Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 11:21
And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
21 23. Extermination of the Anakims
21. at that time ] That is, in the course of the “long time,” the seven years spoken of in Jos 11:18. We have now a supplementary notice of the destruction of the Anakims, and a general conclusion substantially as given in Jos 11:16.
the Anakims ] In Num 13:22 we are told of the spies that they “ascended by the south and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were,” and when this was reported to the Israelites, and they heard of “the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants, in whose sight the spies seemed as grasshoppers” (Num 13:33), “all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried, and murmured against Moses and against Aaron” (Num 14:1-2). The sacred writer therefore now goes back to record pointedly this terrible race, who had inspired such faithless murmuring and complaint (comp. Deu 9:2). It has been concluded by some that these giants were a tribe of Cushite wanderers from Babel, and of the same race as the Philistines, the Phnicians, and the Egyptian shepherd-kings, representing one or more families of Amorite descent, distinguished for their lofty stature and physical powers. Thus Og, king of Bashan, is described as of the “remnant of the giants” (Deu 3:11). In Abraham’s time (Gen 14:5-6) they inhabited the territories afterwards known as Edom and Moab, and the region east of Jordan, under the names of ( a) Rephaims, ( b) Zuzims or Zamzummims, ( c) Emims, and ( d) Horites. Here they were attacked by Chedorlaomer, the Elamite king, who also smote the Amorites of Engedi in the Jordan valley. Subsequently the Horites were conquered by the Edomites, the Emims and the Zuzims by the Moabites and Ammonites, while the remnant, to which Og king of Bashan belonged, was destroyed by the Israelites under Moses. Now, as under Moses on the east, so under Joshua on the west of Jordan, the Anakims were driven forth before the arms of Israel.
from Hebron ] Which from the progenitor of this race received its original name of Kirjath-Arba. See above on Jos 10:3.
from Debir ] See Jos 10:38.
from Anab ] A town in the mountains of Judah (Jos 15:50). It has retained its ancient name, and lies among the hills about 10 miles S. S. W. of Hebron, close to Shoco and Eshtemoa. See Robinson’s Bib. Researches, I. 494 and II. 195, who from Main (the Maon of Scripture) preserved a place of this name, distinguished by a small tower.
the mountains of Judah ] A distinction is here made between “the mountains of Judah,” and “the mountains of Israel.” This, strange as it may seem, affords one of the undesigned evidences of the early composition of the Book of Joshua. “When Judah entered on his possession, all the other tribes were still in Gilgal (Jos 14:6; Jos 15:1). Afterwards, when Ephraim and Manasseh entered on theirs, all Israel, except Judah, were camped in Shiloh (Jos 16:1; Jos 18:1), these two possessions being separated by the still unallotted territory which later was given to Benjamin (Jos 18:11). What more natural than that the mountain given to ‘the children of Judah’ should have been called ‘the mountain of Judah,’ and that where all the rest of Israel camped ‘the mountain of Israel,’ and also ‘the mountain of Ephraim’ (Jos 19:50; Jos 20:7), because it was afterwards given to that tribe?” Dr Edersheim’s Israel in Canaan, p. 86.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
At that time – i. e. in course of the long time mentioned in Jos 11:18.
The Anakims – See Num 13:22. As it was the report of the spies respecting the Anakims which, above all, struck terror into the Israelites in the wilderness, and caused their faithless complaining and revolt, so the sacred writer goes back here in his story to record pointedly the overthrow of this gigantic and formidable race. They had their chief settlements in the mountains around Hebron Jos 10:3 or Debir. See Jos 15:15.
Anab was a city in the mountain district of Judah, lying some distance south of Hebron. It still bears its ancient name.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. Cut off the Anakims – from Hebron, from Debir] This is evidently a recapitulation of the military operations detailed Jos 10:36-41.
Destroyed – their cities] That is, those of the Anakims; for from Jos 11:13 we learn that Joshua preserved certain other cities.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
At that time, i.e. in that war; for it cannot be meant of any particular and short time, because the work here related was done in divers times and years.
The Anakims; a race of giants, of which see Num 13:33.
From the mountain, or, mountains, the singular number for the plural: these barbarous and monstrous persons either chose to live in the dens or caves, which were frequent in the mountains of those parts; or else they were driven thither by the arms and success of the Israelites.
