I. Summary
Joshua defeats the local kings who rally against him and conquers the land.
II. Photo
The local kings assemble against Joshua: “They took the field with all their armies, an enormous host, as numerous as the sands on the seashore.” (v. 4)
III. Select Verses
1-5: When the news reached King Jabin of Hazor, he sent messages to King Jobab of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, and to the other kings in the north — in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinnereth, in the lowlands, and in the district of Dor on the west; to the Canaanites in the east and in the west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon, in the land of Mizpah. They took the field with all their armies — an enormous host, as numerous as the sands on the seashore — and a vast multitude of horses and chariots. All these kings joined forces; they came and encamped together at the Waters of Merom to give battle to Israel.
6-9: But the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; tomorrow at this time I will have them all lying slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.” So Joshua, with all his fighting men, came upon them suddenly at the Waters of Merom, and pounced upon them. The LORD delivered them into the hands of Israel, and they defeated them and pursued them all the way to Great Sidon and Misrephothmaim, and all the way to the Valley of Mizpeh on the east; they crushed them, letting none escape. And Joshua dealt with them as the LORD had ordered him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.
15: Just as the LORD had commanded His servant Moses, so Moses had charged Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.
23: Thus Joshua conquered the whole country, just as the LORD had promised Moses; and Joshua assigned it to Israel to share according to their tribal divisions. And the land had rest from war.
IV. Outline
1-5. The king of Hazor forms an alliance against Israel
6. Yahweh guarantees victory to Joshua
7-9. Complete victory for Israel
10-12. The herem of Hazor and other cities
13. Exception to the herem: villages aside from Hazor
14. Exception to the herem: cattle and objects, but not people
15. Joshua compared to Moses
16-20. Summary: Joshua conquers the land
21-22. Joshua expels the Anakites from the land
23. Summary: Joshua conquered and allotted the entire land
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
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