Joshua 11:4-22:2 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 11:1-9

We are here entering upon the story of another campaign that Joshua made, and it was a glorious one, no less illustrious than the former in the success of it, though in respect of miracles it was inferior to it in glory. The wonders God then wrought for them were to animate and encourage them to act vigorously themselves. Thus the war carried on by the preaching of the gospel against Satan's kingdom was at first forwarded by miracles; but, the war being by them sufficiently proved to be of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 11:4

And they went out ,.... The several kings and people sent to; these went out from the places they inhabited: they and all their hosts with them ; the kings of those several places, with their armies: much people, even as the sand that is upon the seashore in multitude ; a proverbial expression, to denote an exceeding great number: with horses and chariots very many ; being supplied with horses from Egypt, and their chariots were chariots of iron; see Judges 4:3 ; Josephus ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 11:4

Much people , even as the sand - This form of speech, by some called a hyperbole, conveys simply the idea of a vast or unusual number - a number of which no regular estimate could be easily formed. Josephus, who seldom finds difficulties in such cases, and makes no scruple of often speaking without book, tells us that the allied armies amounted to 300,000 foot 10,000 horse, and 20,000 chariots of war. Antiq. lib. v., c. 1. That chariots were frequently used in war, all the records... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 11:1-5

Many adversaries. Another league is here. One in the south destroyed; another in the north is formed. A formidable one scattered; one more so gathers. Four kings are mentioned, and probably a dozen others of those mentioned in the following chapter are associated with them. They marshal all the fighting power of the northern half of Palestine. As the land was then (as repeatedly afterwards) very populous; as war was the most familiar of all employments; as numbers of the cities—almost... 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 11:4

And they went out. Dean Stanley (Lectures, 1:259) compares this "last struggle" of the Canaanites with the conflict between the Saxons and the British chiefs "driven to the Land's End." The comparison is more picturesque than accurate. In the first place, it was by no means a "last struggle" (see Joshua 11:21 ; Joshua 18:3 ; Joshua 19:47 ; 4:1-24 . throughout). In the next, the Britons were never driven to the Land's End, but Dorsetshire, which retained its independence for 200... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Joshua 11:1-15

Victory in northern Canaan (11:1-15)Alarmed by Israel’s victories in the south, the kings of the north organized the largest, strongest and best equipped army that Israel had yet faced (11:1-5). Again God encouraged Joshua, and again Joshua launched a devastating surprise attack. He defeated the combined northern forces, making sure that he destroyed all their horses and chariots. This was apparently to prevent the Israelites from being tempted to use the horses and chariots themselves instead... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Joshua 11:4

they went out, &c. Compare Joshua 11:4 with Revelation 20:8 , Revelation 20:9 . as, &c. Figure of speech Paroemia. App-6 . read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 11:4

Ver. 4. And they went out,—and all their hosts, &c.— Entering the field with so numerous an army, that the sacred writer does not scruple to express it by an hyperbole very familiar in Scripture, even as the sand upon the sea shore in multitude. The allied army was so much the more formidable, in that, as the host of the Israelites was wholly composed of foot-soldiers, in this there were not only cavalry, but armed chariots, in great numbers. Josephus makes it amount to 300,000 infantry,... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Joshua 11:4

4, 5. they went out, . . . as the sand that is upon the sea-shore in multitude—The chiefs of these several tribes were summoned by Jabin, being all probably tributary to the kingdom of Hazor. Their combined forces, according to JOSEPHUS, amounted to three hundred thousand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, and twenty thousand war chariots. with horses and chariots very many—The war chariots were probably like those of Egypt, made of wood, but nailed and tipped with iron. These appear for the first... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 11:1-9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 11:4

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 11:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 11:1-5

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 11:1-23

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 11:4

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Joshua 11:1-15

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Joshua 11:4

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 11:4

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Joshua 11:4

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