From Debir; either,
1. From the territories belonging to these cities, as we have oft seen in this history, cities mentioned for the country subject to them; for the cities were taken before by Joshua, Jos 10:36-38. Or,
2. From the cities themselves; and so either the cities were retaken by the giants, which it is not probable that God would permit in Joshuas time; or he speaks here of that time when he took those places mentioned here and Jos 10, which history he here in part repeats and enlargeth with this memorable circumstance, that, together with the rest, he destroyed also the giants which were in those places.
Anab; a place in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:50.
From all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: it doth not follow from hence, which some conclude, that this book was written by some other person long after Joshuas death, even after the division of the Israelites into two kingdoms, of Israel and Judah; but only that this was one of those clauses which were added or altered and suited to the style of the present times by Ezra, or some other prophet, though that be not necessary; for since it was evident to Joshua, from Gen 49:9, &c., that the tribe of Judah was to be the chief of all the tribes, and some dawnings of its eminency appeared in that time, in their having the first lot in the land of Canaan, Jos 15:1, and the largest inheritance, Jos 19:9, it is no wonder that it is mentioned apart, and distinguished from the rest of the tribes of Israel, though that also be one of them; even as the daughter of Pharaoh is distinguished from the strange women, 1Ki 11:1, and Saul from all Davids enemies, Psa 18:1, and Peter from the disciples, Mar 6:7, though they were each of the same nature and quality with the rest. Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
Quest. How could Joshua utterly destroy these, when Caleb and Othniel destroyed some of them after Joshuas death, Jos 14:12; Jdg 1:10-13.
Answ. This might be, either,
1. Because these places being in part destroyed and neglected by the Israelites, might be repossessed by the giants, either in Joshuas time, or after his death, and by them kept till Caleb dispossessed and destroyed them. Or rather,
2. Because this work, though done by the particular valour and industry of Caleb, is ascribed to Joshua as the general of the army, according to the manner of all historians; and therefore it is here attributed to Joshua, though afterwards, that Caleb might not lose his deserved honour, the history is more particularly described, and Caleb owned as the great instrument in the achievement of it, Jos 14; Jdg 1.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And at that time came Joshua,…. After he had made a conquest of the land, or at the time he made it, as before related:
and cut off the Anakims from the mountains; whither, upon the conquest of the land, they had betaken themselves, and lived in dens and caves: these were giants, so called from Anak the father of them; though these are not to be restrained to his posterity, but include all other giants in the land; and the Targum renders the word by “mighty men”; and as some of them dwelt in mountains, others in cities, as follows:
from Hebron; where the children of Anak dwelt when the spies were sent into the land between forty and fifty years before this; and though the inhabitants of Hebron had been before destroyed by Joshua, these Anakims, who very likely then made their escape, returned and took possession of it after Joshua’s departure, and while he was engaged in making other conquests; as we find that after this others of the same race again possessed it, and were in the possession of it after the death of Joshua, when they were slain by the tribe of Judah, Jud 1:10; from Debir: where others of them also had got after the conquest of it; unless we suppose, as I see no great reason to object to it, that these were cut off both at Hebron and Debir, at the time of the taking of them, of which see Jos 10:36;
from Anab; a city which fell to the lot of the tribe of Judah,
Jos 15:50. Jerom g says, in his time it was a village, near Diospolis or Lydda, about four miles from it to the east, and called Bethoannaba; but he says, that most affirm it to be eight miles from it, and called Bethannaba: Masius conjectures, that it is the same with the city of Nob; for, he says, that travellers in those parts affirm, that the city Nob is called Bethanoba and Bethanopolis:
and from all the mountains of Judah; the hill country of Judea, and the mountains round about Jerusalem:
and from all the mountains of Israel; as those about Samaria, and elsewhere:
Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities; which they had formerly inhabited, or had got into the possession of.
