Josué 11

BLIVRE · Chapter 11/24

1Ouvindo isto Jabim rei de Hazor, enviou mensagem a Jobabe rei de Madom, e ao rei de Sinrom, e ao rei de Acsafe,

2E aos reis que estavam à parte do norte nas montanhas, e na planície ao sul de Quinerete, e nas planícies, e nas regiões de Dor ao ocidente;

3E aos cananeus que estava ao oriente e ao ocidente, e aos amorreus, e ao Heteu, e aos perizeus, e aos jebuseus nas montanhas, e aos heveus debaixo de Hermom em terra de Mispá.

4Estes saíram, e com eles todos os seus exércitos, povo muito em grande maneira, como a areia que está à beira do mar, com grande multidão de cavalos e carros.

5Todos estes reis se juntaram, e vindo reuniram os acampamentos junto às águas de Merom, para lutar contra Israel.

6Mas o SENHOR disse a Josué: Não tenhas medo deles, que amanhã a esta hora eu entregarei a todos estes, mortos diante de Israel: a seus cavalos aleijarás, e seus carros queimarás ao fogo.

7E veio Josué, e com ele todo aquele povo de guerra, contra eles, e deu de repente sobre eles junto às águas de Merom.

8E entregou-os o SENHOR em mãos de Israel, os quais os feriram e seguiram até a grande Sidom, e até as águas quentes, e até a planície de Mispá ao oriente, ferindo-os até que não lhes deixaram ninguém.

9E Josué fez com eles como o SENHOR lhe havia mandado: aleijou seus cavalos, e seus carros queimou ao fogo.

10E voltando-se Josué, tomou no mesmo tempo a Hazor, e feriu à espada a seu rei: a qual Hazor havia sido antes cabeça de todos estes reinos.

11E feriram à espada todo quanto nela havia vivo, destruindo e não deixando coisa com vida; e a Hazor puseram a fogo.

12Também tomou Josué todas as cidades destes reis, e a todos os reis delas, e os meteu à espada, e os destruiu, como Moisés servo do SENHOR o havia mandado.

13Porém todas as cidades que estavam em suas colinas, não as queimou Israel, tirando a só Hazor, a qual queimou Josué.

14E os filhos de Israel tomaram para si todos os despojos e animais daquelas cidades: mas a todos os homens feriram à espada até destruí-los, sem deixar alguém com vida.

15Da maneira que o SENHOR o havia mandado a Moisés seu servo, assim Moisés o mandou a Josué: e assim Josué o fez, sem tirar palavra de tudo o que o SENHOR havia mandado a Moisés.

16Tomou, pois, Josué toda aquela terra, as montanhas, e toda a região do sul, e toda a terra de Gósen, e os terrenos baixos e as planícies, e a região montanhosa de Israel e seus vales.

17Desde o monte de Halaque, que sobe até Seir, até Baal-Gade na planície do Líbano, às raízes do monte Hermom: tomou também todos os seus reis, os quais feriu e matou.

18Por muitos dias teve guerra Josué com estes reis.

19Não houve cidade que fizesse paz com os filhos de Israel, a não ser os heveus, que moravam em Gibeão: tudo o tomaram por guerra.

20Porque isto veio do SENHOR, que endurecia o coração deles para que resistissem com guerra a Israel, para destruí-los, e que não lhes fosse feita misericórdia, antes fossem desarraigados, como o SENHOR o havia mandado a Moisés.

21Também no mesmo tempo veio Josué e destruiu os anaquins dos montes, de Hebrom, de Debir, e de Anabe, e de todos os montes de Judá, e de todos os montes de Israel: Josué os destruiu a eles e a suas cidades.

22Nenhum dos anaquins restou na terra dos filhos de Israel; somente restaram em Gaza, em Gate, e em Asdode.

23Tomou, pois, Josué toda a terra, conforme todo o que o SENHOR havia dito a Moisés; e entregou-a Josué aos israelitas por herança, conforme suas repartições de suas tribos: e a terra repousou de 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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