History · Chapter 11 of 24
Joshua 11
Jabin of Hazor gathers a vast northern coalition with horses and chariots at the waters of Merom. The LORD tells Joshua not to fear, promising victory. Joshua attacks suddenly, defeats them, hamstrings their horses, and burns their chariots. He captures Hazor, the coalition's head, and burns it. Fulfilling all the LORD commanded Moses, Joshua takes the whole land, cuts off the Anakim, and the land rests from war.
What happens in Joshua 11
Jabin, king of Hazor, hearing of Israel's victories, summons a great northern alliance, a host numerous as sand on the seashore with many horses and chariots, camped at the waters of Merom. The LORD reassures Joshua not to fear, promising to deliver them all slain by the next day, and instructs him to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots. Joshua attacks suddenly, the LORD gives the enemy into Israel's hand, and they are pursued until none remain. Joshua then captures Hazor, former head of those kingdoms, kills its king, destroys all in it, and burns the city.
Joshua left nothing undone of all the LORD commanded Moses, and it was of the LORD to harden the kings' hearts, that they might be destroyed. Joshua also cuts off the Anakim, the feared giants, from the hill country, leaving only a remnant in Philistine cities. So Joshua takes the whole land, gives it to Israel, and the land rests from war.
Joshua 11 in context
Joshua 11 completes the conquest with the northern campaign, paralleling the southern one of chapter 10. Hazor was a dominant Canaanite city, so its fall is significant. Israel's deliberate crippling of horses and chariots, the era's most fearsome military technology, underscores reliance on God rather than weaponry.
The note that God hardened Canaanite hearts, echoing Pharaoh, frames the conquest as divine judgment on entrenched wickedness. The cutting off of the Anakim answers the fear that once turned the spies back.
Main themes of Joshua 11
Joshua 11 (KJV)
1And 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, 2And 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, 3And 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. 4And 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. 5And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. 6And 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. 7So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. 8And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. 9And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire. 10And 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. 11And 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. 12And 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. 13But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn. 14And 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. 15As 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. 16So 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; 17Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them. 18Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19There 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. 20For 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. 21And 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. 22There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained. 23So 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.
Verses to carry from Joshua 11
“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.”Joshua 11:6
“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.”Joshua 11:15
“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 11:23
Thematic connection
How Joshua 11 points to Jesus
This chapter links to Christ thematically through its closing note that the land rested from war. The rest Joshua secured was real but partial, for enemies remained and further struggle would come. Hebrews reflects that if Joshua had given them final rest, God would not later speak of another day, so there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, entered through Christ (Hebrews 4:8-11).
The giants that once made Israel's heart melt are cut down, a reminder that the fears which paralyze a generation can be overcome when God goes before His people. Christ is the true Joshua who conquers the powers we cannot, cutting off the last enemies and bringing His people into a rest that will never be broken.
Questions about Joshua 11
Why did God harden the hearts of the Canaanite kings to fight Israel?
The text says it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel and be destroyed without mercy, framing the conquest as judgment on longstanding Canaanite wickedness that God had warned of since Abraham's day. As with Pharaoh, the hardening confirmed a settled resistance to God and brought a chosen course to its just end. The passage presents this as divine judgment, not a model for human warfare (Joshua 11:20).
Why did Joshua hamstring horses and burn chariots instead of using them?
Horses and chariots were the most powerful military technology of the age, and keeping them could have tempted Israel to trust in armaments rather than God. By destroying them at the LORD's command, Israel signaled that its victories came from God, not superior force, consistent with the later warning against multiplying horses. Reliance on God, not weaponry, defined the whole conquest (Joshua 11:6, Joshua 11:9).
Reflection
The Anakim were the same giants whose report turned an earlier generation back in fear; here they are simply cut down. What terrifies us for years can fall quickly once we finally move at God's word. And the chapter's reward is rest. What long-feared giant might God be ready to bring down if you stop shrinking back?
A prayer from Joshua 11
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