Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Joshua · Chapter 11 – Chapter 12
CHAP. XI.
Verſ. 1. ANd it came to paſſe, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard thoſe things, that he ſent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, &c.] Called Shimron-meron, chap. 12.10. Very obſervable was the providence of God in that which is here related, to wit, that he did not ſuffer all the kings of the Canaanites, at once to joyn their forces together and ſet upon the Iſraelites, but ſome at one time, and ſome at another; which the Lord doubtleſſe did out of his fatherly indulgence towards his people, and the tender reſpect he had to their weakneſſe. Had theſe kings here mentioned joyned with the other five, whom the Iſraelites had before vanquiſhed, the Iſraelites muſt needs be ſtricken with great terrour and fear: And therefore the Lord was pleaſed ſo to infatuate and ſtupifie theſe, that they were quiet, and moved not till their neighbours were deſtroyed; by which means the Iſraelites were heartned with the conqueſt of the firſt, ere the other ſet upon them, and they had leiſure to refreſh themſelves in their camp at Gilgal, ere they were called forth to go upon another ſervice.
Verſ. 2. And to the kings that were on the North of the mountains, and of the plains, ſouth of Cinneroth, &c.] That is, the plains that lay ſouthward of the countrey called Cinneroth, and Deut. 3.17. Chinnereth, afterward Genneſareth; of which ſee the note upon Numb. 34.10.
Verſ. 3. And to the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh.] It is thought by ſome, that the Hivites here mentioned, to whom the king of Hazor ſent that he might draw them into this confederacy againſt Iſrael, are deſcribed by the place of their habitation, the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh, purpoſely to diſtinguiſh them from the Gibeonites, who were alſo Hivites, that we might not think, that they were now ſollicited to break the league which they had made with the Iſraelites.
Verſ. 6. Be not afraid becauſe of them, for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all ſlain before Iſrael.] It may be that Joſhua was at this time ſomewhat the more diſtreſſed not onelyonly becauſe of the great number of the enemie, who were as the ſand of the ſea-ſhore for multitude, verſ. 5. but alſo becauſe the greateſt ſtrength of their armie conſiſted in horſe and chariots, of which in the battels fought hitherto with the Canaanites there is no mention made, and before whom, how the Iſraelites ſhould be able to ſtand that were all foot, he might perhaps doubt; and therefore the Lord doth now again aſſure Joſhua that he ſhould overcome and deſtroy them all, and that he might not queſtion the promiſe made to him, he tells him particularly the very time when this ſhould be done; To morrow, ſaith he, about this time will I deliver them up all ſlain before Iſrael.
Thou ſhalt though their horſes and burn their chariots with fire.] Thou ſhalt not think to reſerve theſe for thine own uſe, and therefore ſhalt altogether make the one unſerviceable, and burn up the other. In future times the Iſraelites made uſe both of horſe and chariots in warre, and that no doubt without ſinne. Now God would not allow it; that the worſe provided they were for the conqueſt of theſe nations, the more evident it might be that God had thruſt out theſe nations before them, and the leſſe cauſe they might have to glory in themſelves.
Verſ. 8. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Iſrael, who ſmote them and chaſed them unto great Zidon.] Zidon ſo called from Sidon the eldeſt ſonne of Canaan, Gen. 10.15. is here ſtyled great, not to diſtinguiſh it from any other leſſer city of that name, but onelyonly becauſe it was indeed a very great city, and in great fame in thoſe times, partly by reaſon the inhabitants were excellent artificers for all kind of workmanſhip, but eſpecially, becauſe there was there a goodly haven, and ſo they had of all other cities the greateſt ſtore of ſhips and ſea-men; and indeed, that it was the Metropolis of that countrey, afterward called Phenicia, we may the rather think, becauſe Tyrus a great citie too, not farre from Zidon is called the daughter of Zidon▪ Iſaiah 53.12.
