Joshua 11:20

Joshua 11:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses.
• New International Version (NIV)For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For it was the Lord's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Context of Joshua 11:20

18Joshua waged war with all these kings for a long time. 19Not one city had made a peace treaty with the people of Israel except Gibeon, where the Hivites lived. Israel captured everything in battle. The Lord made their enemies stubborn enough to continue fighting against Israel so that he could claim them all for destruction without mercy, as he had commanded Moses. 21At that time Joshua also wiped out the people of Anak in the mountains, in Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and in all the hills of Judah and Israel. Joshua claimed them for the Lord by destroying them and their cities. 22None of the people of Anak remained in Israel. Some of them were left in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.

Joshua 11:20 word by word

כִּ֣י מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה׀ הָיְתָ֡ה לְחַזֵּ֣ק אֶת־לִבָּם֩ לִקְרַ֨את הַמִּלְחָמָ֤ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְמַ֣עַן הַֽחֲרִימָ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֥י הֱיוֹת־לָהֶ֖ם תְּחִנָּ֑ה כִּ֚י לְמַ֣עַן הַשְׁמִידָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For it was of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• to hardenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• their heartsלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• that they should come againstקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• in battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• that he might destroy them utterlyחָרַםchâram · to devote/destroyH2763
• that they might have no favourתְּחִנָּהtechinnâh · supplicationH8467
• but that he might destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
• commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872

Cross-references for Joshua 11:20

• Exodus 4:21The Lord said to Moses, “When you get back to Egypt, see that you show Pharaoh all the amazing things that I have given you the power to do. But I will make him stubborn so that he will not let the people go.
• Exodus 9:16But I have spared you for this reason. I want to show you my power and make my name famous throughout the earth.
• Deuteronomy 2:30But King Sihon of Heshbon wouldn’t allow us to pass through. The Lord your God made him stubborn and overconfident in order to hand him over to you, as he has now done.
• Judges 14:4His father and mother didn’t know that the Lord was behind this. The Lord was looking for an opportunity to do something to the Philistines. (At that time the Philistines were ruling Israel.)
• 1 Samuel 2:25If one person sins against another, God will take care of him. However, when a person sins against the Lord, who will pray for him?” But they wouldn’t listen to their father’s warning—the Lord wanted to kill them.
• 1 Kings 12:15The king refused to listen to the people because the Lord was directing these events to carry out the promise he had made to Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) through Ahijah from Shiloh.
• 1 Kings 22:20The Lord asked, ‘Who will deceive Ahab so that he will attack and be killed at Ramoth in Gilead?’ Some answered one way, while others said something else.
• 2 Chronicles 25:16As he was talking, the king asked him, “Did we make you an adviser to the king? Stop! Do you want me to have you killed?” The prophet stopped. He said, “I know that God has decided to destroy you because you did this, but you refuse to listen to my advice.”
• Isaiah 6:9And he said, “Go and tell these people, ‘No matter how closely you listen, you’ll never understand. No matter how closely you look, you’ll never see.’
• Romans 9:18Therefore, if God wants to be kind to anyone, he will be. If he wants to make someone stubborn, he will.
• Joshua 11:12So Joshua captured all these cities and their kings. He claimed them for the Lord by destroying them, as the Lord’s servant Moses had commanded him.
• Deuteronomy 20:16However, you must not spare anyone’s life in the cities of these nations that the Lord your God is giving you as your property.

Commentaries on Joshua 11:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20It 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, Joshua 11:19, it became therefore necessary to destroy them; for their refusal to make peace…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20See the marginal references.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 Never let the sons of Anak be a terror to the Israel of God, for their day to fall will come. The land rested from war. It ended not in a peace with the Canaanites, that was forbidden, but in a peace from them. There is a rest, a rest from war, remaining for the people of God, into which they shall enter, when their warfare is accomplished. That which was now done, is compared with what had been said to Moses. God's word and his works, if…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-20The judgment on Canaan came from God, not Israel. God had shown mercy to the people of Canaan for many generations. However, God decided that "iniquity of the Amorites" now requires that they become set apart for destruction (Genesis 15:16). Therefore, he decided to harden their hearts (to make them stubborn and unwilling to change). God used Israel as the tool and agent of his judgment. In later centuries, God used other nations to judge Israel and Judah…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 11:20

• Heart
• Predestination
• War

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Moses
• Joshua
• Predestination
• Rest
• Salmon, Zalmon
• Save
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Galilee

Commentaries on Joshua 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings