If you walk up to a random Christian in church, and ask them what the book of Joshua is about, they will tell you it's about the conquest of the land God promised Israel. But consider this: we are almost through Joshua 10, and at this point in the book, Joshua has conquered three cities: Jericho, Ai, and Makkedah. And none of these cities were captured for Israel to actually use. The focus of each of these stories has been on two things: the khereming of everyone living inside of the city, and the killing of the city's (Nephilim) king.
By the end of our passage this morning, this overall situation is going to look completely different. AJ has told his story slowly up this point. But now, he picks up the pace of his story telling. What you are going to read is going to feel like a blur of action. Joshua and Israel will strike one city after another, taking/capturing it, killing everyone in it, killing its king, and looting anything valuable.
If you are like me, when you read these chapters, you are going to instinctively visualize this as describing the near-total conquest of Canaan. Joshua 10:28-43 describes Joshua's campaign against the southern half of the country. Joshua 11:1-23 describes Joshua's campaign against the northern half of the country.
But our initial reaction to these verses is almost certainly wrong (What follows is loosely based on MIchael Heiser, The Unseen Realm). What you're about to read, you should understand as a series of raids. More like, what the Vikings used to do, raiding up and down the coastlands.
Joshua isn't going to try to hold any of these territories. He's not going to leave behind a garrison. He's not going to set up a provisional government in any of these cities.
If Joshua's not going to do these things, what is he going to do?
He's going to kill lots and lots of people.
As we read, these attacks are going to sound random. We are going to wonder, "Why these people? Why these cities? Why these kings?"
What Joshua is doing in these chapters is specifically targeting the Anakites.
Let's cheat, and read 11:19-22 first:
(19) There wasn't a city that made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites, the dwellers of Gibeon.
All/everything they took/captured in battle,
because from Yahweh it was to harden their heart to encounter the war with Israel, in order to kherem them, not being for them mercy but in order to destroy/exterminate them, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses,
(21) and Joshua came at that time and he exterminated/cut off the Anakites from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country/mountain of Judah and from all the hill/mountain country of Israel.
With their cities Joshua kheremed.
(22) The Anakites weren't left over in the land of the sons of Israel.
Only, in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod they remained,
Why is Joshua committing genocide against the Anakites? Why is he trying to exterminate them?
Our answer is found in Numbers 13:25-33:
25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us; it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Yet the people who live in the land are strong, and the towns are fortified and very large; and besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the land of the Negeb; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against this people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 So they brought to the Israelites an unfavorable report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land that we have gone through as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are of great size. 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim); and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
And who are the Nephilim again? For that, we have to read Genesis 6:1-4 (NRSV):
6 When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, “My spirit shall not abide[a] in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.
So what Joshua is doing is systematically going through the land of Canaan, targeting cities where Anakites are known to live. Yahweh is determined to wipe out all of these descendants (so also Deuteronomy 25:17).
It's not that every person, in each of these cities, is a descendant of the nephilim. But there are some, in each city.
And Joshua kills everyone there, to make sure they are all dead.
So as we read today's passage, understand that what you are reading, doesn't describe the total conquest of the land of Canaan. You're going to want, really badly, to understand it this way, but you're going to have massive problems with the book of Joshua (and Judges) if you do this. Instead, understand that Joshua 10:28-11:23 describes the near-total genocide of the Anakites. And this is a good thing. This isn't something we need to be embarrassed about, as Christians.
So here we go:
(29) And Joshua crossed over, and all Israel with him, from Makkedah, to Livnah,
and he fought against Livnah,
(30) and Yahweh gave also it into the hand of Israel, and its king,
and he struck with the mouth/edge of the sword.
He didn't leave behind in it a survivor,
and he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho,
(31) and Joshua crossed over, and all Israel with him, from Livnah to Lakish,
and he laid siege to it,
and he fought against it,
(32) and Yahweh gave Lakish into the hand of Israel,
and he (Israel) took/captured it on the second day,
and he struck it with the mouth/edge of the sword, and all the people who [were] in it,
as all that he had done to Livnah.
