Joshua 11 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered
A response and reply to the notes on Joshua 11 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).
King James Version
SAB comment
My comment
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.
God's 37th Killing
(11:6) "The LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for ... I deliver them up all slain before Israel."
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.
(11:8) "And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them ... 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.
(11:9) "And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses."
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.
I can only assume that the author of the SAB has great difficulty distinguishing all the Peters, Johns and Matthews around him.
A more interesting question is: Hazor was destroyed here, and the Israelites were commanded to make were upon the Canaanites until they were all destroyed, albeit not all at once, but more and more as they grew in numbers. So how could it have been rebuilt? But the Israelites stopped following God's command, see Jg. 2:2-3.
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.
(11:11) "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."
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.
(11:12) "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.
(11:15) "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.
(11:16-17) "So Joshua took ... all their kings ... 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.
Notice that God hardens their hearts so that he can have an excuse to kill them.
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.
(11:21a) "Joshua ... cut off the Anakims."
Who drove the Anakim from Hebron?
(11:21b) "Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities."
God's 38th Killing
What the author of the SAB has missed is that Joshua had conquered Hebron before as well, see chapter 10:36-37. Apparently, after Joshua's first conquest, and while he was engaged elsewhere, the Anakim who had fled, had returned. So he comes and cleans this out again. But after some time the last remaining Anakim returned again to Hebron, and it is then that the final battle is fought where Caleb killed the last three. Note that this conquest by Caleb is also recounted in Jg. 1:10.
On God's 38th killing: this was not a killing, but punishment, see verse 6.
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.
