Tyndale Open Study NotesJoshua 11

This second major section of the book records Joshua's southern and northern campaigns against two coalitions of kings from Canaan. Joshua's victories allowed Israel to settle the hill country from Galilee in the north to the Negev in the south.

The detailed accounts of Joshua’s campaign in southern Canaan show that the Israelites needed God's help to succeed (chapters 6–10). The same was true for the northern campaign (chapter 11). So those details were not needed here.

• Hazor was on the international trade route and was the largest and most important non-coastal city of Canaan (see 11:10).

• Almost all of northern Canaan joined King Jabin's coalition against Israel. This region stretched from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the desert in the east. This went from the borders of Phoenicia in the north to the hill country and the Jordan Valley in the south.

• The term Jebusites usually refers to the people of Jerusalem and nearby towns under its control. Men from Jebus might have been soldiers that King Jabin hired.

• Mizpah means “watchtower” or “lookout.” Several places had this name. This particular one was the large region on the lower slopes of Mount Hermon. This was the highest peak in the land that God promised Israel.

• In the ancient Near East during this period, horses only pulled chariots. Soldiers riding horses (cavalry) and men shooting arrows (archers) who rode horses appeared centuries later.

• Israel probably encountered chariots for the first time in this battle against the northern coalition. Here, the land was flatter than in southern Canaan. Chariots, as the heavy weapons of the battlefield, easily overpowered foot soldiers. Blades were often attached to the axles, and the soldiers drove the chariots at opposing foot soldiers (infantry) to run over them.

The exact location of Merom is unknown. It was probably in Upper Galilee, a few kilometers west of Hazor.

• God commanded Joshua not to fear, promising Israel victory even against horses and chariots.

• hamstring their horses and burn up their chariots: God wanted Israel to rely on him instead of weapons and equipment (compare Deuteronomy 17:16; Isaiah 31:1).

Joshua … came upon: Jabin might have planned to move from Merom in Upper Galilee to meet Israel on a better battlefield when all his forces were ready. However, Joshua attacked suddenly before Jabin could choose the battlefield.

The armies of Canaan spread out, moving north and west to Greater Sidon on the Mediterranean coast and east to the Valley of Mizpeh.

devoting them to destruction: Archaeological excavation confirms that the city of Hazor was destroyed by fire during this period.

• The cities built on their mounds: In the ancient Near East, it was common practice to rebuild cities on the same sites after they had been destroyed. All the elements that made a city site advantageous remained after a city’s destruction. Many cities were rebuilt many times. Each time a city was destroyed, debris piled up. Over time, the city slowly rose higher as this debris accumulated.

• Joshua burned only Hazor in the north, just as he had destroyed Jericho and Ai in the center of the land (6:24; 8:28).

God commanded Joshua to follow the torah of Moses, or "Book of the Law" (1:7–10). After the two main campaigns to defeat Canaan, the one narrating this story reported that Joshua had obeyed all the commands with loyalty to God.

The initial victories in the southern and northern campaigns were quick and decisive. However, capturing strong cities took much longer. After Israel crossed the Jordan River, the entire campaign for Canaan possibly lasted five years (see 14:10).

The 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 for their sins.

Anakim: See Numbers 13:28, 33.

• The main theme of the second half of the book of Joshua is dividing the land.

• rest: See study note on 1:13.