g De loc. Heb. fol. 88. C.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In Jos 11:21, Jos 11:22, the destruction of the Anakites upon the mountains of Judah and Israel is introduced in a supplementary form, which completes the history of the subjugation and extermination of the Canaanites in the south of the land (Josh 10). This supplement is not to be regarded either as a fragment interpolated by a different hand, or as a passage borrowed from another source. On the contrary, the author himself thought it necessary, having special regard to Num 13:28, Num 13:31., to mention expressly that Joshua also rooted out from their settlements the sons of Anak, whom the spies in the time of Moses had described as terrible giants, and drove them into the Philistine cities of Gaza, Bath, and Ashdod. “ At that time ” points back to the “long time,” mentioned in Jos 11:18, during which Joshua was making war upon the Canaanites. The words “cut off,” etc., are explained correctly by Clericus: “Those who fell into his hands he slew, the rest he put to flight, though, as we learn from Jos 15:14, they afterwards returned.” (On the Anakim, see at Num 13:22.) They had their principal settlement upon the mountains in Hebron ( el Khulil, see Jos 10:3), Debir (see at Jos 10:38), and Anab. The last place ( Anab), upon the mountains of Judah (Jos 15:50), has been preserved along with the old name in the village of Anb, four or five hours to the south of Hebron, on the eastern side of the great Wady el Khulil, which runs from Hebron down to Beersheba ( Rob. Pal. ii. p. 193). “ And from all (the rest of) the mountains of Judah, and all the mountains of Israel:” the latter are called the mountains of Ephraim in Jos 17:15. The two together form the real basis of the land of Canaan, and are separated from one another by the large Wady Beit Hanina (see Rob. Pal. ii. p. 333). They received their respective names from the fact that the southern portion of the mountain land of Canaan fell to the tribe of Judah as its inheritance, and the northern part to the tribe of Ephraim and other tribes of Israel.
(Note: The distinction here made may be explained without difficulty even from the circumstances of Joshua’s own time. Judah and the double tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) received their inheritance by lot before any of the others. But whilst the tribe of Judah proceeded into the territory allotted to them in the south, all the other tribes still remained in Gilgal; and even at a later period, when Ephraim and Manasseh were in their possessions, all Israel, with the exception of Judah, were still encamped at Shiloh. Moreover, the two parts of the nation were now separated by the territory which was afterwards assigned to the tribe of Benjamin, but had no owner at this time; and in addition to this, the altar, tabernacle, and ark of the covenant were in the midst of Joseph and the other tribes that were still assembled at Shiloh. Under such circumstances, then, would not the idea of a distinction between Judah, on the one hand, and the rest of Israel, in which the double tribe of Joseph and then the single tribe of Ephraim acquired such peculiar prominence, on the other, shape itself more and more in the mind, and what already existed in the germ begin to attain maturity even here? And what could be more natural than that the mountains in which the “children of Judah” had their settlements should be called the mountains of Judah; and the mountains where all the rest of Israel was encamped, where the “children of Israel” were gathered together, be called the mountains of Israel, and, as that particular district really belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, the mountains of Ephraim also? (Jos 19:50; Jos 20:7; also Jos 24:30.))
Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod were towns of the Philistines; of these Gaza and Ashdod were allotted to the tribe of Judah (Jos 15:47), but were never taken possession of by the Israelites, although the Philistines were sometimes subject to the Israelites (see at Jos 13:3). – With Jos 11:23, “ thus Joshua took the whole land ” etc., the history of the conquest of Canaan by Joshua is brought to a close; and Jos 11:23, “ and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel,” forms a kind of introduction to the second part of the book. The list of the conquered kings in Josh 12 is simply an appendix to the first part.
The taking of the whole land does not imply that all the towns and villages to the very last had been conquered, or that all the Canaanites were rooted out from every corner of the land, but simply that the conquest was of such a character that the power of the Canaanites was broken, their dominion overthrown, and their whole land so thoroughly given into the hands of the Israelites, that those who still remained here and there were crushed into powerless fugitives, who could neither offer any further opposition to the Israelites, nor dispute the possession of the land with them, if they would only strive to fulfil the commandments of their God and persevere in the gradual extermination of the scattered remnants. Moreover, Israel had received the strongest pledge, in the powerful help which it had received from the Lord in the conquests thus far obtained, that the faithful covenant God would continue His help in the conflicts which still remained, and secure for it a complete victory and the full possession of the promised land. Looking, therefore, at the existing state of things from this point of view, Joshua had taken possession of the whole land, and could now proceed to finish the work entrusted to him by the Lord, by dividing the land among the tribes of Israel. Joshua had really done all that