(33) At that time Horam king of Gezer went up to Lakish,
and Joshua, with his people, struck him until he didn't leave behind a survivor in it,
(34) and Joshua crossed over, and all Israel with him, from Lakish to Eglon,
and they laid siege to it,
and they fought against it,
(35) and they took/captured it on that day,
and they struck it with the edge/mouth of the sword,
while all the people who [were] in it on that day he kheremed,
as all that he had done to Lakish,
(36) and Joshua went up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron,
and he fought against it,
(37) and they took/captured it,
and they struck it with the mouth/edge of the sword,
while its king, and all its cities, and every person who was in it he didn't leave behind (as) a survivor,
as all/everything that he had done to Eglon,
and he kheremed it, and every person who [was] in it,
(38) and Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Devir ,
and he fought against it,
(39) and he took/captured it and its king and all its cities,
and he struck them with the mouth/edge of the sword,
and they kheremed all the people who were in it.
He didn't leave behind a survivor.
Just as had done to Hebron, thus he did to Devir and to its king,
and just as he had done to Livnah and its king,
(40) and Joshua struck all the land: the mountain and the south country (Negev) and the lowland and the slopes, all their kings.
He didn't leave behind a survivor,
while everything that breathed he kheremed,
just as Yahweh the God of Israel commanded,
(41) and Joshua struck them from Kadesh-Barnea, and up to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, and up to Gibeon,
(42) while all these kings and their land Joshua took/captured at one time
because Yahweh the God of Israel fought for Israel,
(43) and Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal,
(11:1) And then, as soon as Yabin king of Hazor heard, he sent to Yobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Acshaph and to the kings who were from the north in the mountain/hill country and in the Arabah/Jordan valley south of Kinnereth and in the Shephelah and in Naphoth Dor from the west, the Canaanites from the east and from the west and the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Jebusites in the mountain/hill country and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of the Mizpah,
(4) and they came out-- they, and all their armies with them, a great army/people like the sand that is on the shore of the sea for a great [number], and horse and chariot a great exceedingly,
(5) and all these kings joined,
and they came,
and they camped together at the waters of Merom to fight with Israel,
(6) And Yahweh said to Joshua,
"May you not be afraid from before their face/presence,
because tomorrow at this time I am giving all of them slain before the face/presence of Israel.
Their horses you shall hamstring,
while their chariots you shall burn with fire,"
(7) And Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, upon them at the waters of Merom suddenly/surprisingly,
and they fell on them,
(8) and Yahweh gave them into the hand of Israel,
and they struck them,
and they pursued them up to Great Tsidon (?) and up to Misrephoth Maim and up to the valley of Mizpeh to the east,
and they struck them until there wasn't left for them a survivor,
(9) and Joshua did to them just as Yahweh had commanded him:
their horses he hamstrung,
while their chariots he burnt with fire,
(10) and Joshua returned at that time,
and he took/captured Hazor,
while its king he struck down with the sword,
because Hazor before it [was] head of all these kingdoms,
(11) and he struck every person that was in it.
With the mouth/edge of the sword he kheremed.
Anything of breath wasn't left over,
while Hazor he burned with fire,
(12) while all the cities of these kings and all their kings Joshua captured/took,
and he struck them with the mouth/edge of the sword.
He kheremed them, just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded.
(13) Only, all of the cities standing on their mound/tell Israel didn't burn.
Except, Hazor alone Joshua burnt,
(14) while all the war booty of these towns and the domestic animals the sons of Israel took as loot for themselves.
Only, every human they struck with the mouth/edge of the sword until destroying them.
They didn't leave behind any breathing [thing].
(15) Just as Yahweh commanded his servant Moses, thus Moses commanded Joshua,
and thus Joshua did.
He didn't turn aside a thing from all that Yahweh commanded Moses,
(16) and Joshua took/captured all this land:
the hill country and all the Negev and all the land of Goshen and the Shephelah and the Jordan Valley and the mountain/hill country of Israel and its Shephelah, (17) from the mountain of the Halak going up to Seir and up to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon under Mount Herman,
while all their kings he captured/took,
and he struck them down,
and he killed them.
(18) Many days Joshua made war with all these kings.
(19) There wasn't a city that made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites, the dwellers of Gibeon.
