Josué 11

ARC · Chapter 11/24

1Succedeu depois d'isto que, ouvindo-o Jabin, rei d'Hazor, enviou a Jobab, rei de Madon, e ao rei de Simron, e ao rei d'Acsaph;

2E os reis, que estavam ao norte, nas montanhas, e na campina para o sul de Cinneroth, e nas planicies, e em Naphoth-dor, da banda do mar;

3Ao cananeo do oriente e do occidente; e ao amorrheo, e ao hetheo, e ao pherezeo, e ao jebuseo nas montanhas: e ao heveo ao pé d'Hermon, na terra de Mispah.

4Sairam pois estes, e todos os seus exercitos com elles, muito povo, como a areia que está na praia do mar em multidão: e muitissimos cavallos e carros.

5Todos estes reis se ajuntaram, e vieram e se acamparam junto ás aguas de Merom, para pelejarem contra Israel.

6E disse o Senhor a Josué: Não temas diante d'elles; porque ámanhã a esta mesma hora eu os darei todos feridos diante dos filhos d'Israel; os seus cavallos jarretarás, e os seus carros queimarás a fogo.

7E Josué, e toda a gente de guerra com elle, veiu apressadamente sobre elles ás aguas de Merom: e deram n'elles de repente.

8E o Senhor os deu na mão d'Israel, e os feriram, e os seguiram até á grande Sidon, e até Misrephoth-main, e até ao valle de Mispah ao oriente; feriram-os até não lhes deixarem nenhum

9E fez-lhes Josué como o Senhor lhe dissera: os seus cavallos jarretou, e os seus carros queimou a fogo.

10E n'aquelle mesmo tempo tornou Josué, e tomou a Hazor, e feriu á espada ao seu rei: porquanto Hazor d'antes era a cabeça de todos estes reinos.

11E a toda a alma, que n'ella havia, feriram ao fio da espada, e totalmente os destruiram; nada restou do que tinha folego, e a Hazor queimou com fogo.

12E Josué tomou todas as cidades d'estes reis, e todos os seus reis, e os feriu ao fio da espada, destruindo-os totalmente: como ordenara a Moysés servo do Senhor.

13Tão sómente não queimaram os israelitas as cidades que estavam sobre os seus outeiros: salvo sómente Hazor, a qual Josué queimou.

14E todos os despojos d'estas cidades, e o gado, os filhos d'Israel saquearam para si: tão sómente a todos os homens feriram ao fio da espada, até que os destruiram: nada do que folego tinha deixaram com vida.

15Como ordenara o Senhor a Moysés seu servo, assim Moysés ordenou a Josué: e assim Josué o fez; nem uma só palavra tirou de tudo o que o Senhor ordenara a Moysés.

16Assim Josué tomou toda aquella terra, as montanhas, e todo o sul, e toda a terra de Gosen, e as planicies, e as campinas, e as montanhas d'Israel; e as suas planicies;

17Desde o monte calvo, que sobe a Seir, até Baal-gad, no valle do Libano, ás raizes do monte de Hermon: tambem tomou todos os seus reis, e os feriu e os matou.

18Por muitos dias Josué fez guerra contra todos estes reis.

19Não houve cidade que fizesse paz com os filhos d'Israel, senão os heveos, moradores de Gibeon: por guerra as tomaram todas.

20Porquanto do Senhor vinha, que os seus corações endurecessem, para sairem ao encontro a Israel na guerra, para os destruir totalmente, para se não ter piedade d'elles; mas para os destruir a todos, como o Senhor tinha ordenado a Moysés.

21N'aquelle tempo veiu Josué, e extirpou os enaquins das montanhas d'Hebron, de Debir, d'Anab, e de todas as montanhas de Judah, e de todas as montanhas d'Israel: Josué os destruiu totalmente com as suas cidades.

22Nenhum dos enaquins ficou de resto na terra dos filhos d'Israel: sómente ficaram de resto em Gaza, em Gath, e em Asdod.

