundred thousand footmen, ten thousand horse, and thirty thousand chariots; some copies read only twenty thousand; and these chariots were possibly armed with iron hooks or scythes, to cut down men as they drove along. That chariots were frequently used in war, all the records of antiquity prove; but it is generally supposed that among the Canaanites they were armed with iron scythes fastened to their poles and to the naves of their wheels. Terrible things are spoken of these, and the havoc made by them when furiously driven among the ranks of infantry.

Jos 11:5 And when all these kings had met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

the waters of Merom - These waters are the same with the lake Samachonitis, on which Hazor was situated; so that it was near Jabin where the rendezvous was. This lake is thought to have its name from the Arabic word "Samacha," which signifies high, as Merom does in Hebrew. It was, as Josephus says, clayish. Jerom says, in his time there was here a village called Merrus, twelve miles from the city Sebaste by Dothaim: here the kings and their armies met This lake occupies the southern half of the Ard el Huleh, a depressed basin some 15 miles long and 3 or 4 miles wide lying between the hills of Galilee on the west and the lower spurs of Hermon on the east. The size of the lake varies with the season, and the northern side of it ends in a large swamp. The shape of the lake is triangular, the point being at the south, where the Jordan, which enters it on the north, again quits it. There is a considerable space of tableland along the southwestern shore, and here probably the troops of Jabin and his confederates were encamped, preparing to move southward when Joshua and his army fell suddenly upon them.

The waters of Merom - Where these waters were, interpreters are not agreed. Whether they were the waters of the Lake Semechon, or the waters of Megiddo, mentioned Jdg_5:19, cannot be easily determined. The latter is the more probable opinion.

Merom - A lake made by the river Jordan in the northern part of it, which was in the territory of the King of Schimron, near Hazor, Jabin's royal city, and almost in the middle of these confederate kings.

Jos 11:6 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver them up, all killed before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.

thou shalt hamstring their horses - so that they might be useless hereafter; for the kings of Israel were not to multiply horses; and Joshua, as their chief ruler, was to have no advantage of them by their falling into his hands. This sinew once severed cannot be healed, and the horses would thus be irreparably lamed. This is the first appearance of horses in the wars with the Canaanites Deuteronomy 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, so as to multiply horses, because Jehovah has said to you, You shall return no more that way from now on. Israel shows disdain for chariots and horses throughout its biblical history, relying on the Lord to win its battles. Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and lean on horses and trust in chariots, because it is great; and in horsemen, because they are so very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor do they seek Jehovah!

Jos 11:7 And Joshua came suddenly, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom. And they fell on them.

Jos 11:8 And Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them to great Sidon, and to the salt pits, and to the valley of Mizpeh eastward. And they struck them until they left them none remaining.

chased them unto great Sidon - so called because of its greatness, the large extent of it, and the abundance of wealth and riches in it: it was renowned for its antiquity and the fame of its buildings; and before it was conquered by the Persians, it was the greatest of the maritime cities, though now greatly reduced. It lay not more than twenty five miles from Tyre. Josephus thinks it had its name from Sidon, the firstborn of Canaan, and that he built it, Genesis 10:15 And Canaan fathered Sidon, his first-born, and Heth but Justin says it had its name from the plenty of fishes there: and Tzaid in the Chaldee and Syriac languages signifies fishing and a fisherman: Sidon was called Said (in the 1800s), and though it was a part of the land of Canaan, and belonged to the tribe of Asher, never was conquered and possessed by them, but remained a heathen city to the time of Christ:

and unto Misrephothmaim – “and to the salt pits” in the MKJV or "boilings of water," it seems as if it was a place of hot baths, but the Targum renders it "pits of water," which seem to be pits into which the salt waters of the sea were drawn, and where they were heated by the sun, and made salt of; and so it is thought this was a place of salt pits, where salt was boiled, either by the heat of the sun or by fire. Misrephothmaim (mentioned also at Jos_13:6), which the Greek translators have taken as a proper name, though the Rabbins and some Christian commentators render it in different ways, such as salt-pits, smelting-huts, or glass-huts, is a collection of springs.

