Jos 11:1-15 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Josh 11:1-16: 11:1-16 Through the more detailed accounts of Joshua’s campaign in southern Canaan (chs 6-10 ), the narrator established firmly that the Israelites needed God’s help to succeed. Because what had been true in the southern campaign would also be true in the northern campaign (ch 11 ), those details were unnecessary here. Summary for Josh 11:1-3: 11:1-3 Hazor lay along the international trade route and was by far the largest and most important inland city of Canaan (see 11:10 ). • Virtually all of northern Canaan joined the coalition of King Jabin against Israel. This region stretched from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the desert in the east and from the borders of Phoenicia in the north to the hill country and the Jordan Valley in the south. • The term Jebusites typically refers to the people of Jerusalem and surrounding towns under its control. Perhaps men from Jebus were mercenaries to Jabin. • Mizpah means “watchtower” or “lookout.” Several places had this name; this one was the extensive region of the lower slopes of Mount Hermon , the highest peak of the Promised Land.

Summary for Josh 11:1-16: 11:1-16 ^a Through the more detailed accounts of Joshua’s campaign in southern Canaan (chs 6-10 ^b), the narrator established firmly that the Israelites needed God’s help to succeed. Because what had been true in the southern campaign would also be true in the northern campaign (ch 11 ^c), those details were unnecessary here.
Summary for Josh 11:1-3: 11:1-3 ^d Hazor lay along the international trade route and was by far the largest and most important inland city of Canaan (see 11:10 ^e).

• Virtually all of northern Canaan joined the coalition of King Jabin against Israel. This region stretched from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the desert in the east and from the borders of Phoenicia in the north to the hill country and the Jordan Valley in the south.

• The term Jebusites typically refers to the people of Jerusalem and surrounding towns under its control. Perhaps men from Jebus were mercenaries to Jabin.

• Mizpah means “watchtower” or “lookout.” Several places had this name; this one was the extensive region of the lower slopes of Mount Hermon, the highest peak of the Promised Land.
11:4 ^f In the ancient Near East at this time, horses only pulled chariots; cavalry and mounted bowmen did not appear until centuries later.

• Israel probably faced chariots for the first time in this battle against the northern coalition, where the land was flatter than in southern Canaan. As the heavy weapons of the battlefield, chariots easily overpowered foot soldiers. Scythes were often attached to the axles, and charioteers drove at opposing infantry to mow them down.
11:5 ^g The location of Merom is unclear. The most likely site was in Upper Galilee a few miles west of Hazor.
11:6 ^h God again urged Joshua not to be afraid, promising Israel the victory, even against horses and chariots.

• cripple their horses and burn their chariots: God wanted Israel to rely on him rather than weaponry and equipment (cp. Deut 17:16 ⁱ; Isa 31:1 ^j).
11:7 ^k Joshua ... traveled: Jabin might have planned to move from Merom out of Upper Galilee to meet Israel on a more advantageous battlefield when all his forces were assembled. However, Joshua attacked suddenly, before Jabin could choose the battleground.
11:8 ^l The Canaanites scattered widely, fleeing north and west into the territory of Greater Sidon on the Mediterranean coast and eastward into the valley of Mizpah.
11:11 ^m completely destroyed: Archaeological excavation confirms that the city of Hazor was destroyed by fire during this period.
11:13 ⁿ the towns built on mounds: In the ancient Near East it was common practice to rebuild cities on the same sites after they had been destroyed. All the elements that made a city site advantageous remained after a city’s destruction. Many cities were rebuilt numerous times, slowly rising in height as more debris accumulated after each destruction.

• Joshua burned only Hazor in the north, just as he had destroyed Jericho (6:24 ^o) and Ai (8:28 ^p) in the center of the land.
11:15 ^q God commanded Joshua to exercise faithfulness to Moses’ torah, or “Book of Instruction” (1:7-10 ^r). At the conclusion of the two major campaigns to occupy Canaan, the narrator reported that Joshua had obeyed all the commands faithfully.