111 Then it came about, when Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph , 2 and to the kings who were of the north in the hill country , and in the Arabah -south of Chinneroth and in the lowland and on the heights of Dor on the west - 3 to the Canaanite on the east and on the west , and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the hill country , and the Hivite at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpeh . 4 They came out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore e , with very many horses and chariots . 5 So all of these kings having agreed to meet , came and encamped together at the waters of Merom , to fight against Israel . 6 Then the Lord said to Joshua , " Do not be afraid because e of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel ; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire ." 7 So Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom , and attacked them. 8 The Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel , so that they defeated them, and pursued them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim and the valley of Mizpeh to the east ; and they struck them until no survivor was left to them. 9 Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire .
10 Then Joshua turned back at that time , and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword ; for Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms . 11 They struck every person who was in it with the edge of the sword , utterly destroying them; there was no e one left who breathed . And he burned Hazor with fire . 12 Joshua captured all the cities of these kings , and all their kings , and he struck them with the edge of the sword , and utterly destroyed them; just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded . 13 However , Israel did not burn any cities that stood on their mounds , except Hazor alone , which Joshua burned . 14 All the spoil of these cities and the cattle , the sons of Israel took as their plunder ; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword , until they had destroyed them. They left no one who breathed .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 11:1-14
Commentary on Joshua 11:1-9
(Read Joshua 11:1-9)
The wonders God wrought for the Israelites were to encourage them to act vigorously themselves. Thus the war against Satan's kingdom, carried on by preaching the gospel, was at first forwarded by miracles; but being fully proved to be of God, we are now left to the Divine grace in the usual course, in the use of the sword of the Spirit. God encouraged Joshua. Fresh dangers and difficulties make it necessary to seek fresh supports from the word of God, which we have nigh unto us for use in every time of need. God proportions our trials to our strength, and our strength to our trials. Joshua's obedience in destroying the horses and chariots, shows his self-denial in compliance with God's command. The possession of things on which the carnal heart is prone to depend, is hurtful to the life of faith, and the walk with God; therefore it is better to be without worldly advantages, than to have the soul endangered by them.
Commentary on Joshua 11:10-14
(Read Joshua 11:10-14)
The Canaanites filled up the measure of their iniquity, and were, as a judgment, left to the pride, obstinacy, and enmity of their hearts, and to the power of Satan; all restraints being withdrawn, while the dispensations of Providence tended to drive them to despair. They brought on themselves the vengeance they justly merited, of which the Israelites were to be executioners, by the command the Lord gave to Moses.