Joshua 9-11
New English Translation
The Gibeonites Deceive Israel
9 When the news reached all the kings on the west side of the Jordan[a]—in the hill country, the foothills,[b] and all along the Mediterranean coast[c] as far as[d] Lebanon (including the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites)— 2 they formed an alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.[e]
3 When the residents of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and Ai, 4 they did something clever. They collected some provisions[f] and put worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that were ripped and patched. 5 They had worn-out, patched sandals on their feet and dressed in worn-out clothes. All their bread[g] was dry and hard.[h] 6 They came to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Make a treaty with us.” 7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live near us.[i] So how can we make a treaty with you?” 8 But they said to Joshua, “We are willing to be your subjects.”[j] So Joshua said to them, “Who are you and where do you come from?” 9 They told him, “Your subjects[k] have come from a very distant land because of the reputation[l] of the Lord your God, for we have heard the news about all he did in Egypt[m] 10 and all he did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan—King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth. 11 Our leaders and all who live in our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey and go meet them. Tell them, “We are willing to be your subjects.[n] Make a treaty with us.”’ 12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it in our homes the day we started out to meet you,[o] but now it is dry and hard.[p] 13 These wineskins we filled were brand new, but look how they have ripped. Our clothes and sandals have worn out because it has been a very long journey.” 14 The men examined[q] some of their provisions, but they failed to ask the Lord’s advice.[r] 15 Joshua made a peace treaty with them and agreed to let them live. The leaders of the community[s] sealed it with an oath.[t]
16 Three days after they made the treaty with them, the Israelites found out they were from the local area and lived nearby.[u] 17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. 18 The Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel.[v] The whole community criticized[w] the leaders, 19 but all the leaders told the whole community, “We swore an oath to them in the name of[x] the Lord God of Israel! So now we can’t hurt[y] them. 20 We must let them live so we can escape the curse attached to the oath we swore to them.”[z] 21 The leaders then added,[aa] “Let them live.” So they became[ab] woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had decided.[ac]
22 [ad] Joshua summoned the Gibeonites[ae] and said to them, “Why did you trick[af] us by saying, ‘We live far away from you,’ when you really live nearby?[ag] 23 Now you are condemned to perpetual servitude as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”[ah] 24 They said to Joshua, “It was carefully reported to your subjects[ai] how the Lord your God commanded Moses his servant to assign you the whole land and to destroy all who live in the land from before you. Because of you we were terrified[aj] we would lose our lives, so we did this thing. 25 So now we are in your power.[ak] Do to us what you think is good and appropriate.”[al] 26 Joshua did as they said; he kept the Israelites from killing them[am] 27 and that day made them woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord at the divinely chosen site. (They continue in that capacity to this very day.)[an]
Israel Defeats an Amorite Coalition
10 Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua captured Ai and annihilated it and its king as he did Jericho and its king.[ao] He also heard how[ap] the people of Gibeon made peace with Israel and lived among them. 2 All Jerusalem was terrified[aq] because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors. 3 So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon: 4 “Come to my aid[ar] so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 5 So the five Amorite kings (the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon) and all their troops gathered together and advanced. They deployed their troops and fought against Gibeon.[as]
6 The men of Gibeon sent this message to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, “Do not abandon[at] your subjects![au] Come up here quickly and rescue us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings living in the hill country are attacking us.”[av] 7 So Joshua and his whole army, including the bravest warriors, marched up from Gilgal.[aw] 8 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for I am handing them over to you.[ax] Not one of them can resist you.”[ay] 9 Joshua attacked them by surprise after marching all night from Gilgal.[az] 10 The Lord routed[ba] them before Israel. Israel[bb] thoroughly defeated them[bc] at Gibeon. They chased them up the road to the pass[bd] of Beth Horon and struck them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled from Israel on the slope leading down from[be] Beth Horon, the Lord threw down on them large hailstones from the sky,[bf] all the way to Azekah. They died—in fact, more died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword.
12 The day the Lord delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua prayed to the Lord before Israel:[bg]
“O sun, stand still over Gibeon;
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon!”
