Joshua 11:10

_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._ Joshua ... turned back and (re-crossing the Leontes) took Hazor ... the head of all those kingdoms. The ruins of a city called Hazur, on Tell Harah are now supposed to be the long-sought-for Hazor (Stanley, 'Sinai and Palestine,' p. 390; also 'Lectures on the Jewish Church,' p. 256). This, however, is not the opinion of Dr. Robinson ('Biblical Researches,' 3:, p. 356), nor of Professor Porter, (see the notes at Judges 3:1). SMOTE THE KING THEREOF WITH THE SWORD. His death by beheading, and not by the ignominious gallows, was probably owing to his dignified position as suzerain of the whole northern districts of Palestine....

10-14 The Canaanites filled up the measure of their iniquity, and were, as a judgment, left to the pride, obstinacy, and enmity of their hearts, and to the power of Satan; all restraints being withdrawn, while the dispensations of Providence tended to drive them to despair. They brought on themselves the vengeance they justly merited, of which the Israelites were to be executioners, by the command the Lord gave to Moses....

Verse Joshua 11:10. _TOOK HAZOR_] Joshua 11:1....

EXPOSITION THE PROSECUTION OF THE WAR.— JOSHUA 11:1 AND IT CAME TO PASS. The political constitution of Palestine was, humanly speaking, the cause of its overthrow. The division of the country into a host of petty states, and the consequent want of cohesion and concert, made its conquest a comparatively easy task. Had the kings of the north rallied round the standard set up in Central Palestine by Adoni-zedek, a far more formidable opposition would have been offered to Joshua at Gibeon. Calvin takes us, however, at once to the fountain head, and remarks how God fitted the burden to those who had to bear it. In spite of the great things God had done to them, they might have been driven to despair (and every one knows how weak their faith was) by the ove

AND JOSHUA AT THAT TIME TURNED BACK AND TOOK HAZOR,.... After he had chased the Canaanites to the places mentioned, he returned to Hazor, near to which Joshua first fell upon them, but through the pursuit he was led on many miles beyond it: Bunting says w, it was thirty two miles from Sidon: AND SMOTE THE KING THEREOF WITH THE SWORD; who, very probably, upon the surprise at the waters of Merom, fled to his capital for safety; but that being taken by Joshua, he was slain by him with the sword: FOR HAZOR BEFORETIME WAS THE HEAD OF ALL THOSE KINGDOMS; before mentioned, Joshua 11:1; but not of all the land of Canaan: Jerom x says, it was the metropolis of all the kingdoms of the Philistines; and though they were not now subject to it, and had kings of their own, yet it appears that the king of this place was in great authority, and regard was paid unto him; an

FURTHER CONQUESTS CHAPTER 11 _ 1. Jabin and his confederacy (Joshua 11:1)_ 2. The divine encouragement (Joshua 11:6) 3. The victory (Joshua 11:7) 4. The obedience of Joshua (Joshua 11:15) 5. The continued conflict with the kings (Joshua 11:16) The Kings of the north formed the second confederacy, headed by Jabin, King of Hazor. Jabin means “understanding” and Hazor, “an enclosure.” He with other kings, and with them “much people even as the sand that is upon the seashore in multitude, with horses and chariots

JOSHUA 11. DEFEAT OF JABIN AND HIS COALITION. Jabin, king of Hazor, gathers a vast army of Canaanites at the Waters of Merom (locality uncertain, p. 32). The coalition was utterly defeated, the king was slain, and his city burnt. In Judges 4, a king of the same name and the same city appears, who for twenty years mightily oppressed the children of Israel. Joshua's victory here seems to be inconsistent with the account given of Jabin in Judges 4. The original story of Barak's campaign (Judges 5) has no reference to Jabin, but only to Sisera. The prose narrative (Judges 4) combines the war against Sisera with that against Jabin, and makes the former the general of the latter. It is noticeable that the terms of the short narrative in which the battle is here described are very vague and general, and 8, with its statement that the Israelites pursued their enemies as far as Zidon in the N. an...

_turned back_ Far over the western hills Joshua pursued the flying hosts before he "turned back," and took Hazor, and because of its prominence as the chief city of these petty northern kingdoms, burned it with fire....

_The Destruction of Hazor Joshua 11:10-15_ 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 destroy

THE CAMPAIGN IN THE NORTH Here there is no trace, as in the former case, of miraculous interposition. Joshua's generalship, courage, swiftness and loyalty are the prominent factors in the achievement. Yet it is made clear here (Joshua 11:6) as ever, that those qualities attained their object because they were under the direct guidance of the God of Israel....