All/everything they took/captured in battle,
because from Yahweh it was to harden their heart to encounter the war with Israel, in order to kherem them, not being for them mercy but in order to destroy/exterminate them, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses,
(21) and Joshua came at that time and he exterminatd/cut off the Anakites from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country/mountain of Judah and from all the hill/mountain country of Israel.
With their cities Joshua kheremed.
(22) The Anakites weren't left over in the land of the sons of Israel.
Only, in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod they remained,
(23) and Joshua took/captured all the land according to all that Yahweh had spoken to Moses,
and Joshua gave it as inheritance to Israel according to their divisions as far as their tribes,
while the land rested from war.
I think you were probably with me all the way up until you read verse 23. And you read verse 23, and you want to point to this, and ask a question: "Doesn't verse 23 describe the total conquest of the land, and the end of all the fighting?"
If verse 23 bothers you, and you think it means I'm wrong, I'm pleased. It means you're reading carefully, with discernment.
Verse 23, by itself, can certainly be understood this way. Based on verse 23 alone, you could be right. Without trying to answer this completely, let's turn to Deuteronomy 25:17. These verses are about the Amalekites, not the Anakites, but these are two closely related groups, and both seem to have Nephilim among them (Numbers 13:29).
The reason I want to read these verses is that they talk about this idea of rest, and connect it to the wiping out of the Nephilim:
Remember what Amalek did to you on the road, while you were going out from Egypt,
(18) that/how he met you on the road,
and he attacked at your rear all of the feeble/lagging behind you,
while you [were] weary and worn out,
and he didn't fear God.
(19) And then, while Yahweh is giving rest to you from all your enemies from all around in the land
that Yahweh your God is giving to you as an inheritance to possess it, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.
You shall not forget.
Some of you maybe wonder, why can't Yahweh just live, and let live, about the Amalekites and Anakites? Why can't he just forgive his fallen sons of God, and let the Nephilim live among people made in his image?
The answer is that these Nephilim have set themselves up against God and God's people as their enemies. They are determined to frustrate Yahweh's vision for the world. They are determined to rule the world themselves (Matthew 4:8-9), instead of letting people made in God's image rule (Genesis 1:27-28). They tried to wipe out Yahweh's specially chosen people when they vulnerable, and exhausted (Deuteronomy 25:17-19). These sons of God, and their descendants, will not quit fighting God until they are defeated, and until they are killed.
So Yahweh can't settle the Israelites in the land of Canaan until these kings are all killed. They are Israel's-- and God's--moral enemies. There can be no rest for God's people until their enemies are killed. So in Deuteronomy 25:17, that's what Yahweh promises to do.
But what is Israel's responsibility? All of this isn't something God will do on his own. God gives this job to Israel.
Israel has to make sure that the Amalekites are all killed. There can be no mercy. They need to be completely wiped out.
So as we read the book of Joshua, I think this passage helps us understand what's going on. As we keep reading Joshua, we will see that there's still lots of Canaanites living in the land. The land isn't empty (see Gordon Mitchell's dissertation, Together in the Land). BUT... the descendants of the Nephilim are all dead. The nephilim kings have been toppled, and died a gruesome death. And because they are dead, the Israelites can be said to have rest.
So what is going on in Joshua 10-11? Yahweh is working very hard to give his chosen people rest (Hebrews 4). He wants to give them a home where they can live in peace, without fear of their enemies (Micah 4:4). He wants to make it so that his people--his creation -- can rule over the world, as He always intended (Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21). This is impossible without killing off the Nephilim--most of whom have set themselves up as kings over people made in God's image.
[For application, read from Hebrews 4. There can be no final rest for God's people, until all of his enemies, and ours, are killed. And so we pray, "Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20). And we live faithfully so we can enter his rest.]
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Links between areas "taken" in Joshua 10-11 and Num. 13:
Negev, Hebron part of Negev (Num. 13:22).
-specifically, 3 descendants of Anak lived there.
hill/mountain country (Num. 13:17)
Amalekites, descendants of Anak, dwell in Negev (13:29)
Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites dwell in hilll country (13:29)
Canaanites by the sea, and along the Jordan (13:29)
"All the people that we saw in it are of great height. there we saw the Nephilim (13:33).
14:45 Amalekites and Canaanites lived in the hill country
Deut 1:7
7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.