13 The sun stood still and the moon stood motionless while the nation took vengeance on its enemies. The event is recorded in the Scroll of the Upright One.[bh] The sun stood motionless in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day.[bi] 14 There has not been a day like it before or since. The Lord listened to a human being, for the Lord fought for Israel! 15 Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.
16 The five Amorite kings[bj] ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. 17 Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it.[bk] 19 But don’t you delay! Chase your enemies and catch them.[bl] Don’t allow them to retreat to[bm] their cities, for the Lord your God is handing them over to you.”[bn] 20 Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities.[bo] 21 Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah.[bp] No one[bq] dared threaten the Israelites.[br] 22 Joshua said, “Open the cave’s mouth and bring the five kings[bs] out of the cave to me.” 23 They did as ordered;[bt] they brought the five kings[bu] out of the cave to him—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24 When they brought the kings out to Joshua, he[bv] summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the troops who accompanied him, “Come here[bw] and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came up[bx] and put their feet on their necks. 25 Then Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic![by] Be strong and brave, for the Lord will do the same thing to all your enemies you fight.” 26 Then Joshua executed them[bz] and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. 27 At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take them down from the trees.[ca] They threw them into the cave where they had hidden and piled large stones over the mouth of the cave. (They remain to this very day.)[cb]
Joshua Launches a Southern Campaign
28 That day Joshua captured Makkedah and put the sword to it and its king. He annihilated everyone who lived in it; he left no survivors. He did to its king what he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Joshua and all Israel marched from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against it.[cc] 30 The Lord handed it and its king over to Israel, and Israel[cd] put the sword to all who lived there; they[ce] left no survivors. They did to its king what they had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Joshua and all Israel marched from Libnah to Lachish. He deployed his troops[cf] and fought against it. 32 The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel, and they[cg] captured it on the second day. They put the sword to all who lived there, just as they had done to Libnah. 33 Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down, as well as his army,[ch] until no survivors remained.
34 Joshua and all Israel marched from Lachish to Eglon. They deployed troops[ci] and fought against it. 35 That day they captured it and put the sword to all who lived there. That day they[cj] annihilated it just as they had done to Lachish.
36 Joshua and all Israel marched up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. 37 They captured it and put the sword to its king, all its surrounding cities, and all who lived in it; they[ck] left no survivors. As they had done at Eglon, they annihilated it and all who lived there.
38 Joshua and all Israel turned to Debir and fought against it. 39 They[cl] captured it, its king, and all its surrounding cities and put the sword to them. They annihilated everyone who lived there; they[cm] left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king what they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.[cn]
40 Joshua defeated the whole land, including the hill country, the Negev,[co] the foothills,[cp] the slopes,[cq] and all their kings. He left no survivors. He annihilated everything that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. 41 Joshua conquered the area between Kadesh Barnea and Gaza and the whole region of Goshen, all the way to Gibeon.[cr] 42 Joshua captured in one campaign[cs] all these kings and their lands, for the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.
Israel Defeats a Northern Coalition
11 When King Jabin of Hazor heard the news about Israel’s victories,[ct] he organized a coalition, including[cu] King Jobab of Madon, the king of Shimron, the king of Acshaph, 2 and the northern kings who ruled in[cv] the hill country, in the rift valley south of Kinnereth,[cw] in the foothills, and on the heights of Dor to the west. 3 Canaanites came[cx] from the east and west; Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites from the hill country; and Hivites from below Hermon in the area[cy] of Mizpah. 4 These kings came out with their armies; they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore and had a large number of horses and chariots.[cz] 5 All these kings gathered and joined forces[da] at the Waters of Merom to fight Israel.
6 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for about this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to lie dead before Israel. You must hamstring their horses and burn[db] their chariots.” 7 Joshua and his whole army caught them by surprise at the Waters of Merom and attacked them.[dc] 8 The Lord handed them over to Israel, and they struck them down and chased them all the way to Greater Sidon, Misrephoth Maim,[dd] and the Mizpah Valley to the east. They struck them down until no survivors remained. 9 Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned[de] their chariots.
10 At that time Joshua turned, captured Hazor, and struck down its king with the sword, for Hazor was at that time[df] the leader of all these kingdoms. 11 They annihilated everyone who lived there with the sword[dg]—no one who breathed remained—and burned[dh] Hazor.