23Assim Josué tomou toda esta terra, conforme a tudo o que o Senhor tinha dito a Moysés; e Josué a deu em herança aos filhos d'Israel, conforme ás suas divisões, conforme ás suas tribus: e a terra repousou da guerra

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A coalition of northern kings, led by Jabin of Hazor, is defeated by Israel at the waters of Merom. Joshua completes the main conquest of the land.

Explanation

Hazor was described as 'the head of all those kingdoms' (v.10), the largest and most influential city-state in the northern region, so its fall marked the end of large-scale organized resistance. The order to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots with fire kept Israel from depending on foreign military technology, keeping their trust in God's strength rather than in weaponry. The chapter closes with the phrase 'the land rested from war,' an important pause before the next phase of dividing the land among the tribes.

Fun facts

  • Hazor is one of the largest archaeological ruins in Israel, with evidence of destruction by fire in a layer that many archaeologists date close to the period of the biblical conquest.
  • The Anakim, described as giants driven out by Joshua, are mentioned earlier in Numbers 13:33 as the reason for the spies' fear during the first attempt to enter Canaan, decades before.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Josué 11:1After the great victories in the south, now it is the north’s turn: king Jabin of Hazor hears what has happened and starts gathering allies to face Israel.
  2. Josué 11:2Jabin’s summons reaches kings across the whole northern region, from the hill country to the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
  3. Josué 11:3The alliance brings together practically all the Canaanite peoples of the time, from east to west, including those living in the hill country near Mount Hermon.
  4. Josué 11:4The assembled army is enormous, compared in number to the sand on the seashore, and it has many horses and chariots — something Israel did not have.
  5. Josué 11:5All these kings meet and camp together by the waters of Merom, ready to face Israel in one great battle.
  6. Josué 11:6God reassures Joshua before the battle, promising total victory the next day, and already orders him to hamstring the enemy’s horses and burn their chariots after the victory.
  7. Josué 11:7Joshua attacks by surprise, arriving quickly at Merom before the enemy is prepared.
  8. Josué 11:8The victory is complete: Israel chases the defeated army over a great distance, until no one is left.
  9. Josué 11:9Joshua does exactly what God had commanded: he hamstrings the horses and burns the captured chariots.
  10. Josué 11:10Joshua then turns back and captures Hazor, the most important city of the alliance, killing its king.
  11. Josué 11:11Hazor is completely destroyed and burned, just as happened to Jericho.
  12. Josué 11:12Joshua goes on to capture all the cities of these allied kings, following to the letter the instructions God had given Moses.
  13. Josué 11:13One important difference: the cities built on their mounds are not burned; only Hazor meets that fate.
  14. Josué 11:14The livestock and goods of these cities are kept by the people of Israel; only the people themselves are put to death, without exception.
  15. Josué 11:15The text emphasizes that Joshua followed every instruction God had given down to the letter, leaving nothing out.
  16. Josué 11:16A general summary: Joshua conquers the whole region, from the hill country to the south, including Goshen and the lowlands.
  17. Josué 11:17The extent of the conquest runs from the south, near Seir, to the north, near Mount Hermon — practically the whole promised land.
  18. Josué 11:18This entire war did not happen all at once: Joshua spent a long time fighting these kings, one by one.
  19. Josué 11:19Only one city made peace without fighting: Gibeon, through the deceptive agreement from the previous chapter. All the others were taken by force.
  20. Josué 11:20The text says it was the Lord Himself who hardened the hearts of these nations to go to war so that they could be destroyed — a theological explanation that tries to make sense of a conquest already underway, attributing to God control even over the enemies’ resistance.
  21. Josué 11:21Joshua also drives out the Anakim, a people legendary for their height, from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and other regions of Judah.
  22. Josué 11:22Anakim remain only in three Philistine cities: Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, outside the territory Israel occupied.
  23. Josué 11:23The chapter closes with Joshua distributing the conquered land among the tribes, and the war finally comes to an end — the land has rest.

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