Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · Joshua · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
THE Enemies on the South being subdued, and their Cities taken, now is shewed, how those on the North, and on all sides from thence, East, V. 1, 2.West, combined together against Joshua by the instigation of Jabin, King of Hazor, but with as ill successe as the former five Kings, for they were all destroyed and their people, none being spared throughout all their Lands. If this shall bee thought cruelty, saith Ferus, that so much blood should bee Ferus.shed, it is but as all sinners, when they come to bee punished, are ready to object that God is cruell towards them. But they truely were worthy of these severe proceedings; for when as Nebuchadnezzar was moved at one miracle to give glory to God, they were nothing moved by divers, unto the dividing of Jordan, and the falling of the walls of Jericho, the standing still of the Sun being added in the fight of all men, wherefore they were most desperately wicked, and worthy to bee all cut off, for that still they banded themselves together against the Lord.
Mystically hereby was figured out how the Enemies of Jesus should joyn The Mystery.against him, first the Jews, and they being overcome, heathen persecuters, and they also being put down, Hereticks in greater numbers, but none shall ever bee able to prevaile against his Church, but finally bring ruine upon themselves, as these did. Thus Ferus; but whereas in speaking of the Kings, that now combined against Joshua, hee saith, that they were 24 and Comestor likewise, and that seven onelyonly were slain before, according to the capitulation made Ch. 12. of 31 Kings, the contrary appeareth, because 11 perished before, and moreover Ch. 10. 40. some others, whose number is not particularly there set down, but if 11 onelyonly, here could bee no more then 20.
Hazor was a great and Metropolitan City, within the lot of Nephtalim, Ch. 19. 36. towards Mount Libanus, and not farre from Cesarea Philippi. And here another King Jabin reigned afterwards, Judg. 4. much afflicting the Israelites with his Canaanites. It lay 80 miles from Jerusalem towards the North, H. B. Patriarchs travailes.and the ruines of it are to bee seen at this day. Jabin the King of this City, was over all the other Kings, v. 10. and therefore by his authority might call together the rest to this warre. Jobab the King of Madon; where this Madon lay, it cannot bee said by any thing spoken in the sacred History; but Josephus calleth these the inhabitants of Libanus: This was the first King for whom Jabin sent; the second was the King of Shimron, this hath an addition, v. 20. Shimron Meron; this was in the Tribe of Zebulun, Ch. 19. 15. neare to the lot of Nephtalim, towards the south. The third was the King of Achsaph, which Achsaph lay in the lot of Asher, Ch. 19. 25.
And hee sent to the Kings that were on the north of the mountaines, and of the plains, V. 2.south of Cinneroth, and in the borders of Dor, &c. For the Kings on the north, the Septuagint have the Kings towards Sidon, happily taking foreign for foreign as Masius conjectureth, or rather because Zidou is mentioned, v. 8. as the place towards which Joshua chased them. Cinneroth was the same, that was afterward called Gennesareth, and so the Chaldee paraphr: rendreth it in this place. Dor was a City in the lot of the halfe tribe of Manasseh, neare the Sea, Chap. 17. 11. Judg. 1. 27.
And to the Canaanite on the west and the east, and the Amorite, Hittite, and Perizzite, &c. This seemeth to bee an enumeration of divers others sent for, besides V. 3.the forenamed; because it is said, and the Canaanite, &c. but in Hebr. there is no and, whereby it seemeth rather that the people hitherto sent for, before described by their Cities and coasts, are here onelyonly further shewed to bee Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, &c. onelyonly the Jebusites in the mountaines, which were towards Jerusalem, are added; and the Hivites under Hermon in the Land of Mizpeh. Hermon was a mountaine neare to Libanus, 122 miles from Ierusalem towards the northeast, it bounded all the north part of that Countrey, the same is called Mount Baal Hermon, Iudg. 3. 3. Besides this, there was another Hermon on the other fide of Iordan, called also Shenir, Deut. 3. 9. of the former this here is to be understood. Mizpeh signifieth a Watch-tower, whereby is intimated, that it stood upon a high place. One Mizpeh was in the Tribe of Iudah, Ch. 15. 38. another in the tribe of Benjamin, Ch. 18. 26. But Adricomius Adricomius.will have both these to be one, standing upon the border of these two tribes. This Mizpeh was famous for the peoples assembling thither together against Benjamin, Iudg. 20. 1. and for Samuels assembling them to make Saul King, 1 Sam. 10. 17. Another Mizpeh was on the other side of Iordan in the tribe of Gad, Ch. 13. 26. Of the first of these, the City here named must needs bee understood, because that Mizpeh where Gad dwelt in Gilead, was before conquered; the Land about, even to Hermon, seemeth to have taken the name from this Mizpeh, being therefore called the land of Mizpeh: in the other Iephthah the Gileadite dwelt, Iudg. 11.