the Lord had said to Moses. For the Lord had not only promised to Moses the complete extermination of the Canaanites, but had also told him that He would not drive out the Canaanites at once, or “in one year,” but only little by little, until Israel multiplied and took the land (Exo 23:28-30; cf. Deu 7:22). Looking at this promised, therefore, the author of the book could say with perfect justice, that “ Joshua took the whole land according to all that (precisely in the manner in which) the Lord had said to Moses.” But this did not preclude the fact, that a great deal still remained to be done before all the Canaanites could be utterly exterminated from every part of the land. Consequently, the enumeration of towns and districts that were not yet conquered, and of Canaanites who still remained, which we find in Jos 13:1-6; Jos 17:14., Jos 18:3; Jos 23:5, Jos 23:12, forms no discrepancy with the statements in the verses before us, so as to warrant us in adopting any critical hypotheses or conclusions as to the composition of the book by different authors. The Israelites could easily have taken such portions of the land as were still unconquered, and could have exterminated all the Canaanites who remained, without any severe or wearisome conflicts; if they had but persevered in fidelity to their God and in the fulfilment of His commandments. If, therefore, the complete conquest of the whole land was not secured in the next few years, but, on the contrary, the Canaanites repeatedly gained the upper hand over the Israelites; we must seek for the explanation, not in the fact that Joshua had not completely taken and conquered the land, but simply in the fact that the Lord had withdrawn His help from His people because of their apostasy from Him, and had given them up to the power of their enemies to chastise them for their sins. – The distribution of the land for an inheritance to the Israelites took place “ according to their divisions by their tribes.” denote the division of the twelve tribes of Israel into families, fathers’ houses, and households; and is so used not only here, but in Jos 12:7 and Jos 18:10. Compare with this 1Ch 23:6; 1Ch 24:1, etc., where it is applied to the different orders of priests and Levites. “ And the land rested from war:” i.e., the war was ended, so that the peaceable task of distributing the land by lot could now be proceeded with (vid., Jos 14:15; Jdg 3:11, Jdg 3:30; Jdg 5:31).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Canaan Conquered, vs. 21-23
The Anakim (correctly written without the “s”, “im” being the plural Hebrew ending) were the giants, of whom the ten unfaithful spies had been so afraid (Num 13:33). Caleb had a special interest in the decimation of this pagan race, and the particular account of his conquest of the area, with Joshua’s blessing, is found in chapters 14, 15; Jdg 1:8-20. A few of the giants escaped and went to live with the Philistines who were moving into the coastal cities of Canaan. It is once again emphasized that Joshua did all that the Lord had commanded through Moses. The conquest over, the inheritances are now to be apportioned. There are no more wars to fight, (1Pe 1:3-4).
Lessons to be learned from this chapter include: 1) When more formidable enemies arise, we are strengthened by remembering how the Lord has delivered us in lesser situation, and should be assured that He will do so again; 2) when our victories are won we are to destroy the vestiges of sin that remain; 3) all that the Lord has promised will surely come to pass, and it is good if our part in it can be commended as was Joshua’s; 4) the world’s fatal mistake lies in neglect and refusal of the longsuffering of the Lord and trying to overcome without Him ( Rom 2:4).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
21. And at that time came Joshua, etc Of the sons of Anak we have spoken elsewhere. They were a race of giants, with the account of whose mighty stature the spies so terrified the people, that they refused to proceed into the land of Canaan. Therefore, seeing they were objects of so much dread, it was of importance that they should be put out of the way, and the people made more alert by their good hopes of success. It would have been exceedingly injurious (119) to keep objects which filled them with alarm and anxiety always present before their minds, inasmuch as fear obscured the glory ascribed to God for former victories, and overthrew their faith, while they reflected that the most difficult of all their contests still awaited them. Therefore, not without cause is it mentioned among the other instances of divine aid, that by purging the land of such monsters, it was rendered a fit habitation for the people. The less credible it seemed that they could be warred against with success, the more illustriously was the divine power displayed.
(119) Latin, “ Perquam noxium.” French, “ Fort dangereuse;” “Very dangerous.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(21) Anab is identified with Anb, west of Debir. The death of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the three sons of Anak, the chiefs of the Anakim, is recorded in Jdg. 1:10.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. At that time During the war, the long time mentioned in Jos 11:18. The Anakim were a race of giants in Southern Palestine. Some escaped to the Philistines and became the progenitors of Goliath. See references in margin, especially Num 13:22; Num 13:33. On Hebron and Debir see notes on Jos 10:3; Jos 10:38. Anab is probably identical with the place of this name which Dr. Robinson discovered about ten miles south of Hebron. But this could hardly be said to be in the mountains of Judah, where Jos 15:48; Jos 15:50, also locates it.
