וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ יָבִין מֶלֶךְ־חָצוֹר וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶל־יוֹבָב מֶלֶךְ מָדוֹן וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ שִׁמְרוֹן וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ אַכְשָׁף׃   11:1

Josh. 11:1   And it came to pass, when Jabin, king of Hazor, heard, that he sent to Jobab, King of Madon, and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph,

וְאֶל־הַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר מִצְּפוֹן בָּהָר וּבָעֲרָבָה נֶגֶב כִּנֲרוֹת וּבַשְּׁפֵלָה וּבְנָפוֹת דּוֹר מִיָּם׃   11:2

Josh. 11:2   and to the kings who were from the north in the hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in the regions of Dor to the west,

הַכְּנַעֲנִי מִמִּזְרָח וּמִיָּם וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי בָּהָר וְהַחִוִּי תַּחַת חֶרְמוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ הַמִּצְפָּה׃   11:3

Josh. 11:3   the Canaanite from the east and the west, and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the hill country and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah.

וַיֵּצְאוּ הֵם וְכָל־מַחֲנֵיהֶם עִמָּם עַם־רָב כַּחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל־שְׂפַת־הַיָּם לָרֹב וְסוּס וָרֶכֶב רַב־מְאֹד׃   11:4

Josh. 11:4   And they came out, they and all their hosts with them, many people, like the sand that is on the shore of the sea in numbers, and very many horses and chariots.

וַיִּוָּעֲדוּ כֹּל הַמְּלָכִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּחֲנוּ יַחְדָּו אֶל־מֵי מֵרוֹם לְהִלָּחֵם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   11:5

Josh. 11:5   And all these kings met and they came and they camped together at the waters of Merom to fight with Israel.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אַל־תִּירָא מִפְּנֵיהֶם כִּי־מָחָר כָּעֵת הַזֹּאת אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן אֶת־כֻּלָּם חֲלָלִים לִפְנֵי   11:6

יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־סוּסֵיהֶם תְּעַקֵּר וְאֶת־מַרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרֹף בָּאֵשׁ׃

Josh. 11:6   And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will be delivering them all slain before Israel; you shall disable their horses and you shall burn their chariots with fire.”

וַיָּבֹא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכָל־עַם הַמִּלְחָמָה עִמּוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם עַל־מֵי מֵרוֹם פִּתְאֹם וַיִּפְּלוּ בָּהֶם׃   11:7

Josh. 11:7   So Joshua came, and all the people of battle with him, upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom and fell on them.

וַיִּתְּנֵם יְהוָה בְּיַד־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּכּוּם וַיִּרְדְּפוּם עַד־צִידוֹן רַבָּה וְעַד מִשְׂרְפוֹת מַיִם וְעַד־בִּקְעַת מִצְפֶּה   11:8

מִזְרָחָה וַיַּכֻּם עַד־בִּלְתִּי הִשְׁאִיר־לָהֶם שָׂרִיד׃

Josh. 11:8   And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they smote them and chased them as far as great Zidon and as far as Misrephoth-maim and as far as the valley of Mizpeh to the east, and they smote them until there was not a survivor left of them.

וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר־לוֹ יְהוָה אֶת־סוּסֵיהֶם עִקֵּר וְאֶת־מַרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶם שָׂרַף בָּאֵשׁ׃   11:9

Josh. 11:9   And Joshua did to them as the Lord spoke to him; he hamstrung their horses and he burned their chariots with fire.

וַיָּשָׁב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בָּעֵת הַהִיא וַיִּלְכֹּד אֶת־חָצוֹר וְאֶת־מַלְכָּהּ הִכָּה בֶחָרֶב כִּי־חָצוֹר לְפָנִים הִיא רֹאשׁ   11:10

כָּל־הַמַּמְלָכוֹת הָאֵלֶּה׃

Josh. 11:10   And Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and he smote its king with the sword, for Hazor, it was once the head of all those kingdoms.

וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ לְפִי־חֶרֶב הַחֲרֵם לֹא נוֹתַר כָּל־נְשָׁמָה וְאֶת־חָצוֹר שָׂרַף בָּאֵשׁ׃   11:11

Josh. 11:11   And they smote all the souls that were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was not anyone breathing remaining.  And he burned Hazor with fire.

וְאֶת־כָּל־עָרֵי הַמְּלָכִים־הָאֵלֶּה וְאֶת־כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם לָכַד יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיַּכֵּם לְפִי־חֶרֶב הֶחֱרִים אוֹתָם   11:12

כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהוָה׃

Josh. 11:12   And Joshua took all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, and he smote them with the edge of the sword.  He utterly destroyed them as Moses, servant of the Lord, had commanded.