And they went out, and all the hosts of them, much people, as the sand upon the Sea V. 4.shore, and their Chariots and horses. This speech is hyperbolicall, and setteth forth a very great Host; and the addition of Horses and Chariots must needs bee the more terrible to the Israelites, who were all on foot. Iosephus saith, Josephus.that the horsemen were 10000, the chariots 20000, and the footmen 300000.
They came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, &c. This was a lake not V. 5. H. B. Patriarkes travailes.farre from Dothan, 44 miles from Ierusalem towards the north; from Gilgal above 22 miles. This Lake is made a great part of it by the overflowings of Iordan, being 60 furlongs long, and 30 furlongs broad, but when Iordan overfloweth Ioseph. lib. 1. c. 1 de Bell. Iud. Ioseph. lib. 5. c. 6. Antiq.not, it soon waxeth almost dry; it is also called Samaconitis, neare to this was Hazor, where the great King Iabin reigned, to whom the rest here assembled; but Iosephus calleth the place of their meeting the City Berotha. Lyra saith, that Merom was between the head of Iordan, and the sea of Cinneroth.
And be Lord said to Ioshua, Bee not afraid of them, for to morrow by this time V. 6.I will deliver them into thy hands all slaine; and thou shalt hough their horses, and burne their chariots with fire. The Vulgar Latine, tradam omnes in manus tuas vulnerandos. The word foreign chalilim, here used, signifieth either wounded, or slaine; but this last is to bee preferred, for it is shewed immediately after, that Ioshua slew them all, v. 8. that is, as Lyra hath it, all that saved not themselves Lyra.by flying into fenced Cities: but this was a long time in doing, v. 18. that is, as shall bee further shewed there, five or six yeares; for the escape of Iabin into Hazor, and of other Kings, is intimated, v. 10, 11, 12. Wherefore these words, To morrow by this time, are not to be understood, as if they should all bee slaine in one day, but they should then bee all discomfited, and begin to fall; neither would the Lord cease fighting for Israel, till they were all slaine that they could meet withall. From hence Calvin gathereth, that Merom was not farre from Calvin.Gilgal; or that these Forces were comming against Ioshua in Gilgal, and were now not farre off. And because God biddeth him againe, not to bee affraid, that notwithstanding the like encouragements formerly given him at divers times, hee needed now to have the same repeated againe. Iosephus saith, that the people of Israel hearing of their mighty Forces despaired through feare, till the Lord againe gave them this incouragement. For the charge of houghing their horses, and burning their chariots with fire; this saith Ferus, was, Ferus.lest if they should have kept these horses and chariots, they should afterwards have trusted in them, and not in God onelyonly; for the Heathen that were thus furnisht, trusted in them, Psal. 20. 8. but Gods Angels are about his as Horsemen 2 King 6. Zechar. 2.and Chariots of fire, and God is as a fiery wall about them. 2. To shew the greater indignation against the wicked in making all their pompe and pride to fall together with them. 3. To teach them that Horses and Chariots are of no power in Warre against God. 4. To prefigure how Jesus should The Mysterie.destroy all his enemies, as the Jewes by taking away their Temple, and Land, and his Word from them, which were as their Horses, whereby they were puffed up with pride, and persecuting Kings, by destroying their power and greatnesse, which were as their Horses; and Heretiques by confounding their wit and eloquence by his Word, for these were as their horses wherewith they warred against the truth. 5. To shew how wee should warre against the devill to overcome him, viz. by houghing his horse, which is the flesh, and subduing it by fasting, praying, and labouring. Lyra yeeldeth none other reason Lyra.of this charge, but that it must be done in token of a perfect victory obtained by the Lord; but others generally say the same with the first reason of Ferus, and Deut. 4. 17. 16. the King is forbidden to multiply horses to himselfe. Calvin besides this addeth another reason, viz. that not being furnisht with Calvin.horses, they might containe themselves within their owne bounds, and not seek out to inlarge their dominions; farther then they were allowed. And wee read not, that the Israelites went to the Wars after this with Horses and 2 Chron. 18. V. 7. 8.Chariots, but if sometimes they did, it was with ill successe.