12 Joshua captured all these royal cities and all their kings and annihilated them with the sword,[di] as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded. 13 But Israel did not burn any of the cities located on mounds[dj] except for Hazor; it was the only one Joshua burned. 14 The Israelites plundered all the goods of these cities and the cattle, but they totally destroyed all the people[dk] and allowed no one who breathed to live. 15 Moses the Lord’s servant passed on the Lord’s commands to Joshua, and Joshua did as he was told. He did not ignore any of the commands the Lord had given Moses.[dl]
A Summary of Israel’s Victories
16 Joshua conquered the whole land,[dm] including the hill country, all the Negev,[dn] all the land of Goshen, the foothills,[do] the rift valley,[dp] the hill country of Israel and its foothills, 17 from Mount Halak up to Seir, as far as Baal Gad in the Lebanon Valley below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and executed them.[dq] 18 Joshua campaigned against[dr] these kings for quite some time.[ds] 19 No city made peace with the Israelites (except the Hivites living in Gibeon);[dt] they had to conquer all of them,[du] 20 for the Lord determined to make them obstinate so they would attack Israel. He wanted Israel to annihilate them without mercy, as he had instructed Moses.[dv]
21 At that time Joshua attacked and eliminated the Anakites from the hill country[dw]—from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and all the hill country of Judah and Israel.[dx] Joshua annihilated them and their cities. 22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory, though some remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. 23 Joshua conquered[dy] the whole land, just as the Lord had promised Moses,[dz] and he assigned Israel their tribal portions.[ea] Then the land was free of war.
Footnotes
- Joshua 9:1 tn Heb “When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan heard.”
- Joshua 9:1 tn The foothills (שְׁפֵלָה, shephelah) are the transition region between the hill country and the coastal plains.
- Joshua 9:1 tn Heb “all the coast of the Great Sea.” The “Great Sea” was the typical designation for the Mediterranean Sea.
- Joshua 9:1 tn Heb “in front of.”
- Joshua 9:2 tn Heb “they gathered together to fight against Joshua and Israel [with] one mouth.”
- Joshua 9:4 tc Heb “and they went and [?].” The root and meaning of the verb form יִצְטַיָּרוּ (yitstayyaru) are uncertain. The Hebrew text form most likely should be יִצְטַיָּדוּ (yitstayyadu), read by some Hebrew mss and ancient versions, from the root צוּד (tsud, “take provisions,” BDB 845 s.v. II צוד) which also occurs in v. 11. Note NRSV “they went and prepared provisions”; cf. NEB “They went and disguised themselves”; NIV “they went as a delegation.”
- Joshua 9:5 tn Heb “all the bread of their provisions.”
- Joshua 9:5 tn Or “moldy.”
- Joshua 9:7 tn Heb “in our midst.”
- Joshua 9:8 tn Heb “we are your servants.”
- Joshua 9:9 tn Or “servants.”
- Joshua 9:9 tn Heb “name.”
- Joshua 9:9 tn Heb “the report about him, all that he did in Egypt.”
- Joshua 9:11 tn Heb “your servants.”
- Joshua 9:12 tn Heb “in the day we went out to come to you.”
- Joshua 9:12 tn Or “moldy.”
- Joshua 9:14 tn Heb “took.” This probably means they tasted some of the food to make sure it was stale.
- Joshua 9:14 tn Heb “but they did not ask the mouth of the Lord.” This refers to seeking the Lord’s will and guidance through an oracle.
- Joshua 9:15 tn Or “assembly.”
- Joshua 9:15 tn Heb “Joshua made peace with them and made a treaty with them to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.”
- Joshua 9:16 tn Heb “At the end of three days, after they made the treaty with them, they heard that they were neighbors to them and in their midst they were living.”
- Joshua 9:18 tn Heb “by the Lord God of Israel.”
- Joshua 9:18 tn Or “grumbled against.”
- Joshua 9:19 tn Heb “to them by….”
- Joshua 9:19 tn Or “touch.”
- Joshua 9:20 tn Heb “This is what we will do to them, keeping them alive so there will not be upon us anger concerning the oath which we swore to them.”