Verſ. 10. And Joſhua at that time turned back, and took Hazor and ſmote the king thereof with the ſword.] Either Jabin the king of Hazor mentioned verſ. 1. eſcaped in the fight and fled into Hazor, and ſo was ſlain there when they took the citie; or elſe, hearing that their king was ſlain, they had preſently made another king for the better preſervation of their city, the rather, becauſe it was the head of all thoſe kingdomes in thoſe parts; or elſe, it may be the king was ſlain in the battell, onelyonly his death is related here where the ſtory relates how his city was taken, as is noted before upon a like paſſage, chap. 10.37. which laſt ſeems the moſt probable, becauſe the like is ſaid afterward concerning all the kings that were confederate with Jabin in this warre, verſe 12. And all the cities of thoſe kings, and all the kings of them did Joſhua take, and ſmote them with the edge of the ſword. For it is not probable, that all thoſe kings did eſcape to their cities, and were taken and ſlain there, or that there were new kings choſen in the room of thoſe that were ſlain in all thoſe cities. As concerning the rebuilding & repeopling again of this Hazor, whoſe kings were happely called by the name of Jabin, as thoſe of Egypt were called Pharaohs, ſee what is noted upon Judges 4.2. where we reade of another Jabin that reigned in Hazor, that did mightily oppreſſe Gods people.
Verſ. 13. But as for the cities that ſtood ſtill in their ſtrength, Iſrael burned none of them, ſave Hazor onelyonly, &c.] That is, that were not beaten down burnt and ruined in the taking of them. Some it ſeems in the taking put the Iſraelites to more work, and were burnt and deſtroyed ere they could be wonne; but thoſe that could be taken otherwiſe, the Iſraelites reſerved for their own uſe: OnelyOnly Hazor, though after it was taken it ſtood ſtill in its ſtrength, was burnt down to the ground, becauſe the king thereof was the firſt and chief in raiſing theſe forces, which were now overthrown, againſt the Iſraelites.
Verſ. 15. As the Lord commanded Moſes his ſervant, &c.] See the note, chap. 10.40.
Verſ. 16. So Joſhua took all that land, the hills, &c. and the mountain of Iſrael, and the valley of the ſame.] Expoſitours gueſſe ſeverally what mountain it was, that is here called the mountain of Iſrael: But the beſt and moſt probable opinion is, that it is not meant of any one particular mountain, but that it is meant generally of all the mountainous parts of the land of Canaan which the Iſraelites inhabited, conſidered apart from the tribe of Judah.
Verſ. 18. And Joſhua made warre a long time with all thoſe kings.] Becauſe the warres which Joſhua had made with the kings of Canaan mentioned in the former chapter are ſuccinctly related in a few words, it might therefore be thought that they were diſpatched in a few dayes, and therefore to prevent this miſtake, it is here expreſſely ſaid that theſe warres laſted a long time, though they be here briefly related one immediately after another. How many years were ſpent in ſubduing theſe nations we cannot ſay; onelyonly it is evident that when Caleb required of Joſhua that part of the land which Moſes had promiſed him chap. 14.6. the warres had laſted about ſeven years; for that was five and fourtie years, as Caleb ſaith there, verſ. 10. after he with others were ſent from Kadeſh-barnea to ſearch the land of Canaan; out of which if we take eight and thirtie yeares, which were after that ſpent in the wandring of the Iſraelites through the wilderneſſe, there will remain ſeven years, which were ſpent in the warres of Joſhua, from the time that they paſſed over Jordan unto the time that Caleb deſired of Joſhua that peculiar portion of the land which had been promiſed him. We know well that God could many wayes have driven or rooted out theſe kings and their people in a ſhorter time: But God would have it thus done by degrees, firſt, That the more oppoſition and difficultie they found in the work, the more the power and the love of God and his provident care over them might be magnified, who did at laſt carrie them through all theſe difficulties. Secondly, that he might hereby exerciſe their faith and patience, and teach them whenever they met with great oppoſition in any thing God enjoyned them, not to deſpair, but to wait upon God, as knowing that in the concluſion God would not ſuffer their hope to make them aſhamed. Thirdly, that the obſtinacy of the Canaanites might be the more clearly diſcovered to render them inexcuſable. and Fourthly, that he might prevent hereby the encreaſe of wild beaſts in the land, according to that which Moſes had ſaid to them, Deut. 7.22. The Lord thy God will put out thoſe nations before thee by little and little, thou mayest not conſume them at once, lest the beaſts of the field encreaſe upon thee.
