1To když uslyšel Jabín, král Azor, poslal k Jobábovi, králi Mádon, a k králi Simron, a k králi Achzaf, 2I k králům, kteříž bydlili k straně půlnoční na horách i na rovinách ku polední Ceneret, i na rovinách a v krajinách Dor na západ, 3K Kananejskému na východ i na západ, a k Amorejskému, Hetejskému, Ferezejskému a Jebuzejskému na horách, a k Hevejskému pod horou Hermon v zemi Masfa. 4I vytáhli všickni ti a všecka vojska jejich s nimi, lid mnohý jako písek, kterýž jest na břehu mořském nesčíslný, i koňů i vozů velmi mnoho. 5A smluvivše se všickni králové ti, přitáhli a položili se spolu při vodách Merom, aby bojovali proti Izraelovi. 6Řekl pak Hospodin k Jozue: Neboj se jich, nebo zítra o této chvíli vydám všecky tyto k zabití Izraelovi; koňům jejich žily podřežeš, a vozy jejich ohněm spálíš. 7Tedy vytáhl Jozue a s ním všecken lid válečný proti nim k vodám Merom rychle, a udeřili na ně. 8I dal je Hospodin v ruku Izraelovi, a porazili je. I honili je až k Sidonu velikému, a až k vodám Maserefot, a k údolí Masfe na východ, a pobili je, tak že nepozůstavili žádného živého. 9A učinil jim Jozue, jakož byl rozkázal jemu Hospodin, koňům jejich žily zpodřezoval, a vozy jejich ohněm popálil. 10Potom navrátiv se Jozue téhož času, dobyl Azor, a krále jeho zabil mečem. Azor pak bylo prvé nejznamenitější mezi všemi království těmi. 11Pobili také všecko, cožkoli v něm živo bylo, mordujíce je mečem, tak že nezůstalo žádného živého; Azor pak spálil ohněm. 12Takž podobně učinil všechněm městům králů těch, a všecky krále jejich zjímal Jozue, a zbiv je mečem, vyhladil je, jakož přikázal Mojžíš, služebník Hospodinův. 13A však žádného města z těch, kteráž ještě zůstala v ohradě své, nespálil Izrael, kromě samého Azor, kteréž spálil Jozue. 14A všecky loupeže měst těch i hovada rozdělili mezi sebou synové Izraelští; toliko všecky lidi zbili mečem, dokudž nevyhladili jich, nenechavše žádného živého. 15Jakož byl přikázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi, služebníku svému, tak přikázal Mojžíš Jozue, a Jozue tak činil; nepominul ničeho toho, což byl přikázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi. 16A tak vzal Jozue všecku tu zemi, hory i všecku stranu polední, i všecku zemi Gosen, i roviny, i pole, totiž hory Izraelské i roviny jejich, 17Od hory Halak, kteráž se táhne do Seir, až k Balgad na rovině Libánské, pod horou Hermon; všecky také krále jejich zjímal, a zbil je i zmordoval. 18Po mnohé dny Jozue vedl válku se všechněmi těmi králi. 19A nebylo města, ješto by v pokoj vešlo s syny Izraelskými, kromě Hevejských obyvatelů v Gabaon; jiná všecka válkou vzali. 20Nebo od Hospodina to bylo, že jsou zatvrdili byli srdce své, tak aby vyšli válečně proti Izraelovi, a aby je v prokletí vydal, a neučinil jim milosti, ale aby je zahubil, jakož přikázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi. 21Toho pak času přitáhl Jozue a vyplénil Enaky z těch hor, totiž z Hebronu, z Dabir a z Anab, i ze všeliké hory Judské, a ze všeliké hory Izraelské; spolu s městy jejich vyhladil je Jozue. 22Nezůstal žádný z Enaků v zemi synů Izraelských; toliko v Gáze, v Gát a v Azotu zůstali. 23Tak tedy vzal Jozue všecku tu zemi, jakž byl rozkázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi, a dal ji Jozue v dědictví Izraelovi vedlé dílů jejich, po pokoleních jejich. I odpočinula země od válek.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 DIVERS KINGS OVERCOME AT THE WATERS OF MEROM. (
Josh 11:1-
Josh 11:9)
And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things--The scene of the sacred narrative is here shifted to the north of Canaan, where a still more extensive confederacy was formed among the ruling powers to oppose the further progress of the Israelites. Jabin ("the Intelligent"), which seems to have been a hereditary title (
Judg 4:2), took the lead, from Hazor being the capital of the northern region (
Josh 11:10). It was situated on the borders of lake Merom. The other cities mentioned must have been in the vicinity though their exact position is unknown.