- Joshua 9:21 tc Heb “and the leaders said to them.” The LXX omits the words “and the leaders said to them.”
- Joshua 9:21 tn The vav (ו) consecutive construction in the Hebrew text suggests that the narrative resumes at this point. The LXX reads here, “and they will be,” understanding what follows to be a continuation of the leaders’ words rather than a comment by the narrator.
- Joshua 9:21 tn Heb “as the leaders said to them.”
- Joshua 9:22 sn Verses 22-27 appear to elaborate on v. 21b.
- Joshua 9:22 tn Heb “them.”
- Joshua 9:22 tn Or “deceive.”
- Joshua 9:22 tn Heb “live in our midst?”
- Joshua 9:23 tn Heb “Now you are cursed and a servant will not be cut off from you, woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
- Joshua 9:24 tn Heb “your servants.”
- Joshua 9:24 tn Or “we were very afraid.”
- Joshua 9:25 tn Heb “so now, look, we are in your hand.”
- Joshua 9:25 tn Heb “according to what is good and according to what is upright in your eyes to do us, do.”
- Joshua 9:26 tn Heb “And he did to them so and he rescued them from the hand of the sons of Israel and they did not kill them.”
- Joshua 9:27 tn Heb “and Joshua made them in that day woodcutters and water carriers for the community, and for the altar of the Lord to this day at the place which he chooses.”
- Joshua 10:1 tn Heb “as he had done to Jericho and to its king, so he did to Ai and to its king.”
- Joshua 10:1 tn Heb “and how.”
- Joshua 10:2 tn This statement is subordinated to v. 1 in the Hebrew text, which reads literally, “When Adoni-Zedek…they feared greatly.” The subject of the plural verb at the beginning of v. 2 is probably the residents of Jerusalem.
- Joshua 10:4 tn Heb “Come up to me and help me.”
- Joshua 10:5 tn Heb “and they camped against Gibeon and fought against it.”
- Joshua 10:6 tn Heb “do not let your hand drop from us.”
- Joshua 10:6 tn Heb “your servants!”
- Joshua 10:6 tn Heb “have gathered against us.”
- Joshua 10:7 tn Heb “And Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the brave warriors.”
- Joshua 10:8 tn Heb “I have given them into your hand.” The verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of the action.
- Joshua 10:8 tn Heb “and not a man [or “one”] of them will stand before you.”
- Joshua 10:9 tn Heb “Joshua came upon them suddenly, all the night he went up from Gilgal.”
- Joshua 10:10 tn Or “caused to panic.”
- Joshua 10:10 tn Heb “he.” The referent is probably Israel (mentioned at the end of the previous sentence in the verse; cf. NIV, NRSV), but it is also possible that the Lord should be understood as the referent (cf. NASB “and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon”), or even Joshua (cf. NEB “and Joshua defeated them utterly in Gibeon”).
- Joshua 10:10 tn Heb “struck them down with a great striking down.”
- Joshua 10:10 tn Or “ascent.”
- Joshua 10:11 tn Heb “on the descent of.”
- Joshua 10:11 tn Or “heaven” (also in v. 13). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
- Joshua 10:12 tn Heb “Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day the Lord placed the Amorites before the sons of Israel and he said in the eyes of Israel.” It is uncertain whether the phrase “before the sons of Israel” modifies the verb “placed” (as in the present translation, “delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites”) or the verb “spoke” (“Joshua spoke to the Lord before the sons of Israel in the day the Lord delivered over the Amorites”).
- Joshua 10:13 tn Heb “Is it not written down in the Scroll of the Upright One?” Many modern translations render this as “the Book of Jashar.” Yashar (יָשָׁר) means “Upright One.”sn The Scroll of the Upright One was apparently an ancient Israelite collection of songs and prayers (see also 2 Sam 1:18), but it has not been preserved.
- Joshua 10:13 tn Heb “and did not hurry to set [for] about a full day.”sn The nature of the event described here is debated. Various options have been suggested, including (1) the earth stopped rotating, (2) the light of the sun somehow shone longer than normal, (3) the light of the sun was blocked by an eclipse, (4) the position of the sun and moon in the sky was interpreted as an omen, or (5) the language is figurative and metaphorical, describing the battle in poetic terms. For a good discussion of these options, see D. M. Howard, Jr., Joshua (NAC), 241-49.