[ Mountains of Judah and Israel The words Judah and Israel in this passage do not, as some critics have assumed, betray the hand of a writer who lived after the nation was divided into two rival kingdoms bearing these names. The use of these expressions may easily have grown out of facts existing in Joshua’s time. The tribe of Judah first received its allotment, comprising nearly all Palestine south of Jerusalem, and some time elapsed before the rest of Israel especially seven of the tribes (Jos 18:2) received their allotments. It was therefore perfectly natural at that early time to apply the names here used respectively to the southern and northern parts of the great mountain range of Palestine. The central part of this range, where the sons of Joseph early received their portion, (chaps. 16, 17,) was sometimes called Mount Ephraim. Jos 17:15.]
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And Joshua came 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 utterly destroyed (devoted) them with their cities. There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel, only in Gaza, and in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain.’
This general statement explains that Joshua and his army also dealt with what was seen as possibly the greatest threat to Israel of all, the feared Anakim. ‘At that time’ is vague and simply means some time while he was conquering the land and while he lived. The mention of them shows that some had survived the original attacks on Hebron and Debir and were now resident again there. Also that they were widespread throughout the hill country, possibly acting as mercenary soldiers.
When Israel first moved into the central highlands and took it they would call it ‘the hill country of Israel’. Proud of their conquest they would set their symbol there and claim it for their own. Later when independently minded Judah captured the southern hill country they expressed their semi-independence by calling it ‘the hill country of Judah’. While this was the beginnings of the later split, such a split was not in mind at the time. It was simply a matter of naming two locations with convenient names which expressed possession.
Note the assumption of these verses that ‘the land of the children of Israel’ consisted at this stage of the hill countries of Israel and Judah. While enemies outside that had been defeated, their land was not finally possessed. As God had said to Moses, final possession would take place little by little (Exo 23:29-30).
The Anakim were fierce and very large, formidable fighters, (compare Deu 1:28; Deu 2:10; Deu 2:21; Deu 9:2) who were mainly settled in the hill country, especially around Hebron (Num 13:22). They were seen as in some way related to the mysterious Nephilim (Num 13:33) and such a formidable foe that special mention is made of them. It is possible that Arba, as found in Kiriath-Arba, was considered their original ancestor (Jos 14:15; Jos 15:13).
It would seem that when Joshua earlier reduced Hebron and Debir (Jos 10:36-39) and moved on, it was repopulated by those who lived around and those who managed to escape, including the Anakim. Now they had to be ejected again. This second ejection probably refers to what was in fact done by Caleb under Joshua’s generalship (Jos 15:13-19). Some Anakim, however still remained in the strong cities on the coastal plain, (possibly escaping there, but they would always be welcomed as mercenaries) and this is further testimony to the fact that these cities were not seen as taken by Joshua (compare Jos 13:3). Goliath was probably their descendant.
Anab (Jos 15:50), a small city which is now a ruin but still called ‘Anab, was eight kilometres (five miles) south of Debir. It is mentioned as Kart-‘anabu in Papyrus Anastasi I and in the Amarna letters.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 21, &c. Joshuacut off the Anakims, &c. This wild, barbarous, and gigantic people, who were of a different origin from that of the Canaanites, inhabited certain mountains of the country. It would have been dangerous to let them remain, nor were they worthy of such indulgence. Joshua, therefore, marched against them, and crowned his victories by the utter defeat of this nation, which was become as hateful as dangerous. He put to the sword all he could find, and utterly destroyed them, those excepted who fled, or who were now settled at Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, three cities in the land of the Philistines; where some of them remained in David’s time, particularly at Gath; but not at Ascalon, as some have supposed. See Bochart, Canaan, lib. 1: cap. 1.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jos 11:21 And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.
Ver. 21. And cut off all the Anakims. ] Whom the spies had once represented, and reported insuperable. Num 14:43-45 The lion is not so fierce as he is painted: to faith nothing is impossible.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 11:21-23
21Then Joshua came 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 utterly destroyed them with their cities. 22There were no Anakim left in the land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod some remained. 23So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest from war.
Jos 11:21 the Anakim This was a very tall tribe which inhabited Hebron (Arba, cf. Jos 15:13 or Kiriath-arba). There seem to be three names used in the OT to describe these very tall people: (1) Nephilim (BDB 658, cf. Gen 6:4); (2) Rephaim (BDB 952, cf. Gen 14:5; Gen 15:20; Jos 12:4; Jos 13:12); and (3) Anakim (BDB 778, cf. Num 13:22; Num 13:28; Deu 1:28; Deu 9:2; Jdg 1:20). Anak means long necked (BDB 778).
Goliath and his brothers were probably related (cf. Jos 11:22). See Special Topic: Terms Used for Tall/Powerful Warriors or People Groups (Giants) .
