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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 11:15-23

We have here the conclusion of this whole matter. I. A short account is here given of what was done in four things:?1. The obstinacy of the Canaanites in their opposition to the Israelites. It was strange that though it appeared so manifestly that God fought for Israel, and in every engagement the Canaanites had the worst of it, yet they stood it out to the last; not one city made peace with Israel, but the Gibeonites only, who understood the things that belonged to their peace better than... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 11:16

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 Luke 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 10:40 , and all the land of Goshen ; see Joshua 10:41 , and the valley, and the plain ; the low places and campaign... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 11:17

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 part of the land conquered by Joshua: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them ; both in the southern and northern parts... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 11:16

The mountain of Israel , and the valley of the same - This place has given considerable trouble to commentators; and it is not easy to assign such a meaning to the place as may appear in all respects satisfactory. If we consider this verse and the 21st to have been added after the times in which the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were divided, the difficulty is at once removed. The difficulty will be removed if we consider that mountain and valley are put here for... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 11:17

From the mount Halak - All the mountainous country that extends from the south of the land of Canaan towards Seir unto Baal-gad, which lies at the foot of Mount Libanus or Hermon, called by some the mountains of Separation, which serve as a limit between the land of Canaan and that of Seir; see Joshua 12:7 . The valley of Lebanon - The whole extent of the plain which is on the south, and probably north, of Mount Libanus. Calmet conjectures that Coelesyria is here meant. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 11:16

Verse 16 16.So Joshua took all that land, etc In the uninterrupted series of victories, when the land, of its own accord, spewed out its old inhabitants, to give free possession to the Israelites, it was visibly manifest, as is said in the Psalm, (Psalms 44:3) “They got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou had a favor unto them.” The design of enumerating the places... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 11:1-23

The continuation of the struggle. The same class of thoughts is suggested by this chapter as by the former. We have, as before But the course of the narrative gives a somewhat different form to our reflections. I. JOSHUA NEEDED SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT ONCE MORE , in spite of his previous signal victory. This was because he had a new class of enemies to contend against. These kings, with the king Hazor at their head, seem to have possessed a higher civilisation than the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 11:16

All that land. Rather, "all this land ;" the land, that is, which has been spoken of in all the previous narrative. It must not be pressed to mean the utter destruction of all the Canaanites, and the undisturbed possession of the country. The hills. The mountain country of Judah, in the south. The same word is translated "mountain" immediately afterwards, to the confusion of the sense, which contrasts the mountains of Israel with the mountains of Judah (see Joshua 11:21 ). This would... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 11:17

The Mount Halak. The smooth mountain. Literally," monte glabro ," Vulg.; λεῖον , Symmachus. This may either be interpreted "the mountain bare of foliage," as opposed to Seir, the hairy or wooded mountain, as Masius and Rosenmuller suppose, or, as the latter also suggests, it may mean the mountain which has a smooth outline, as opposed to a precipitous cliff. This falls in with the character of the hills on the south of Palestine (see note on Joshua 10:40 ). The LXX . renders by a... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Joshua 11:17

The mount Halak - See the margin and reference. The name serves to mark the southern limit of Joshua’s conquests. It suits equally well several of the ranges near the south border of Palestine, and it is uncertain which of them is the one here indicated.Baal-gad Joshua 12:7; Joshua 13:5 is probably Paneas, the Caesarea Philippi of later times. The name means “troop or city of Baal,” or a place where Baal was worshipped as the giver of “good luck.” Compare Isaiah 65:11. It was probably the same... read more

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