chased them unto great Sidon - as the metropolis of various subject towns and territories, appears Jos_19:28 to have been afterward assigned to Asher, but was not, in fact, conquered by that tribe Judges 1:31 And Asher did not expel those who lived in Accho, and the inhabitants of Sidon, and Ahlab, and Achzib, and Helbah, and Aphik, and Rehob. It is mentioned in Egyptian papyri of great antiquity, and by Homer, and was in the most ancient times the capital of Phoenicia. In later times it was eclipsed by Tyre. The prophets frequently couple Tyre and Sidon together, as does also the New Testament
Isaiah 23:2 Be still, inhabitants of the coast, merchant of Sidon, who pass over the sea. They have filled you.
Isaiah 23:4 Be ashamed, O Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the strength of the sea, saying, I have not travailed nor brought forth. I have not nourished young men nor raised up virgins.
Isaiah 23:12 And He said, You shall rejoice no more, O crushed one, virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Chittim; also there you shall have no rest.
Jeremiah 27:3 And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who came to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
Jeremiah 47:4 because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines and to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every survivor who helps. For Jehovah will plunder the Philistines, the rest of the country of Caphtor.
Matthew 11:22 But I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
Matthew 15:21 And going out from there, Jesus withdrew to the parts of Tyre and Sidon.

Jos 11:9 And Joshua did to them as Jehovah commanded him. He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

Jos 11:10 And Joshua at that time turned back and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword. For Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms.

Jos 11:11 And they struck every soul in it with the edge of the sword, destroying them. And he left none breathing. And he burned Hazor with fire.

he burnt Hazor with fire - as he did Jericho and Ai, though no other cities he had taken; but it seems that this city, though burnt, was built again and inhabited by Canaanites, who had a king over them of the same name with this in the times of Deborah, Judges 4:2 And Jehovah sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. The captain of his host was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the nations.

Jos 11:12 And Joshua took all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them. And he struck them with the edge of the sword. He destroyed them, as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded.

Jos 11:13 But Israel did not burn any of them, the cities that stood in their strength, except Hazor only. Joshua did burn it.

But as for the cities that stood still in their strength - Whose walls were not demolished when taken, or that "stood upon their heaps"; upon an eminence, being built on hills and mountains.

Israel burned none of them - but reserved them for their own habitations, being well fortified, and having no need of new walls being built to them, or being in a very agreeable situation:

save Hazor only that did Joshua burn - because it was the chief city where the scheme was formed, and the combination against Israel was made, and was the rendezvous of the confederate forces against them.

Note the fulfillment of prophecy. Deuteronomy 6:10-11 And it shall be when Jehovah your God has brought you into the land which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you great and good cities which you did not build, and houses full of every good thing which you did not fill, and wells which are dug, but which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be full,

Jos 11:14 And all the spoil of these cities and the cattle the sons of Israel took for a prize to themselves. But they struck every man with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They left none breathing.

All the spoil of these cities - With the exception of those things which had been employed for idolatrous purposes; see Deuteronomy 7:25 You shall burn the graven images of their gods with fire. You shall not desire the silver or gold on them, nor take it for yourself, so that you may not be snared in it. For it is an abomination to Jehovah your God.

Jos 11:15 As Jehovah commanded Moses His servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that Jehovah commanded Moses.

so did Moses command Joshua - Which was to destroy the people of the land, Deuteronomy 7:1-2 Deu 7:1 When Jehovah your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, and Jehovah your God shall deliver them before you, you shall crush them, completely destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.

Jos 11:16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountains of Israel, and its lowlands,

So Joshua took all that land - Here follows a general view of the conquest. The division of the country there into five parts; namely, the hills, the land of Goshen, that is, a pastoral land near Gibeon (Jos 10:41); the valley, the plains and the mountains of Israel, rests upon a diversity of geographical positions, which is characteristic of the region.

Jos 11:17 from mount Halak that goes up to Seir, even to Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. And he took all their kings, and struck them and killed them.

Jos 11:18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

Joshua made war a long time with all those kings - For, though the account of the conquest of them is put together, and lies in a small compass, yet those victories were not obtained at once, or in a few days, as were those of the five kings, and others, related in the preceding chapter, Joshua 10:10; but were the work of some years; Josephus says five years, but the common notion of the Jews is, that Joshua was seven years in subduing the land of Canaan; Bishop Usher thinks it was done in six years; and it may be concluded that it was about six or seven years ere this work was completely finished. There are some chronological notices in this book, and in Deuteronomy, by which the exact time may be nearly ascertained. Caleb was forty years old when he was sent from Kadesh-barnea by Moses to search out the land, and at the end of this war he was eighty-five years old; (compare Jos_14:10 with Numbers 13, and Deuteronomy 1).

a long time - Exodus 23:29-30 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become a waste, and the beast of the field multiply against you. By little and little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and inherit the land. The Lord says He will not give them Canaan in a short time, but rather a long campaign. Caleb was forty years old when sent from Kadesh-barnea to spy the land, and he was eighty-five at the conclusion of this war. Almost thirty-nine years of this time were spent before Israel passed Jordan; which leaves between six and seven for the term of Joshua’s wars. Joshua 11:23 And Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war. Joshua 14:7-10 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of Jehovah sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land. And I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers that went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I fully followed Jehovah my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land on which your feet have trodden shall be your inheritance, and your sons' forever because you have fully followed Jehovah my God. And now, behold, Jehovah has kept me alive these forty-five years as He said, even since Jehovah spoke this word to Moses, while Israel wandered in the wilderness. And now, lo, I am eighty-five years old today.