- Joshua 10:16 tn Heb “these five kings.”
- Joshua 10:18 tn Heb “and appoint by it men to guard them.”
- Joshua 10:19 tn Heb “But [as for] you, don’t stand still, chase after your enemies and attack them from the rear.”
- Joshua 10:19 tn Or “enter into.”
- Joshua 10:19 tn Heb “has given them into your hand.” The verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of the action.
- Joshua 10:20 tn Heb “When Joshua and the sons of Israel finished defeating them with a very great defeat until they were destroyed (now the survivors escaped to the fortified cities).” In the Hebrew text the initial temporal clause (“when Joshua…finished”) is subordinated to v. 21 (“the whole army returned”).
- Joshua 10:21 tn Heb “all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua [at] Makkedah [in] peace.”
- Joshua 10:21 tc Heb “No man.” The lamed (ל) prefixed to אִישׁ (ʾish, “man”) is probably dittographic (note the immediately preceding יִשְׂרָאֵל [yisraʾel] which ends in lamed, ל); cf. the LXX.
- Joshua 10:21 tn Heb “no man sharpened [or perhaps, “pointed”] his tongue against the sons of Israel.” Cf. NEB “not a man of the Israelites suffered so much as a scratch on his tongue,” which understands “sharpened” as “scratched” (referring to a minor wound). Most modern translations understand the Hebrew expression “sharpened his tongue” figuratively for opposition or threats against the Israelites.
- Joshua 10:22 tn Heb “these five kings.”
- Joshua 10:23 tn Heb “they did so.”
- Joshua 10:23 tn Heb “these five kings.”
- Joshua 10:24 tn Heb “Joshua.” The translation has replaced the proper name with the pronoun (“he”) because a repetition of the proper name here would be redundant according to English style.
- Joshua 10:24 tn Or “Draw near.”
- Joshua 10:24 tn Or “drew near.”
- Joshua 10:25 tn Or perhaps “and don’t get discouraged!”
- Joshua 10:26 tn Heb “struck them down and killed them.”
- Joshua 10:27 sn For the legal background of the removal of the corpses before sundown, see Deut 21:22-23.
- Joshua 10:27 tn Heb “to this very day.” The words “They remain” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Joshua 10:29 tn Heb “Libnah.” Repetition of the proper name here would be redundant according to English style, so the pronoun (“it”) has been employed in the translation.
- Joshua 10:30 tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).
- Joshua 10:30 tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army). So also for “They did to its king” and “they had done.”
- Joshua 10:31 tn Heb “encamped against it.”
- Joshua 10:32 tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).
- Joshua 10:33 tn Heb “people.”
- Joshua 10:34 tn Heb “they encamped against it.”
- Joshua 10:35 tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army). So also for “they had done to Lachish.”
- Joshua 10:37 tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army). So also for “they had done” and “they annihilated.”
- Joshua 10:39 tn Heb “He”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).
- Joshua 10:39 tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army). So also for “They did to Debir” and “they had done to Libnah.”
- Joshua 10:39 tn Heb “as he did to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, and as he did to Libnah and its king.” The clauses have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Joshua 10:40 sn The Negev is an area of central southern Judah, south of the hill country and west of the rift valley. As a geographic feature it is a depression extending south to the Gulf of Aqabah, but the biblical reference is probably to the northern portion of the region.
- Joshua 10:40 sn The foothills (שְׁפֵלָה, shephelah) are the transition region from the hill country to the Mediterranean coastal plains.
- Joshua 10:40 sn In contrast to the foothills on the western side of the hill country, the slopes are on the eastern side leading down to the rift valley of the Dead Sea and Jordan river.
- Joshua 10:41 tn Heb “and Joshua struck them down, from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, even to Gibeon.”
- Joshua 10:42 tn Heb “at one time.”
- Joshua 11:1 tn The words “about Israel’s victories” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied for clarity.
- Joshua 11:1 tn Heb “he sent to.”