רַק כָּל־הֶעָרִים הָעֹמְדוֹת עַל־תִּלָּם לֹא שְׂרָפָם יִשְׂרָאֵל זוּלָתִי אֶת־חָצוֹר לְבַדָּהּ שָׂרַף יְהוֹשֻׁעַ׃   11:13

Josh. 11:13   Only all the cities standing on their mounds, Israel did not burn them, except for Hazor; only it did Joshua burn.

וְכֹל שְׁלַל הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהַבְּהֵמָה בָּזְזוּ לָהֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רַק אֶת־כָּל־הָאָדָם הִכּוּ לְפִי־חֶרֶב עַד־   11:14

הִשְׁמִדָם אוֹתָם לֹא הִשְׁאִירוּ כָּל־נְשָׁמָה׃

Josh. 11:14   And the children of Israel took all the spoil of these cities and the cattle for a prey for themselves; but they smote every one of the men with the edge of the sword until utterly destroying them.  They did not leave any one breathing.

כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה עַבְדּוֹ כֵּן־צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכֵן עָשָׂה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֹא־הֵסִיר דָּבָר   11:15

מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃

Josh. 11:15   As the Lord had commanded Moses, His servant, so had Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua had done.  He did not leave a thing undone from all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

וַיִּקַּח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת הָהָר וְאֶת־כָּל־הַנֶּגֶב וְאֵת כָּל־אֶרֶץ הַגֹּשֶׁן וְאֶת־הַשְּׁפֵלָה וְאֶת־   11:16

הָעֲרָבָה וְאֶת־הַר יִשְׂרָאֵל וּשְׁפֵלָתֹה׃

Josh. 11:16   So Joshua took all that land, of the hill country, and all the south, and all the land of Goshen, and the lowland, and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland,

מִן־הָהָר הֶחָלָק הָעוֹלֶה שֵׂעִיר וְעַד־בַּעַל גָּד בְּבִקְעַת הַלְּבָנוֹן תַּחַת הַר־חֶרְמוֹן וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם   11:17

לָכַד וַיַּכֵּם וַיְמִיתֵם׃

Josh. 11:17   from Mount Halak, that is on the rise of Seir, and as far as Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon.  And he took all their kings and smote them and put them to death.

יָמִים רַבִּים עָשָׂה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־כָּל־הַמְּלָכִים הָאֵלֶּה מִלְחָמָה׃   11:18

Josh. 11:18   Many days Joshua made war with all those kings.

לֹא־הָיְתָה עִיר אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִימָה אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְתִּי הַחִוִּי יֹשְׁבֵי גִבְעוֹן אֶת־הַכֹּל לָקְחוּ בַמִּלְחָמָה׃   11:19

Josh. 11:19   There was not a city that offered peace to the children of Israel except the Hivite inhabitants of Gibeon.  They took every one in battle.

כִּי מֵאֵת יְהוָה הָיְתָה לְחַזֵּק אֶת־לִבָּם לִקְרַאת הַמִּלְחָמָה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעַן הַחֲרִימָם לְבִלְתִּי   11:20

הֱיוֹת־לָהֶם תְּחִנָּה כִּי לְמַעַן הַשְׁמִידָם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃

Josh. 11:20   For it was from the Lord to harden their hearts to come to battle Israel for the purpose of their destruction, to not have favor for them, as the purpose was their annihilation, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

וַיָּבֹא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בָּעֵת הַהִיא וַיַּכְרֵת אֶת־הָעֲנָקִים מִן־הָהָר מִן־חֶבְרוֹן מִן־דְּבִר מִן־עֲנָב וּמִכֹּל הַר   11:21

יְהוּדָה וּמִכֹּל הַר יִשְׂרָאֵל עִם־עָרֵיהֶם הֶחֱרִימָם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ׃

Josh. 11:21   And Joshua went at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country  of Israel.  Joshua destroyed them with their cities.

לֹא־נוֹתַר עֲנָקִים בְּאֶרֶץ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רַק בְּעַזָּה בְּגַת וּבְאַשְׁדּוֹד נִשְׁאָרוּ׃   11:22

Josh. 11:22   There were no Anakim remaining in the land of the children of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod were they left.

וַיִּקַּח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיִּתְּנָהּ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְנַחֲלָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל   11:23

כְּמַחְלְקֹתָם לְשִׁבְטֵיהֶם וְהָאָרֶץ שָׁקְטָה מִמִּלְחָמָה׃

Josh. 11:23   So Joshua took the whole land, like all that the Lord spoke to Moses, and Joshua gave it to Israel for an inheritance according to their portions for their tribes.  And the land rested from war.

The extent of the land and its boundaries are unknown to us today.  There are some clues, one of them being the mention of Goshen in v. 11:16, where the children of Israel lived for over four hundred years before the Exodus.   Perhaps future archaeological discoveries will provide more.  But much of our “knowledge” is based on conjecture.

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