Here is fulfilled what was promised, the enemies were cut off by Israel and chased to great Zidon and to Misrephothmaim, and to the valley of Mizpeh. Ziden, saith Josephus, was a great City of the Phaenicians, built by Zidon the Ioseph. lib. c. 6. Antiq.first born of Canaan, lying by the Sea, and not lying farre from Antilibanus, say Adricom. and Borchardus. This Antilibanus, saith H. Bunting, was one H. B. Patriarkes travailes.part of the same mountain, called Libanus, for that part towards the West, near Zidon, was called Antilibanus, the other upon the East towards Damascus, Libanus. Touching this chasing of the Enemy, hee saith, that it was to Zidon 612 miles, and yet hee maketh Zidon from Jerusalem but 16 miles, so that herein was a great escape, and in that hee addeth, from Zidon, hee returned again to Hazor 32 miles. It is more probable, that the way which hee chased them, was 62 miles to the furthest part of the land of Canaan Northward, at the end of the Land of Zebulon and Naphtalim. Touching Misrephothmaim, in the Vulgar Latine, the waters of Mazerephoth, it is a name compounded of burning and waters: which Lyra following the Hebrews, thinketh to have Lyra.been so called, because being also near the Sea, and salt waters flowing thence into it; Salt, which is of an hot burning quality was there made: but Vatablus Vatablus. Pagninus. Masius.and Pagninus more probably, because those waters were hot, as the waters of Bathes. Masius because glasse was made there by a long decoction of sand. Of Mizpeh see before v. 3. the meaning is, that some of them fled Eastward, to the valley of Mizpeh, and some Northward and Westward towards Zidon and Misrephothmaim, and were pursued all these wayes.
And Joshua did unto them, as the Lord bad him, hee boughed their horses, &c. Hee considered not, that their horses and chariots might bee now usefull for V. 9.him in his Warres, but neglecting all worldly benefit, hee was altogether led by Gods commandement, herein giving example to every of us, that the love Note. of temporall gaine sway us not against Gods precepts, for hee is able to give us much more.
The enemies being destroyed all that had not escaped into Cities, now Joshua returneth to deale with them, and first he beginneth with Hazor the head V. 10, 11, 12.City of all the rest, to which it seemeth that Jabin the King had escaped, for having taken this City, hee killeth the King and all the people, and burneth the City with fire: which execution was done upon it singularly, because the King thereof had made the greatest resistance. For the Cities of the other Kings under him, he destroyed both Kings and people therein, sparing none, young or old, but he burnt not any more of them, but let them stand still and took all their goods and cattell for a prey to the children of Israel. Of Hazor and Jabin, a King thereof wee read againe, Judg. 4. against whom Barak fought; which although Tostatus would have it to be another Hazor in the Tostatussouth part of Judah, yet it is rather to be held that it was this same City rebuilt; because as Josephus saith, it stood in Galilee neare the lake Samachonitis, Ioseph. lib. 5. c. 6. Antiq. V. 15.and that it was the same; and Thabour where the battell was then fought, was in Galilee. And all this Joshua is said to have done, as God commanded Moses, and Moses commanded him. Then reckoning up the Countreys subdued by him, it is said, He tooke all that land, the bills, and all the South Countrey, and all V. 16.the Land of Grshen, and the valley, and the plaine, and the mountaine of Israel, and the valley thereof, &c. Here is a capitulation made, not onelyonly of the Countreys now subdued at their going out against Hazors King and his confederates, but also before, as we may see, Ch. 10. 40, 41. OnelyOnly in this verse the mountaine of Israel, and the valley thereof are more added. But what place this was, divers conjecture diversly. Some thinke that it was Bethel, because Jacob who Benfrerius.was called Israel worshipped there, both at his going into Mesopotamia, and at his returne, Gen. 35. some, that it was mount Gerizim, neare Samaria, where Cajetan. Salianus.Jacob bought a piece of ground, and where he dwelt and worshipped, of which the woman of Samaria said, Our Fathers worshipped upon this mountaine: Joh. 4.and to this doe I assent, because it must bee a place called by this name when Joshua lived, which could not be, but from Israel the Father of this people, and no place can so probably bee thought to have the name from him, as this which he bought, and so was his proper possession. Thus Rab. Kimchi saith also in generall, that it was some place where Israel dwelt: and Masius a mountaine by Samaria, but he will have it so called from the ten Tribes, going afterwards by the name of Israel, who held this mountaine; but then it should not have been so called at the writing of this book, but long after onelyonly. Of the mountaine of the height of Israel wee read afterwards, Ezek. 17. 23. and 20. 40. but that is nothing to the giving of light into this. Calvin rejecting Calvin.all particular explications here, holdeth that nothing else but the mountaines in generall now possessed by the Israelites are meant, by a word collective, being called together the mountaine of Israel. But because the mountaines are here reckoned apart, and then this mountaine of Israel, that cannot stand; yet because, v. 21. wee read of all the mountaines of Judah, and the mountaines of Israel, the mountaine of Israel may be here so called by anticipation, the mountaines being meant, which were afterwards proper to the ten Tribes, as by the mountaines first named those in the lot of Judah and Benjamin.
