Josh. 11 The other kings and cities of Canaan gather themselves together to fight against Israel, Josh. 11:1–5. God encourages Joshua, promising him victory, Josh. 11:6. The Canaanites destroyed; their cities taken; Hazor burnt; the Anakims cut off, Josh.

Hazor, the chief city of all those parts, Josh. 11:10. Had heard those things: this was a remarkable instance of the wisdom and goodness of Divine Providence, which so governed the minds and hearts of the Canaanites, that they were not at all united under one king, but divided amongst many petty…

On the north of the mountains, Heb. on the north (which may be the general designation of all the particular places following, that they were in the northern parts of Canaan, as those mentioned Josh.

The Canaanites properly so called lived part of them on the east near Jordan, and part on the west near the sea, and both are here united. The Hivite under Hermon; that dwelt under Mount Hermon in the north of Canaan, whereby they are differenced from those Hivites who lived in Gibeon; of which…

The waters of Merom; a lake made by the river Jordan in the northern part of it, which was in the territory of the king of Shimron, or Shimron-meron, and near Hazor, Jabin’s royal city, and almost in the middle of these confederate kings.

Hough their horses, i.e. cut their hamstrings, that they may be unfit for war. For God forbade them to have or keep many horses, Deut. 17:16, now especially, that they might not trust to their horses, as men are apt to do, nor distrust God for want of so necessary a help in battle; nor ascribe the…

When they least expected them, intending there to refresh, and prepare, and order themselves for the offensive war which they designed.

Zidon, a great and famous city in the north-west part of Canaan, and upon the sea. Misrephoth-maim, a place not far from Zidon, supposed to be so called from the salt or glass which they made there. The valley of Mizpeh, under Mount Hermon, as appears by comparing this with Josh. 11:3, Josh.

Smote the king thereof; either in the former battle, though it be mentioned here; or rather in his royal city, to which he fled out of the battle. The head of all those kingdoms; not of all Canaan, but of all those who were confederate with him in this expedition.

There was not any, i.e. no human person.

In their strength, Heb. with (for so this preposition is oft used, as Ex. 35:12, Lev. 2:2, Ezek. 16:37;c.) their fence or fences, walls or bulwarks, i.e. which were not utterly ruined together with their walls in the taking of them.

All that land, of Cannaan, whose parts here follow. The hill, or, the mountain, i.e. the mountainous country, to wit, of Judea, as may seem, 1. Because in the following enumeration he begins in the south parts, where there was an eminent mountain, Num. 13:17. 2.

That goeth up to Seir i.e. to the country of Seir or Edom, to wit, that part of it which was south from Judea, not that which was eastward from it, as appears from hence, that here, as also Josh.

For divers years together, as is evident by the following history, and by comparing Deut. 2:14 with Josh. 14:7;c. And this is here expressed, lest it should be thought that as all these wars are here recorded in a short narration, so they were despatched in a short time.

To wit, all that were taken by Joshua, were taken by the sword, and therefore it is no wonder that the war was long, when the enemy was so obstinate.

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 both their abominable and incorrigible wickedness might be severely punished and that the Israelites might…

At that time, i.e. in that war; for it cannot be meant of any particular and short time, because the work here related was done in divers times and years. The Anakims; a race of giants, of which see Num. 13:33.

Three cities of the Philistines, to which they retired, and where we find some of them afterwards, 1 Sam. 17:4, 2 Sam. 21:16; which may be one reason why the Israelites durst not make an attempt upon these places, though they were a part of their possession.

The whole land, synecdochically, i.e. the greatest and the best part of it, for some parts and places are expressly excepted in the following history. From war; from actual war; so far that they could now quietly survey, and distribute, and possess the land.