- Joshua 11:2 tn Heb “and to the kings who [are] from the north in.”
- Joshua 11:2 tn Heb “Chinneroth,” a city and plain located in the territory of Naphtali in Galilee (BDB 490 s.v. כִּנֶּרֶת, כִּנֲרוֹת).sn Kinnereth was a city in Galilee located near the Sea of Galilee (Deut 3:17). The surrounding region also became known by this name (1 Kgs 15:20; cf. Matt 14:34), and eventually even the lake itself (Josh 12:3; cf. Luke 5:1). The “rift valley south of” Galilee probably refers to the northern part of the Jordan Valley from the lake to where the Jezreel Valley joins the rift valley. Dor is nearly due west from that point.
- Joshua 11:3 tn The verb “came” is supplied in the translation (see v. 4).
- Joshua 11:3 tn Or “land.”
- Joshua 11:4 tn Heb “They and all their camps with them came out, a people as numerous as the sand which is on the edge of the sea in multitude, and [with] horses and chariots very numerous.”
- Joshua 11:5 tn Heb “and came and camped together.”
- Joshua 11:6 tn Heb “burn with fire”; the words “with fire” are redundant in English and have not been included in the translation.
- Joshua 11:7 tn Heb “Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them at the Waters of Merom suddenly and fell upon them.”
- Joshua 11:8 tn The meaning of the Hebrew name “Misrephoth Maim” is perhaps “lime-kilns by the water” (see HALOT 641 s.v. מִשְׂרָפוֹת).
- Joshua 11:9 tn Heb “burned with fire”; the words “with fire” are redundant in English and have not been included in the translation.
- Joshua 11:10 tn Or “formerly.”
- Joshua 11:11 tn Heb “and they struck down all life which was in it with the edge of the sword, annihilating.”
- Joshua 11:11 tn Heb “burned with fire”; the words “with fire” are redundant in English and have not been included in the translation.
- Joshua 11:12 tn Heb “and he struck them down with the edge of the sword, he annihilated them.”
- Joshua 11:13 tn Heb “standing on their mounds.”
- Joshua 11:14 tn Heb “but all the people they struck down with the edge of the sword until they destroyed them.”
- Joshua 11:15 tn Heb “As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua acted accordingly; he did not turn aside a thing from all which the Lord commanded Moses.”
- Joshua 11:16 tn Heb “Joshua took all this land.”
- Joshua 11:16 sn The Negev is an area south of the Judean hill country and west of the rift valley. As a geographic feature it is an arid depression extending south to the Gulf of Aqabah, but the biblical reference is probably to the northern part of this region.
- Joshua 11:16 sn The foothills (שְׁפֵלָה, “shephelah”) refer to the transition region between the Judean hill country and the Mediterranean coastal plain.
- Joshua 11:16 sn As a geographic feature, the rift valley (עֲרָבָה, ʿaravah) extends from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba. The reference here is probably to the Jordan Valley and the wider part of the rift valley below the Dead Sea.
- Joshua 11:17 tn Heb “and struck them down and killed them.”
- Joshua 11:18 tn Heb “made war with.”
- Joshua 11:18 tn Heb “for many days.”
- Joshua 11:19 tn The LXX omits this parenthetical note, which may represent a later scribal addition.
- Joshua 11:19 tn Heb “the whole they took in battle.”
- Joshua 11:20 tn Heb “for from the Lord it was to harden their heart[s] to meet for the battle with Israel, in order to annihilate them, so that they would receive no mercy, in order annihilate them, as the Lord commanded Moses.”
- Joshua 11:21 tn Heb “went and cut off the Anakites from the hill country.”
- Joshua 11:21 tn Heb “and from all the hill country of Israel.”
- Joshua 11:23 tn Heb “took.”
- Joshua 11:23 tn Heb “according to all which the Lord said to Moses.” The translation assumes this refers to the promise of the land (see 1:3). Another possibility is that it refers to the Lord’s instructions, in which case the phrase could be translated, “just as the Lord had instructed Moses” (so NLT; cf. also NIV “had directed Moses”).
- Joshua 11:23 tn Heb “and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their allotted portions by their tribes.”
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