Joshua 11
יהושע פרק י״א
Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: Joshua | Chapter: 11 of 24 | Day: 11 of 742
Date: February 22, 2026
קלאוד על הנ״ך
Joshua chapter 11 completes the conquest narrative with the northern campaign. After the sweeping southern victory of chapter 10, the focus shifts to the most powerful Canaanite coalition yet—led by King Jabin of Hazor, the dominant city-state of northern Canaan. The chapter brings the military phase of the Book of Joshua to its grand conclusion.
Jabin of Hazor, alarmed by Joshua’s southern conquests, organizes a massive northern alliance. He sends messages to the kings of Madon, Shimron, Achshaph, and numerous other kingdoms across the Galilee, the Arabah, the coastal plain, and the hill country. The text emphasizes the terrifying scale of this army: “they came out, with all their troops, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, with horses and chariots in great numbers.” For the first time, Israel faces chariots—the ancient world’s most fearsome military technology—and a force described as innumerable.
God again reassures Joshua: “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will have them all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” The command to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots is significant: God is telling Israel not to adopt the military technology of their enemies. Israel’s security rests in God, not in superior weaponry. This principle echoes throughout the Prophets—later, Solomon will be criticized precisely for accumulating horses and chariots (Deuteronomy 17:16).
Joshua strikes suddenly at the Waters of Merom, catching the coalition before it can fully organize. The Israelites rout the enormous force, pursuing them in multiple directions—toward Sidon, Misrephoth-maim, and the Valley of Mizpeh. Joshua then turns back and captures Hazor itself, killing its king and burning the city. The text notes that Hazor alone was burned; the other cities built on mounds (תֵּלָּם) were left standing, and Israel took the spoils and livestock for themselves.
The chapter’s second half provides a sweeping summary of Joshua’s entire campaign. He conquered the hill country, the Negev, the Shephelah, the Arabah—from Mount Halak in the south to Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon in the north. The text makes a remarkable statement: “Not a single city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon; they took all of them in battle. For it was God who hardened their hearts to give battle to Israel, in order that they might be utterly destroyed.” This theological comment parallels the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in Exodus—divine providence working through human choices.
The chapter concludes with a note that Joshua eliminated the Anakim—the giants who had terrified the spies forty years earlier (Numbers 13:33)—from the hill country. The final verse provides the book’s great summary statement: “Thus Joshua conquered the whole land, just as the LORD had promised Moses; and Joshua assigned it to Israel to share according to their tribal divisions. And the land had rest from war.” The promise is fulfilled, and a new chapter in Israel’s story—settlement and division of the land—is about to begin.
פרק י״א · Chapter 11
פסוק א׳ · Verse 1
Hebrew:
וַיְהִ֕י כִּשְׁמֹ֖עַ יָבִ֣ין מֶלֶךְ־חָצ֑וֹר וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֶל־יוֹבָב֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מָד֔וֹן וְאֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ שִׁמְר֖וֹן וְאֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ אַכְשָֽׁף׃
English:
When the news reached King Jabin of Hazor, he sent messages to King Jobab of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph,
פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2
Hebrew:
וְֽאֶל־הַמְּלָכִ֞ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִצְּפ֗וֹן בָּהָ֧ר וּבָעֲרָבָ֛�� נֶ֥גֶב כִּֽנְר֖וֹת וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֑ה וּבְנָפ֥וֹת דּ֖וֹר מִיָּֽם׃
English:
and to the other kings in the north—in the hill country, in the Arabah south of Chinnereth, in the lowlands, and in the districtadistrict Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of Dor on the west;
פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3
Hebrew:
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ מִמִּזְרָ֣ח וּמִיָּ֔ם וְהָאֱמֹרִ֧י וְהַחִתִּ֛י וְהַפְּרִזִּ֥י וְהַיְבוּסִ֖י בָּהָ֑ר וְהַֽחִוִּי֙ תַּ֣חַת חֶרְמ֔וֹן בְּאֶ֖רֶץ הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃
English:
to the Canaanites in the east and in the west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon, in the land of Mizpah.
פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4
Hebrew:
וַיֵּצְא֣וּ הֵ֗ם וְכׇל־מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם֙ עִמָּ֔ם עַם־רָ֕ב כַּח֛וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־שְׂפַֽת־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב וְס֥וּס וָרֶ֖כֶב רַב־מְאֹֽד׃
English:
They took the field with all their armies—an enormous host, as numerous as the sands on the seashore—and a vast multitude of horses and chariots.
פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5
Hebrew:
וַיִּוָּ֣עֲד֔וּ כֹּ֖ל הַמְּלָכִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ וַיַּחֲנ֤וּ יַחְדָּו֙ אֶל־מֵ֣י מֵר֔וֹם לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
English:
All these kings joined forces; they came and encamped together at the Waters of Merom to give battle to Israel.
פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6
Hebrew:
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֣ה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֘עַ֮ אַל־תִּירָ֣א מִפְּנֵיהֶם֒ כִּֽי־מָחָ֞ר כָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּ֗את אָנֹכִ֞י נֹתֵ֧ן אֶת־כֻּלָּ֛ם חֲלָלִ֖ים לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֶת־סוּסֵיהֶ֣ם תְּעַקֵּ֔ר וְאֶת־מַרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶ֖ם תִּשְׂרֹ֥ף בָּ��ֵֽשׁ׃
English:
But GOD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; tomorrow at this time I will have them all lying slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”
פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7
Hebrew:
וַיָּבֹ֣א יְהוֹשֻׁ֡עַ וְכׇל־עַם֩ הַמִּלְחָמָ֨ה עִמּ֧וֹ עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם עַל־מֵ֥י מֵר֖וֹם פִּתְאֹ֑ם וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ בָּהֶֽם׃
English:
So Joshua, with all his combat troops, came upon them suddenly at the Waters of Merom, and pounced upon them.
פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8
Hebrew:
וַיִּתְּנֵ֨ם יְהֹוָ֥ה בְּיַֽד־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ וַיַּכּוּם֒ וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֞וּם עַד־צִיד֣וֹן רַבָּ֗ה וְעַד֙ מִשְׂרְפ֣וֹת מַ֔יִם וְעַד־בִּקְעַ֥ת מִצְפֶּ֖ה מִזְרָ֑חָה וַיַּכֻּ֕ם עַד־בִּלְתִּ֥י הִשְׁאִיר־לָהֶ֖ם שָׂרִֽיד׃
English:
GOD delivered them into the hands of Israel, and they defeated them and pursued them all the way to Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim,band Misrephoth-maim Change of vocalization yields “and Misrephoth on the west.” and all the way to the Valley of MizpehcMizpeh Apparently identical with Mizpah in v. 3. on the east; they crushed them, letting none escape.
פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9
Hebrew:
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ לָהֶם֙ יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַר־ל֖וֹ יְהֹוָ֑ה אֶת־סוּסֵיהֶ֣ם עִקֵּ֔ר וְאֶת־מַרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶ֖ם שָׂרַ֥ף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ {ס}
English:
And Joshua dealt with them as GOD had ordered him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.
פסוק י״ · Verse 10
Hebrew:
וַיָּ֨שׇׁב יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ וַיִּלְכֹּ֣ד אֶת־חָצ֔וֹר וְאֶת־מַלְכָּ֖הּ הִכָּ֣ה בֶחָ֑רֶב כִּֽי־חָצ֣וֹר לְפָנִ֔ים הִ֕יא רֹ֖אשׁ כׇּל־הַמַּמְלָכ֥וֹת הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
English:
Joshua then turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword.—Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms.—
פסוק י״א · Verse 11
Hebrew:
וַ֠יַּכּ֠וּ אֶת־כׇּל־הַנֶּ֨פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֤הּ לְפִי־חֶ֙רֶב֙ הַחֲרֵ֔ם לֹ֥א נוֹתַ֖ר כׇּל־נְשָׁמָ֑ה וְאֶת־חָצ֖וֹר שָׂרַ֥ף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃
English:
They proscribed and put to the sword every person in it. Not a soul survived, and Hazor itself was burned down.
פסוק י״ב · Verse 12
Hebrew:
וְֽאֶת־כׇּל־עָרֵ֣י הַמְּלָֽכִים־הָ֠אֵ֠לֶּה וְֽאֶת־כׇּל־מַלְכֵיהֶ֞ם לָכַ֧ד יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ וַיַּכ��ֵ֥ם לְפִי־חֶ֖רֶב הֶחֱרִ֣ים אוֹתָ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֔ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה עֶ֥בֶד יְהֹוָֽה׃
English:
Joshua captured all those royal cities and their kings. He put them to the sword; he proscribed them in accordance with the charge of Moses, the servant of GOD.
פסוק י״ג · Verse 13
Hebrew:
רַ֣ק כׇּל־הֶעָרִ֗ים הָעֹֽמְדוֹת֙ עַל־תִּלָּ֔ם לֹ֥א שְׂרָפָ֖ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל זוּלָתִ֛י אֶת־חָצ֥וֹר לְבַדָּ֖הּ שָׂרַ֥ף יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ׃
English:
However, all those towns that are still standing on their mounds were not burned down by Israel; it was Hazor alone that Joshua burned down.
פסוק י״ד · Verse 14
Hebrew:
וְ֠כֹ֠ל שְׁלַ֞ל הֶעָרִ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ וְהַבְּהֵמָ֔ה בָּזְז֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל רַ֣ק אֶֽת־כׇּל־הָאָדָ֞ם הִכּ֣וּ לְפִי־חֶ֗רֶב עַד־הִשְׁמִדָם֙ אוֹתָ֔ם לֹ֥א הִשְׁאִ֖ירוּ כׇּל־נְשָׁמָֽה׃
English:
The Israelites kept all the spoil and cattle of the rest of those cities as booty. But they cut down their populations with the sword until they exterminated them; they did not spare a soul.