Jos 11:19 There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All others they took in battle.

Jos 11:20 For it was of Jehovah to harden their hearts so that they should come against Israel in battle, so that they might be destroyed, so that they might have no favor, but that He might destroy them, as Jehovah commanded Moses.

It was of the Lord to harden their hearts - They had sinned against all the light they had received, and God left them justly to the hardness, obstinacy, and pride of their own hearts; for as they chose to retain their idolatry, God was determined that they should be cut off. For as no city made peace with the Israelites but Gibeon and some others of the Hivites, Jos_11:19, it became therefore necessary to destroy them; for their refusal to make peace was the proof that they wilfully persisted in their idolatry.

To harden their hearts - It was the design of God's providence not to soften their hearts to a compliance with the Israelites, but to give them up to their own animosity, pride, confidence and stubbornness; that so their abominable and incorrigible wickedness might be punished, and that the Israelites might not be mixed with them, but be entire among themselves in the possession of the land. As he hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, that his power might be displayed in their destruction. Note that those whose hearts leaned towards the Lord were saved (like Rahab and the Gibeonites).

Jos 11:21 At that time Joshua came and cut off the giants from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel. Joshua destroyed them with their cities.

and cut off the Anakims from the mountains - these were giants, so called from Anak the father of them; though these are not to be restrained to his posterity, but include all other giants in the land; and the Targum renders the word by "mighty men"; and as some of them dwelt in mountains, others in cities.

from Hebron - where the children of Anak dwelt when the spies were sent into the land between forty and fifty years before this; and though the inhabitants of Hebron had been before destroyed by Joshua, these Anakims, who very likely then made their escape, returned and took possession of it after Joshua's departure, and while he was engaged in making other conquests; as we find that after this others of the same race again possessed it, and were in the possession of it after the death of Joshua, when they were slain by the tribe of Judah, Judges 1:10 And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (and the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba). And they killed Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

from Anab - a city in the mountain district which fell to the lot of the tribe of Judah, lying some distance south of Hebron Joshua 15:50.

The Anakims - Numbers 13:22 And they went up by the south and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the sons of Anak were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) Numbers 13:28 However, the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are walled, very great. And also we saw the children of Anak there. As it was the report of the spies respecting the Anakims which, above all, struck terror into the Israelites in the wilderness, and caused their faithless complaining and revolt, so the writer goes back here in his story to record pointedly the overthrow of this gigantic and formidable race. Because of the fear they had when they first spied the land, the writer mentions expressly that Joshua also rooted out from their settlements the sons of Anak, whom the spies in the time of Moses had described as terrible giants, and drove them into the Philistine cities of Gaza, Bath, and Ashdod. Numbers 13:31 But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. They had their chief settlements in the mountains around Hebron Jos_10:3 or Debir.

Jos 11:22 There were none of the giants left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod there remained some.

only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod - these were three of the five principalities of the Philistines, and were never conquered and possessed by Israel. The whole race of the Anakims was extirpated in this war, except those who had taken refuge in the above cities, which belonged to the Philistines; and in which some of the descendants of Anak were found even in the days of David. Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod were towns of the Philistines; of these Gaza and Ashdod were allotted to the tribe of Judah (Jos_15:47), but were never taken possession of by the Israelites, although the Philistines were sometimes subject to the Israelites (see at Jos_13:3)

Jos 11:23 And Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

and the land rested from war - there were no combinations of any of the dispersed Canaanites, or insurrections made by them, nor any annoyance given to Israel by the Philistines, who inhabited five principal cities, with what belonged to them; nor did Joshua attempt anything more in a warlike manner: and so it became a land of rest.

And the land rested from war - The whole territory being now conquered, which God designed the Israelites should possess at this time. According to the apostle, Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day etc., Joshua himself was a type of Christ; the promised land, of the kingdom of heaven, the victories which he gained, of the victory and triumph of Christ; and the rest he procured for Israel, of the state of blessedness, at the right hand of God. Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded. And there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. And He will reign forever and ever. Revelation 19:16 And He has on His garment, and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

The whole land - That is, the greatest and best part of it, for some parts are expressly excepted in the following history. All that the Lord said unto Moses - God had promised to drive out the nations before them. And now the promise was fulfilled.