Even from mount Halak that goeth up to Seir, unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon V. 17.under Hermon. For mount Halak, the Vulg. Latine hath, part of the mountaine, because foreign signifieth a part; and Aquila hath it, a monte dividente, the Chaldee and Tygurine interpr. a monte divisionis; Symmachus a monte Levi; Vatablus and Masius, a monte glabro; the Septuagint, as if it were a proper name, foreign. That rendring it glaber, smooth, is followed by Junius, Junius.and seemeth to be best, as answering to Seir, rough, abounding with bushes and trees, whereas this beginning of it was without them, and so smooth, neither doe I any where find Halak, put for a proper name. Seir was on the South where the Edomites dwelt; and Baalgad Northward, being a City beneath mount Libanus, see Ch. 13. 5. of Hermon see before, v. 3. So that here is set forth the longitude of the Countrey taken from the South to the North, as before the latitude from the East to the West, v. 16. the circuit of this conquest, saith H. Bunting was 280 miles. But all these parts were not subdued at once, for it is added, Joshua made warre a long time with these Kings. How long a time this V. 18.was, may be gathered from the age of Caleb, Ch. 14. 6, 7. For hee was 46 years old when hee was sent to view the Land, and the Warres being ended, 85 years old. Now before his going out at that time, one yeer, and somewhat more was spent of the 40, which they wandred in the wildernesse, which being added to the 5 above 80, maketh 6 yeares and upward; so that the Warres lasted 6 yeares and somewhat more. This delay was not made for want of power in Calvin.God to give them the whole Land instantly, but partly to exercise their faith, and to make it the more evident that God fought for them; and that the Countrey being long in subduing, they might be more affected with the benefit; and partly, lest all being subdued at once, the wilde beasts should multiply upon them in such places as they had not yet people enough to inhabit, as was said before, Deut. 7. 22. to this effect Calvin. But at length all these Kings and V. 19, 20.their Cities were destroyed: for it is noted that none of them made peace with Joshua, saving the Gibeonites, but were hardened to come to fight against him, that they might all bee cut off. If it be objected here, their seeking of peace Obj. had been vaine, seeing they were all destined to the sword for their abominable sinnes: and therefore hardening seemeth not rightly to be imputed to them as a fault. To this Calvin answereth, that the scope of this place is not to taxe them, but to shew how the Lord by his singular providence tooke away all impediment, and so made way for the execution of his judgement appointed. For if any had submitted themselves, this must needs have bred some demurre in the Israelites what to doe, but they all contrariwise comming madly to War against them; and so being destroyed, there was no shew of cruelty, but a most just execution done upon them. But I thinke rather, as was said before touching the Gibeonites, if any City else had submitted it selfe, and turned to God as the Gibeonites did, it might have been preserved. And therefore their not yeelding is noted, as comming from a just judgement, God giving them over for their sins to this obduration, and so to destruction, as he had done to Pharaoh and his Egyptians.
Then came Joshua and cut off the Anakims from the mountaines, from V. 21.Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and all the mountaines of Judah and Israel, &c. Of the Anakims see before, Numb. 13. 23. They were Gyants, which in the taking of these Cities, Ch. 10. happily saved themselves hitherto in some Forts which could not so easily be overcome; and therefore to avoid delayes, being hitherto let alone, whilst Joshua was busied in his Warres in the North parts; now they being ended, hee commeth against them, and cutteth them all off also: so that those words, Ch. 10. 37. Hee left none remaining, are to bee understood, not as if all without exception had been destroyed at the first, but partly then, and partly now. Of Anab nothing was said before, but it was a City not farre from the other two in the lot of Judah, Ch. 15. 50. Out of all these Cities, and out of the mountaines of Israel all the Anakims were destroyed, that is, out of all the Land, called henceforth the Land of Israel, as is expressed, v. 22. There were none of the Anakims left in all the Land of Israel, onelyonly in Gaza, V. 22.Gath, and Ashdod there remained: these were Cities in the Philistims Countrey neare the Sea, which the Israelites could never subdue.
So Joshua tooke the whole Land, &c. How can this bee verified, seeing Ch. 13. V. 23.it is said, much Land yet remained to be possessed, and Judg. 3. 2. Answ. Calvin Qu. resolveth this, by saying, according to the next words, as the Lord had said unto Calvin.Moses; that is, not all the Land promised without exception, but all which was needfull for the present, that the people of Israel which then were, might have competent possessions for their use; for to this effect the Lord had spoken Exod. 23. 29. Moreover, it may bee said, according to others, that Joshua tooke all the Land which hee attempted to take; and the forces of the enemies were so broken by him, that in the places remaining untaken, there was no such power to resist, but that they might easily have been taken afterwards, if the people had persisted in obedience to God. The reasons why some parts still remained unconquered, besides that before going of the beasts multiplying, were two, Judg. 3. 2, 4. 1 That they might bee exercised with Warre in after times. 2 That by them the Israelites sinning might be scourged, and living amongst them proved, whether they would bee drawn to idolatry. And the Land rested from Warre; that is, as Lyra hath it, from generall Warres, but particular Tribes, and men made Wars, as is afterwards shewed.