פסוק ט״ו · Verse 15
Hebrew:
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֣ה עַבְדּ֔וֹ כֵּן־צִוָּ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ וְכֵן֙ עָשָׂ֣ה יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ לֹא־הֵסִ֣יר דָּבָ֔ר מִכֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
English:
Just as the ETERNAL had commanded [God’s] servant Moses, so Moses had charged Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that GOD had commanded Moses.
פסוק ט״ז · Verse 16
Hebrew:
וַיִּקַּ֨ח יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֗את הָהָ֤ר וְאֶת־כׇּל־הַנֶּ֙גֶב֙ וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַגֹּ֔שֶׁן וְאֶת־הַשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה וְאֶת־הָעֲרָבָ֑ה וְאֶת־הַ֥ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וּשְׁפֵלָתֹֽה׃
English:
Joshua conquered the whole of this region: the hill country [of Judah], the Negeb, the whole land of Goshen, the Shephelah, the Arabah, and the hill country and coastal plain of Israel—
פסוק י״ז · Verse 17
Hebrew:
מִן־הָהָ֤ר הֶֽחָלָק֙ הָעוֹלֶ֣ה שֵׂעִ֔יר וְעַד־בַּ֤עַל גָּד֙ בְּבִקְעַ֣ת הַלְּבָנ֔וֹן תַּ֖חַת הַר־חֶרְמ֑וֹן וְאֵ֤ת כׇּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם֙ לָכַ֔ד וַיַּכֵּ֖ם וַיְמִיתֵֽם׃
English:
[everything] from Mount Halak, which ascends to Seir, all the way to Baal-gad in the Valley of the Lebanondthe Valley of the Lebanon I.e., the valley between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges. at the foot of Mount Hermon; and he captured all the kings there and executed them.
פסוק י״ח · Verse 18
Hebrew:
יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים עָשָׂ֧ה יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ אֶת־כׇּל־הַמְּלָכִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה מִלְחָמָֽה׃
English:
Joshua waged war with all those kings over a long period.
פסוק י״ט · Verse 19
Hebrew:
לֹא־הָיְתָ֣ה עִ֗יר אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִשְׁלִ֙ימָה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּלְתִּ֥י הַחִוִּ֖י יֹשְׁבֵ֣י גִבְע֑וֹן אֶת־הַכֹּ֖ל לָקְח֥וּ בַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃
English:
Apart from the Hivites who dwelt in Gibeon, not a single city made terms with the Israelites; all were taken in battle.
פסוק כ׳ · Verse 20
Hebrew:
כִּ֣י מֵאֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ הָיְתָ֡ה לְחַזֵּ֣ק אֶת־לִבָּם֩ לִקְרַ֨את הַמִּלְחָמָ֤ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְמַ֣עַן הַחֲרִימָ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֥י הֱיוֹת־לָהֶ֖ם תְּחִנָּ֑ה כִּ֚י לְמַ֣עַן הַשְׁמִידָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {ס}
English:
For it was GOD’s doing to stiffen their hearts to give battle to Israel, in order that they might be proscribed without quarter and wiped out, as GOD had commanded Moses.
פסוק כ״א · Verse 21
Hebrew:
וַיָּבֹ֨א יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא וַיַּכְרֵ֤ת אֶת־הָעֲנָקִים֙ מִן־הָהָ֤ר מִן־חֶבְרוֹן֙ מִן־דְּבִ֣ר מִן־עֲנָ֔ב וּמִכֹּל֙ הַ֣ר יְהוּדָ֔ה וּמִכֹּ֖ל הַ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עִם־עָרֵיהֶ֖ם הֶחֱרִימָ֥ם יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ׃
English:
At that time, Joshua went and wiped out the Anakites from the hill country, from Hebron, Debir, and Anab, from the entire hill country of Judah, and from the entire hill country of Israel; Joshua proscribed them and their towns.
פסוק כ״ב · Verse 22
Hebrew:
לֹא־נוֹתַ֣ר עֲנָקִ֔ים בְּאֶ֖רֶץ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל רַ֗ק בְּעַזָּ֛ה בְּגַ֥ת וּבְאַשְׁדּ֖וֹד נִשְׁאָֽרוּ׃
English:
No Anakites remained in the land of the Israelites; but some remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod.
פסוק כ״ג · Verse 23
Hebrew:
וַיִּקַּ֨ח יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָ֗רֶץ כְּ֠כֹ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהֹוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ וַיִּתְּנָהּ֩ יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ לְנַחֲלָ֧ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל כְּמַחְלְקֹתָ֖ם לְשִׁבְטֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָאָ֥רֶץ שָׁקְטָ֖ה מִמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ {ס}
English:
Thus Joshua conquered the whole country, just as GOD had promised Moses; and Joshua assigned it to Israel to share according to their tribal divisions. And the land had rest from war.