Verſ. 19. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Iſrael, &c.] This is added as a reaſon why the warres with the Canaanites laſted ſo long, as it is ſaid in the foregoing verſe, it was becauſe the inhabitants did all ſo obſtinately ſtand it out againſt the Iſraelites, none of them attempting to procure conditions of peace from them, ſave onelyonly the Gibeonites.
Verſ. 20. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, &c.] See the note upon Exod. 7.13.
Verſ. 21. And at that time came Joſhua and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, and from Debir, &c.] Concerning theſe Anakims, ſee what is noted before upon Numb. 13.22. where it is alſo expreſſely ſaid, that the Iſraelites that were at firſt ſent to ſearch the land of Canaan, ſaw theſe Anakims about Hebron, from whence Joſhua did now drive them. It is evident that Hebron, (yea and Debir too, or elſe another city of the ſame name) was formerly taken by Joſhua and the Iſraelites, in that their expedition againſt thoſe five kings that had joyned their forces together to beſiege Gibeon, as we may ſee chap. 10.36 37.38. That therefore which is ſaid here, that Joſhua cut off the Anakims from Hebron, from Debir, &c. muſt be underſtood of his cutting them off from the mountains that were about Hebron and Debir. It ſeems that theſe gyants, being a kind of wild ſalvage men, monſters rather then men, did chiefly abide in dens and caves that were in the mountains, or at leaſt, that when Joſhua had prevailed in that part of the land, and had taken the ſeverall towns and cities there, and deſtroyed the inhabitants, many of theſe monſters had withdrawn themſelves to thoſe their faſtneſſes and ſtrong holds, from whence afterwards they brake forth into the countreys adjoyning, and ſo thereupon Joſhua went out againſt them with his forces, and cut them off, ſome at one time and ſome at another, from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, that is, the mountains adjoyning to thoſe cities, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Iſrael, that is, the mountains in that portion of the land which fell to the tribe of Judah, and indeed from all the mountains throughout the land of Canaan which fell to the reſt of the Iſraelites: for Judah, by reaſon of their dignity, is often mentioned as diſtinct from the other tribes; and in this regard I conceive this expreſſion is uſed, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Iſrael, and not with reference to that diviſion of the land betwixt the kingdome of Judah and the kingdome of Iſrael in Jeroboams revolt, it being moſt probable that this book was written before that time, even before David had caſt out the Jebuſites out of Jeruſalem, as may be gathered from that place, chap. 15.63. As for the Jebuſites, the inhabitants of Jeruſalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebuſites dwell with the children of Judah at Jeruſalem unto this day. The greateſt difficulty in this place is this, that here it is ſaid, that Joſhua cut off the Anakims from Hebron, from Debir, &c. cities that he had taken before from the inhabitants, chap. 10.36. &c. and yet afterwards, chap. 15.14. it is ſaid, that Caleb took Hebron and drove the Anakims thence. To this ſome anſwer, That though Joſhua took Hebron, and afterwards cut off the Anakims from the mountains about Hebron, as it is here ſaid; yet in proceſſe of time the inhabitants, and eſpecially theſe Anakims did again ſeiſe upon Hebron and poſſeſſe it, and ſo were after Joſhuas death driven out thence by Caleb: (for though this be related chap. 15.14. yet that it was not done till after the death of Joſhua, is evident (they ſay) in the firſt chapter of Judges, verſ. 9. where the ſame ſtory is again related.) But becauſe it is evident in the fourteenth chapter of this book verſ. 12. that Caleb whileſt Joſhua was yet living deſired Hebron and the mountainous countrey about it to be given him for his inheritance, as Moſes had promiſed it ſhould be, undertaking withall, that with Gods help he would drive out the Anakims thence, Give me (ſaith he) this mountain, &c. If ſo be the Lord will be with me, then I ſhall be able to drive them out, as the Lord ſaid: nor is it probable that ever the Lord ſuffered the Canaanites to recover one foot of that land, out of which Joſhua had expelled them, till after the death of Joſhua, when by their ſinnes they provoked the Lord againſt them; nor that the valourous Caleb would ſuffer the Canaanites to rooſt ſo long in that place which was given him for his inheritance, as till after the death of Joſhua: therefore I conceive, that the truer anſwer for the reſolving of this difficulty is this, That it was Caleb that did drive out the Anakims out of the mountains about Hebron, as is related chap. 15.14. onelyonly it is here aſcribed to Joſhua, becauſe Joſhua was their chief Generall, and ſo it was done under his government and command, though it were done by Caleb. However the deſtroying the Anakims throughout the land of Canaan is here particularly recorded, that in Gods goodneſſe and power in cutting them now off, they might ſee the folly of their forefathers infidelity, who were ſo ſcared with the ſight and report of the formidable ſtature of theſe giants, that they would not enter the land notwithſtanding all that Moſes, Joſhua, and Caleb could ſay to them.