2 the kings that were on the north of the mountains--the Anti-libanus district.
the plains south of Chinneroth--the northern part of the Arabah, or valley of the Jordan.
the valley--the low and level country, including the plain of Sharon.
borders of Dor on the west--the highlands of Dor, reaching to the town of Dor on the Mediterranean coast, below mount Carmel.
3 the Canaanites on the east and on the west--a particular branch of the Canaanitish population who occupied the western bank of the Jordan as far northward as the Sea of Galilee, and also the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.
under Hermon--now Jebel-es-sheikh. It was the northern boundary of Canaan on the east of the Jordan.
land of Mizpeh--now Cślo-Syria.
4 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 time in the Canaanite war, to aid this last determined struggle against the invaders; and "it was the use of these which seems to have fixed the place of rendezvous by the lake Merom (now Huleh), along whose level shores they could have full play for their force." A host so formidable in numbers, as well as in military equipments, was sure to alarm and dispirit the Israelites. Joshua, therefore, was favored with a renewal of the divine promise of victory (
Josh 11:6), and thus encouraged, he, in the full confidence of faith, set out to face the enemy.
6 to-morrow, about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel--As it was impossible to have marched from Gilgal to Merom in one day, we must suppose Joshua already moving northward and within a day's distance of the Canaanite camp, when the Lord gave him this assurance of success. With characteristic energy he made a sudden advance, probably during the night, and fell upon them like a thunderbolt, when scattered along the rising grounds (Septuagint), before they had time to rally on the plain. In the sudden panic "the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them." The rout was complete; some went westward, over the mountains, above the gorge of the Leontes, to Sidon and Misrephothmaim ("glass-smelting houses"), in the neighborhood, and others eastward to the plain of Mizpeh.
8 they left none remaining--of those whom they overtook. All those who fell into their hands alive were slain.
9 Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him--(See
Josh 11:6). Houghing the horses is done by cutting the sinews and arteries of their hinder legs, so that they not only become hopelessly lame, but bleed to death. The reasons for this special command were that the Lord designed to lead the Israelites to trust in Him, not in military resources (
Ps 20:7); to show that in the land of promise there was no use of horses; and, finally, to discourage their travelling as they were to be an agricultural, not a trading, people.
11 he burnt Hazor with fire--calmly and deliberately, doubtless, according to divine direction.
13 as for the cities that stood still in their strength--literally, "on their heaps." It was a Phśnician custom to build cities on heights, natural or artificial [HENGSTENBERG].
16 So Joshua took all that land--Here follows a general view of the conquest. The division of the country there into five parts; namely, the hills, the land of Goshen, that is, a pastoral land near Gibeon (
Josh 10:41); the valley, the plains and the mountains of Israel, i. e., Carmel, rests upon a diversity of geographical positions, which is characteristic of the region.
17 from the mount Halak--Hebrew, "the smooth mountain."
that goeth up to Seir--an irregular line of white naked hills, about eighty feet high, and seven or eight geographical miles in length that cross the whole Ghor, eight miles south of the Dead Sea, probably "the ascent of Akrabbim" [ROBINSON].
unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon--the city or temple of the god of destiny, in Baalbec.
23 Joshua took the whole land--The battle of the take of Merom was to the north what the battle of Beth-horon was to the south; more briefly told and less complete in its consequences; but still the decisive conflict by which the whole northern region of Canaan fell into the hands of Israel [STANLEY].