Joshua 11:1

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 11:1

And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard these things ,.... The taking of Jericho and Ai, the defeat of the five kings, and the conquest of the southern part of the land of Canaan; he was alarmed by them, and sent to all the northern kings to join with him against Israel; and he the rather took this upon him, because as Adonizedek king of Jerusalem was the principal king in the southern part of the land, so was he in the northern part; see Joshua 11:10 ; Hazor fell to the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 11:1

Jabin king of Hazor - It is probable that Jabin was the common name of all the kings of Hazor. That king, by whom the Israelites were kept in a state of slavery for twenty years, and who was defeated by Deborah and Barak, was called by this name; see Judges 4:2 , Judges 4:3 , Judges 4:23 . The name signifies wise or intelligent. The city of Hazor was situated above the Lake Semechon, in Upper Galilee, according to Josephus, Antiq. lib. v., c. 6. It was given to the tribe of... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 11:1

Verse 1 1.And it came to pass when Jabin, etc In this new league also we have a bright manifestation of the more than paternal care of God, in warding off dangers from his people, and also in assisting their weakness by kindness and indulgence. Had Jabin, with the confederates of whom mention is now made, openly declared himself the ally of the neighboring kings, a much more formidable war would have broken out against the Israelites, and greater solicitude and anxiety must have seized their... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 11:1

EXPOSITION THE PROSECUTION OF THE WAR .— And it came to pass. The political constitution of Palestine was, humanly speaking, the cause of its overthrow. The division of the country into a host of petty states, and the consequent want of cohesion and concert, made its conquest a comparatively easy task. Had the kings of the north rallied round the standard set up in Central Palestine by Adoni-zedek, a far more formidable opposition would have been offered to Joshua at... 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

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Joshua 11:1

Jabin - Probably the hereditary and official title of the kings of Hazor (see Judges 4:2). The word means literally “he shall understand,” and is equivalent to “the wise” or “intelligent.”Hazor - This name, which means “enclosed or “fortified,” belonged also to two other towns in the south of Judah (compare Joshua 15:23, Joshua 15:25). The Hazor here in question, the head of the principalities of Northern Canaan Joshua 11:10 overlooked the lake of Merom, and was afterward assigned to the tribe... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joshua 11:1

Joshua 11:1. King of Hazor This was the principal city of the northern part of Canaan, Joshua 11:10; and fell to the share of the tribe of Naphtali in the division of the land, Joshua 19:36. Jabin was the name of the king of the Canaanites in this part of the country, in future times, as well as now. Had heard This was a remarkable instance of the wisdom and goodness of Divine Providence, which so governed the minds of the Canaanites, that they were not all united under one king but... 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

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