Joshua 11: The Northern Campaign
A vast coalition of northern kings gathers against Israel, but the Lord delivers them, and Joshua takes the whole land as Moses was commanded.
Joshua 11 (WEB)
1 When Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,
2 and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,
3 to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
4 They went out, they and all their armies with them, many people, even as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
5 All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.
6 Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly, and fell on them.
8 Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them, and chased them to great Sidon, and to Misrephoth Maim, and to the valley of Mizpah eastward. They struck them until they left them no one remaining.
9 Joshua did to them as Yahweh told him. He hamstrung their horses and burnt their chariots with fire.
10 Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword: for Hazor used to be the head of all those kingdoms.
11 They struck all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was no one left who breathed. He burnt Hazor with fire.
12 Joshua captured all the cities of those kings, with their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded.
13 But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only. Joshua burned that.
14 The children of Israel took all the plunder of these cities, with the livestock, as plunder for themselves; but every man they struck with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They didn’t leave any who breathed.
15 As Yahweh commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua. Joshua did so. He left nothing undone of all that Yahweh commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua captured all that land, the hill country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel, and the lowland of the same;
17 from Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir, even to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. He took all their kings, struck them, and put them to death.
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all in battle.
20 For it was of Yahweh to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
21 Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
22 There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. The land had rest from war.
Joshua 11 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
2 And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,
3 And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
5 And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.
6 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
8 And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth–maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
9 And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
10 And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
11 And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.
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, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded.
13 But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.
14 And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.
15 As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;
17 Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal–gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.
20 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.
21 And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
22 There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
Joshua 11 (ASV)
1 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard thereof, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
2 and to the kings that were on the north, in the hill-country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,
3 to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the hill-country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea-shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
5 And all these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.
6 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them; for to-morrow at this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hock their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly, and fell upon them.
8 And Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they smote them, and chased them unto great Sidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
9 And Joshua did unto them as Jehovah bade him: he hocked their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
10 And Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
11 And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was none left that breathed: and he burnt Hazor with fire.
12 And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and he smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded.
13 But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.
14 And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any that breathed.
15 As Jehovah commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua: and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that Jehovah commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua took all that land, the hill-country, and all the South, and all the land of Goshen, and the lowland, and the Arabah, and the hill-country of Israel, and the lowland of the same;
17 from mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and put them to death.
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: they took all in battle.
20 For it was of Jehovah to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
21 And Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill-country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill-country of Judah, and from all the hill-country of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
22 There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Jehovah spake unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land had rest from war.
Summary
When Jabin, king of Hazor, hears of Israel's victories, he summons a vast coalition of northern kings, who come out with armies as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with many horses and chariots, and encamp at the waters of Merom to fight Israel. The Lord reassures Joshua not to be afraid, promising to deliver them all up slain before Israel, and commanding that the horses be hamstrung and the chariots burned, so Israel will trust God rather than military hardware. Joshua attacks suddenly at Merom, and the Lord gives the enemy into Israel's hand. They pursue and strike them until none are left, and Joshua does to the horses and chariots exactly as the Lord commanded. He then takes Hazor, the head of all those kingdoms, kills its king, and burns the city. Joshua captures the other cities and their kings as well, carrying out fully what the Lord commanded Moses, leaving nothing undone. He even cuts off the Anakim, the dreaded giants, from the hill country. The text notes that, apart from Gibeon, no city made peace; God hardened the kings' hearts so that they came to battle and were destroyed in judgment. So Joshua takes the whole land according to all the Lord had spoken to Moses and gives it as an inheritance to Israel, and the land has rest from war. The chapter underscores complete obedience and God's faithfulness to his ancient promise.
Main Characters
- Joshua — Israel's leader, who strikes the northern coalition at Merom, takes Hazor, and carries out all the Lord commanded Moses, leaving nothing undone.
- Jabin and the northern kings — The coalition led by the king of Hazor, gathering a vast army with horses and chariots at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who reassures Joshua, delivers the great army into Israel's hand, hardens the kings' hearts in judgment, and keeps his promise to Moses.
- Moses — The servant of the Lord whose earlier commands Joshua faithfully fulfills, so that the conquest is completed exactly as God had directed.
Key Verse
Joshua 11:6 (WEB)
Yahweh said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”
Lessons Learned
- God's power is not intimidated by the size or strength of the opposition.
- True faith trusts God rather than the horses and chariots the world relies on.
- Complete obedience leaves nothing of God's command undone.
- God is faithful to fulfill every promise he made, even across generations.
- Numbers do not daunt God. Against armies “as the sand that is on the seashore” (Joshua 11:4, WEB), God still says, “Don’t be afraid” (11:6). His power is not measured against the enemy's size.
- Trust God, not your weapons. Israel is to “hamstring their horses and burn their chariots” (Joshua 11:6, 9, WEB). God strips away the props of self-reliance so his people lean on him.
- Obey God fully. Joshua “left nothing undone of all that Yahweh commanded Moses” (Joshua 11:15, WEB). Faithful obedience is thorough, not partial.
- God keeps every promise. “So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke to Moses” (Joshua 11:23, WEB). What God promised long before, he faithfully fulfills.
- How does the size of the northern coalition contrast with God's reassurance to Joshua?
- Why does God command Israel to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots?
- What is emphasized by the repeated note that Joshua did all that the Lord commanded Moses?
- What does it mean that the land "had rest from war" at the end of the chapter?
- Where are you tempted to trust in your own resources rather than in God, and what would it look like to lay those "chariots" down?
- The enemy is overwhelming in number and equipped with horses and chariots, yet God simply says, "Don't be afraid" (11:4-6). The contrast highlights that victory depends on God's power, not the balance of forces. Help the group find courage in God rather than in favorable odds.
- Horses and chariots were the era's superior military technology; by destroying them, God ensures Israel will not trust in them for future security (11:6, 9). He wants his people to depend on him alone. Invite the group to consider what "chariots" they might be tempted to rely on.
- The refrain that Joshua did all the Lord commanded Moses stresses thorough, faithful obedience across the whole campaign (11:12, 15, 23). God's commands are carried out completely, not selectively. Encourage the group to value wholehearted obedience.
- The phrase signals that the long campaign has accomplished its purpose: the land is largely subdued and Israel can begin to settle (11:23). This rest is a foretaste of the deeper rest God promises his people, ultimately fulfilled in Christ. Help the group sense the goal toward which the conquest moves.
- This is a personal-application question. Encourage honest reflection on sources of false security, money, abilities, status, and on practical ways to depend on God instead. As leader, keep the tone gracious and point to the freedom of trusting the One who fights for his people.