Verſ. 22. There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Iſrael; onelyonly in Gaza, in Gath, &c.] Theſe were cities of the Philiſtims, whoſe land was alſo within the compaſſe of the promiſe made to the Iſraelites, Exod. 23.31. And I will ſet thy bounds from the red ſea, even unto the ſea of the Philiſtims, though becauſe of their ſinnes they prevailed not as yet ſo farre. In theſe cities there were of theſe Anakims, theſe giants ſtill remaining many years after: for Goliath was of Gath: ſee 1. Sam. 17.4. &c. and thoſe foure huge giants mentioned 2. Sam. 21.16. &c. were all of the Philiſtims.
Verſ. 23. And Joſhua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, &c.] That is, he vanquiſhed the whole land before mention…d; or he is ſaid to have taken the whole land, becauſe he had ſo far ſubdued it, that none of the inhabitants durſt take up arms againſt them, or any way moleſt them; ſo that they might now peaceably make a diviſion of it amongſt the tribes, though there were ſome places which the Canaanites had yet in their poſſeſſion, as is largely expreſſed in the beginning of the 13. chapter, yet they durſt not ſtirre againſt the Iſraelites; and therefore is that clauſe added in the laſt words of this chapter, and the land reſted from warre.
CHAP. XII.
Verſ. 1. NOw theſe are the kings of the land which the children of Iſrael ſmote, &c.] In this chapter there are briefly preſented as it were in a table or map, the ſeverall countreyes and kings vanquiſhed by Moſes, Joſhua, and the Iſraelites, that beholding them all thus joyntly together, we might be the more affected with the conſideration of Gods goodneſſe and faithfulneſſe towards his people.
From the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the eaſt.] This was the length of the countrey on the outſide of Jordan; it reached from the river Arnon, where it ran into the dead ſea, unto mount Hermon.
Verſ. 2. And from half Gilead, unto the river Jabbok, &c.] For the other half of Gilead was poſſeſſed by Og, as we may ſee, verſ. 5. See the note alſo upon Num. 32.40.
Verſ. 9. The king of Ai, which is beſide Bethel, one.] This clauſe which is added concerning the city of Ai, that it was nigh unto Bethel, is to diſtinguiſh it from another city of the ſame name in the countrey of the Amorites, whereof the prophet Jeremy ſpeaks, Jer. 49.3. Howl O Hesbon, for Ai is ſpoyled.
Verſ. 23. The king of the nations of Gilgal, one.] This cannot be that Gilgal where the Iſraelites pitched their tents immediately after they had paſſed over Jordan: for there was no city that had a king reigning in it, and therefore it is probably conjectured by many Expoſitours, that this was ſome city of that name in that part of the land of Canaan which was called Galilee, yea and Galilee of nations, Eſa. 9.1. as this Gilgal is here called Gilgal of nations; to wit, becauſe the inhabitants of this place were a mixt people of ſeverall nations, or becauſe being a place of great trading, many ſeverall nations reſorted thither for commerce, and ſo continued there often for many years together. Some are of opinion, that Tidal Gen. 14.1. who was one of thoſe kings that fought againſt Sodome, was king of this countrey.