1Když se to dozvěděl chasorský král Jabin, dal zpravit meromského krále Jobaba, šimronského krále, akšafského krále 2a krále, kteří bydlí v horách na severu, na pláni na jih od Kinerotu, v nížině a na svazích Doru na západě. 3Kanaánci byli na východě a na západě, Amorité, Chetité, Perizité a Jebusané v horách, Chivité na úpatí Hermonu v zemi Mispa. 4Vyrazili, měli s sebou všechna svá vojska, lid četný jako písek na mořském břehu, a také obrovské množství koní a vozů. 5Všichni ti králové si dali sraz, přišli a společně tábořili u vod Meromu, aby bojovali s Izraelem. 6Tu Jahve řekl Jozuovi: „Neměj před nimi strach, neboť zítra v tuto hodinu budou probodáni ranami a všechny je vydám Izraeli; přesekáš šlachy jejich koním a spálíš jejich vozy.“ 7Jozue je se všemi svými válečníky znenadání dostihl u vod Meromu a přepadl je. 8Jahve je vydal Izraeli do rukou a on je bil a pronásledoval až k Velkému Sidonu a až k Misrefotu na západ a na východ až k údolí Mispy. Bil je, až jim neponechal nikoho naživu. 9Jozue s nimi naložil, jak mu řekl Jahve: přesekal jejich koním šlachy a jejich vozy vydal ohni. 10Tenkrát se Jozue vrátil a zmocnil se Chasoru, jehož krále zabil ranou mečem. Chasor byl kdysi hlavním městem všech těch království. 11Na základě klatby také pobili ostřím meče vše, co tam bylo živého. Nenechali tam živou duši a Chasor byl vydán ohni. 12Všech měst těch králů i všech jejich králů se Jozue zmocnil a pobil je ostřím meče na základě klatby, jak to nařídil Jahvův služebník Mojžíš. 13Všechna ta města, která se na svých pahorcích tyčila z rozvalin, Izrael nicméně nevypálil, pouze Chasor Jozue vypálil. 14A všechnu kořist z těchto měst včetně dobytka si Izraelité vzali jako lup. Ale všechny lidské bytosti pobili ostřím meče a vyhladili je. Nenechali tam živou duši. 15To, co Jahve nařídil svému služebníku Mojžíšovi, nařídil Mojžíš Jozuovi a Jozue to vykonal, aniž zanedbal jediné slovo z toho, co Jahve Mojžíšovi nařídil. 16Takto se Jozue zmocnil celé té země: Pohoří, celého Negebu a celé země Gošenu, Nížiny, Araby, pohoří Izraele a jeho nížiny. 17Od Lysé hory, jež se zvedá směrem k Seiru, až k Baal-Gadu v údolí Libanonu na úpatí Hermonu se zmocnil všech jejich králů, které dal ubít k smrti. 18Jozue se všemi těmi králi válčil po dlouhé dny; 19žádné město neuzavřelo s Izraelity mír kromě Chivitů, kteří bydleli v Gabaonu: všech ostatních se zmocnili bojem. 20Neboť Jahve rozhodl, že všem těm lidem zatvrdí srdce, tak aby bojovali proti Izraeli, aby propadli klatbě a aby pro ně nebylo odpuštění, ale aby byli vymýceni, jak to Jahve nařídil Mojžíšovi. 21Tehdy Jozue přišel a vyhubil Anakovce z Pohoří, z Hebronu, z Debiru, z Anabu, z celého Judova pohoří a z celého pohoří Izraele: vydal je i s jejich městy klatbě. 22S výjimkou Gazy, Gatu a Ašdodu nezůstal v zemi Izraelitů žádný Anakovec. 23Jozue se zmocnil celé té země přesně tak, jak to Jahve řekl Mojžíšovi, a dal ji do dědictví Izraeli podle jeho rozdělení na kmeny. A země si odpočinula od války.
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].