48443 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when all those kings were met together,.... At some certain place, which Jabin had appointed: they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom: Josephus (a) says it was at Berotha; perhaps it should be Merotha, a city of upper Galilee, not far from Cedesa, the same he elsewhere calls (b) Meroth, These waters are the same with the lake...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord said unto Joshua, be not afraid because of them,.... Of their number, of their horsemen, and of their scythed chariots; which might at first hearing occasion some fear and dread. And according to Josephus (f), the multitude of them terrified both Joshua and the Israelites; and therefore the Lord appeared and spoke to him for his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them,.... Being encouraged by the Lord, they set out with Joshua at the head of them, to fight the kings and their forces. It is highly probable that these were not the whole body of armed men in the camp of Israel, but a select company Joshua took of them, and who would be able to make...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel,.... The whole host, who either were killed or wounded, or put to flight: it was of the Lord that Israel was directed to make so quick a march, and come upon them so suddenly, and that they were off their guard, and unprovided for them, and so fell into their hands: who smote them; with the edge...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him,.... Namely, in the following instances: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire; not consulting his own worldly interest or that of the people of Israel, but the command of God, which he carefully obeyed, and reserved none for himself or them, as David in another case afterwards...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they smote all the souls that [were] therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying [them],.... Men, women, and children: there was not any left to breathe; any human creature; for as for the cattle they were taken for a prey: and he burnt Hazor with fire; as he did Jericho and Ai, though no other cities he had taken; but it seems that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them did Joshua take,.... As particularly Madon, Shimron, and Achshaph, with others which he marched unto, after he had burnt Hazor; in which he took their kings, whither they had fled, or else he had taken them before in the pursuit: and smote them with the edge of the sword; both the kings...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But as for the cities that stood still in their strength,.... Whose walls were not demolished when taken, as Kimchi and Jarchi interpret it, or that "stood upon their heaps" (y); upon an eminence, being built on hills and mountains: Israel burned none of them; but reserved them for their own habitations, being well fortified, and having no need of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves,.... The gold, silver, household goods, corn, wine, oil, or any mercantile goods, together with cattle of every sort, all were taken by them for a prey, for their own use and benefit, which was allowed them: but every man they smote with the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua,.... Which was to destroy the people of the land, Deuteronomy 7:1; so did Joshua, he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses; both with respect to the destruction of the people, and of all their images, pictures, altars, groves, and high places; see Exodus 34:11.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Joshua took all that land,.... The whole land of Canaan, described as follows, both as to the southern and northern parts of it: the hills; the hill country of Judea, of which see Lu 1:39; and all the south country; where lived the five kings; and those of other places, the account of the taking of which we have in the preceding chapter, Joshua...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[Even] from the mount Halak, that goeth up unto Seir,.... Or the "smooth" and "bald" mountain, which had no trees on it, as some interpret it, observed by Kimchi; it was a mount on the borders of Edom, to which the land of Canaan reached on that side: even unto Baalgad, in the valley of Lebanon, under Mount Hermon; and so describes the northern...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. For, though the account of the conquest of them is put together, and lies in a small compass, yet those victories were not obtained at once, or in a few days, as were those of the five kings, and others, related in the preceding chapter, Joshua 10:10; but were the work of some years; Josephus (b)...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel,.... Though, according to the Jews, Joshua, upon his first landing in Canaan, sent letters and messages to all the inhabitants of the land, offering them peace on certain terms; particularly that he sent three messages, or proposed three things to them; that those who had a mind to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts,.... As he hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, that his power might be displayed in their destruction: that they should come against Israel battle; and so fall in it: that he might destroy them utterly; for their abominable wickedness, idolatry, incest, c. they had been guilty of: [and]...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And at that time came Joshua,.... After he had made a conquest of the land, or at the time he made it, as before related: and cut off the Anakims from the mountains; whither, upon the conquest of the land, they had betaken themselves, and lived in dens and caves: these were giants, so called from Anak the father of them; though these are not to be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel,.... For those that escaped the sword fled elsewhere, particularly to the following places: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod there remained; that is, some of the Anakims or giants; these were three of the five principalities of the Philistines, and were never conquered...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Joshua took the whole land,.... Of Canaan, the far greater and better part of it, all before described; all that he went against, he failed not in any of his attempts; no place stood out against him that he besieged or summoned, all yielded to him: according to all that the Lord said unto Moses: in Deuteronomy 11:23; and Joshua gave it for an...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Joshua 12 This chapter gives a short account of the conquests made by the Israelites, both in the times of Moses and of Joshua, and first of the kingdom of Sihon and Og on the other side Jordan, in the times of Moses, and which he gave to the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and which are particularly...