Joshua 11:21-23

Extermination of the Anakims

21. at that time That is, in the course of the "long time," the seven years spoken of in Joshua 11:18. We have now a supplementary notice of the destruction of the Anakims, and a general conclusion substantially as given in Joshua 11:16.

the Anakims In Numbers 13:22 we are told of the spies that they "ascended by the south and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were," and when this was reported to the Israelites, and they heard of "the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants, in whose sight the spies seemed as grasshoppers" (Numbers 13:33), "all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried, and murmured against Moses and against Aaron" (Numbers 14:1-2). The sacred writer therefore now goes back to record pointedly this terrible race, who had inspired such faithless murmuring and complaint (comp. Deuteronomy 9:2). It has been concluded by some that these giants were a tribe of Cushite wanderers from Babel, and of the same race as the Philistines, the Phœnicians, and the Egyptian shepherd-kings, representing one or more families of Amorite descent, distinguished for their lofty stature and physical powers. Thus Og, king of Bashan, is described as of the "remnant of the giants" (Deuteronomy 3:11). In Abraham's time (Genesis 14:5-6) they inhabited the territories afterwards known as Edom and Moab, and the region east of Jordan, under the names of (a) Rephaims, (b) Zuzims or Zamzummims, (c) Emims, and (d) Horites. Here they were attacked by Chedorlaomer, the Elamite king, who also smote the Amorites of Engedi in the Jordan valley. Subsequently the Horites were conquered by the Edomites, the Emims and the Zuzims by the Moabites and Ammonites, while the remnant, to which Og king of Bashan belonged, was destroyed by the Israelites under Moses. Now, as under Moses on the east, so under Joshua on the west of Jordan, the Anakims were driven forth before the arms of Israel.

from Hebron Which from the progenitor of this race received its original name of Kirjath-Arba. See above on Joshua 10:3.

from Debir See Joshua 10:38.

from Anab A town in the mountains of Judah (Joshua 15:50). It has retained its ancient name, and lies among the hills about 10 miles S. S. W. of Hebron, close to Shoco and Eshtemoa. See Robinson's Bib. Researches, I. 494 and II. 195, who from Main(the Maon of Scripture) preserved a place of this name, distinguished by a small tower.

the mountains of Judah A distinction is here made between "the mountains of Judah," and "the mountains of Israel." This, strange as it may seem, affords one of the undesigned evidences of the early composition of the Book of Joshua. "When Judah entered on his possession, all the other tribes were still in Gilgal (Joshua 14:6; Joshua 15:1). Afterwards, when Ephraim and Manasseh entered on theirs, all Israel, except Judah, were camped in Shiloh (Joshua 16:1; Joshua 18:1), these two possessions being separated by the still unallotted territory which later was given to Benjamin (Joshua 18:11). What more natural than that the mountain given to -the children of Judah" should have been called -the mountain of Judah," and that where all the rest of Israel camped -the mountain of Israel," and also -the mountain of Ephraim" (Joshua 19:50; Joshua 20:7), because it was afterwards given to that tribe?" Dr Edersheim's Israel in Canaan, p. 86.