Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 11:9
And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he hamstrung their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
9. he houghed their horses ] “he kuttide the sinewis at the knee,” Wyclif. The command, to render the horses useless, was intended to lead Israel not to place its confidence in horses and chariots (Psa 20:7; Psa 147:10), and wisely incapacitated them from extending their conquests beyond the borders of Canaan. See Deu 17:16.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 9. He houghed their horses] The Hebrew word akar, which we render to hough or hamstring, signifies to wound, cut, or lop off. It is very likely that it means here, not only an act by which they were rendered useless, but by which they were destroyed; as God had purposed that his people should not possess any cattle of this kind, that a warlike and enterprising spirit might not be cultivated among them; and that, when obliged to defend themselves and their country, they might be led to depend upon God for protection and victory. On the same ground, God had forbidden the kings of Israel to multiply horses, De 17:16. See the note there containing the reasons on which this prohibition was founded.
Burnt their chariots] As these could have been of no use without the horses.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
9. Joshua did unto them as the Lordbade him(See Jos 11:6).Houghing the horses is done by cutting the sinews and arteries oftheir hinder legs, so that they not only become hopelessly lame, butbleed to death. The reasons for this special command were that theLord designed to lead the Israelites to trust in Him, not in militaryresources (Ps 20:7); to showthat 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.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him,…. Namely, in the following instances:
he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire; not consulting his own worldly interest or that of the people of Israel, but the command of God, which he carefully obeyed, and reserved none for himself or them, as David in another case afterwards did; see 2Sa 8:4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) He houghed their horses.In what particular way this was done we are not informed; we cannot, therefore, be certain whether it was done so as to destroy the lives of the horses, or merely to make them useless for purposes of warfare.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘ And Joshua did to them as YHWH commanded him, he houghed their horses and burned their chariots with fire.’
Joshua did not question YHWH’s command. He obeyed. It must have been tempting to keep the horses, especially with the chariots. But YHWH had commanded otherwise. We notice that they were not said to be ‘chariots of iron’. There were no iron accoutrements on these chariots. Those would come later. We must presume that the houghing of the horses did not render them totally useless or why keep them alive at all? It meant doing something that prevented them from performing at their best, and being usable for military purposes. Alternately the purpose may have been to keep them for breeding purposes, but that would contradict God’s earlier command.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 9. And Joshuahoughed their horses, &c. That is, he hamstrung, or disabled them by cutting the sinews of the ham: the word is derived from the Saxon [A.S.],* the hough, or lower part of the thigh. See Johnson. God would not have the Israelites preserve these animals, lest they should put their confidence in them, instead of glorifying in Him alone; Psa 20:7. It was in consequence of this divine injunction, that David, when he had subdued Hadadezer, houghed all the chariot-horses of that prince, reserving one hundred chariots for his own use; 2Sa 8:4. The Jewish rabbis say, that at the death of a king of Israel, they houghed all the horses which were found in his stables, to prevent his successor from making use of them. See Schickardi Jus. Regium, cap. 6 theor. 19. & Boch. Hieroz. pars 1: lib. 2 cap. 11.
REFLECTIONS.1. Alarmed by these increasing successes of Israel, the northern kings of Canaan, with Hazor at their head, and at his instigation, collect their forces; those in the east and west join them, so that the association becomes general, and, with these united forces, they hope to crush these cruel invaders. They become hereby the aggressors; and as they first disturb the peace of Israel’s camp, they justly fall under the power of Israel’s arm. Note; The strongest confederacy of sinners will only make their ruin more notorious.
2. Joshua hereupon receives encouragement from God. Though a brave man, such an army, and so accoutred, strengthened with horse, and chariots armed with scythes, which mowed down ranks of men before them, might beget some solicitude about the event of the battle. But he is commanded to attack them, and God promises to give them up to the sword, as dead men, unable to make resistance. Note; (1.) Vain are multitudes or strength against God. (2.) The greater dangers surround us, the greater supports from God we may expect.
3. Joshua immediately summons the people; and having acquainted them, no doubt, with God’s promise, by a sudden march they surprise their enemies, who are broken on the first attack, and fly different ways; some westward to Zidon, others eastward to Mizpeh, leaving their chariots and horses an easy prey to their pursuers, who hewed the one, and burnt the other with fire, according to the command of God, who would not have them trust in these human supports, but on himself alone, for their success. Note; The more we are taken off from every dependance, and the more entirely our hearts are fixed on God as our strength, the more surely shall we find our spiritual enemies subdued before us.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jos 11:9 And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
Ver. 9. See Jos 11:6 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
as-according as.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
he houghed, Jos 11:6, Eze 39:9, Eze 39:10
Reciprocal: Deu 20:1 – horses 2Sa 8:4 – chariots 1Ch 18:4 – David Psa 46:9 – burneth Nah 2:13 – I will burn