Jos 11:23 So Joshua took the whole land The book of Judges seems to tell a different story. There were two parts to an effective conquest of Canaan.
1. Joshua defeated the main military forces of the Canaanites and captured or destroyed the major walled cities.
2. Each individual tribe had to possess its allotted land by faith.
The later problems developed because (1) Israel did not kill all of the Canaanites and they reasserted themselves and recaptured some of their old fortresses or (2) the individual tribes never fully finished the task of conquest. There are hints of this failure in Joshua 13 and Judges 1.
the land had rest from war This VERB (BDB 1052, KB 1641, Qal PERFECT) describes the results of Joshua’s conquest here and in Jos 14:15. It also describes the temporary peace brought by the different judges (cf. Jdg 3:11; Jdg 3:30; Jdg 5:31; Jdg 8:28). It is not used in Deuteronomy. YHWH desired His covenant people (after the conquest and occupation of Canaan) to be in a restful, happy, fulfilled, covenant state of obedience and abundant peace (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28; 1Ch 22:9-10; Isa 32:17).
Jos 11:23 The tribes were initially about the same size. Notice the warriors (aged 20-50) from each tribe (the term 1,000 could mean military unit; see Special Topic: Thousand [eleph ]) listed in Numbers 1.
1. Reuben – 46,500, Num 1:21
2. Simeon – 59,300, Num 1:23
3. Gad – 45,650, Num 1:25
4. Judah – 74,600, Num 1:27
5. Issachar – 54,400, Num 1:29
6. Zebulun – 57,400, Num 1:31
7. Ephraim – 40,500, Num 1:33
8. Manasseh – 32,200, Num 1:35
9. Benjamin – 35,400, Num 1:37
10. Dan – 62,700, Num 1:39
The divisions of the land (amount given) do not reflect these numbers. Judah and Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) are given the largest allotments. Apparently by Joshua’s time these numbers had changed or this is another rationale to the allotment procedures.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. List the topological divisions of the Promised Land.
2. Why did the Israelis destroy the Canaanite weaponry (i.e., chariots)?
3. Why was Hazor so important?
4. Explain Jos 11:20 as it relates to human responsibility.
5. Who are the Anakim?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Anakims = the descendants of the second incursion of evil angels (Gen 6:4) through one, Anak. See App-23and App-23, and notes on Num 13:22 and Deu 1:28.
mountains = hill country.
from Anab. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read “and from Anab”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Anakims: Jos 14:12-14, Jos 15:13, Jos 15:14, Num 13:22, Num 13:23, Deu 1:28, Deu 2:21, Deu 9:2, Jdg 1:10, Jdg 1:11, Jdg 1:20, Jer 3:23, Jer 9:23, Amo 2:9
Joshua destroyed: Jos 10:42, Jos 24:11, Jos 24:12, Psa 110:5, Psa 110:6, Psa 149:6-9, Rev 6:2, Rev 19:11-21
Reciprocal: Jos 11:2 – on the north Jos 11:16 – the mountain Jdg 1:9 – afterward Eze 6:2 – the mountains Luk 1:39 – city
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 11:21. At that time That is, in the war before mentioned, and probably toward the conclusion of it; after he had left none to oppose him in other places, but only in those mountainous parts which were of difficult access. Joshua cut off the Anakims A wild, barbarous, and gigantic people, who were of a different original from that of the Canaanites, and inhabited certain mountains of the country. It would have been dangerous to let them remain, nor were they worthy of such an indulgence. Joshua, therefore, marched against them, and crowned his victories by their utter defeat. Dodd. From the mountains Hebrew, The mountain; but the singular number seems to be put for the plural. From Hebron, &c. That is, from the territories belonging to these cities. For, as we have often seen in this history, cities are mentioned for the country subject to them. From all the mountains of Judah All the mountainous country that fell afterward by lot to the tribe of Judah. And from all the mountains of Israel The mountainous country that was allotted to the rest of the tribes of Israel, to which mountains these people, it is likely, fled for safety. Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities But how could Joshua be said to have utterly destroyed either the Anakims or their cities, when Caleb and Othniel destroyed some of them after Joshuas death? Jos 14:12;
Jdg 1:10-12. This might be either, 1st, Because these places, though in part destroyed, yet, being neglected by the Israelites, were repossessed by the giants, and by them kept until Caleb destroyed them: or rather, 2d, Because this work, though done by the particular valour of Caleb, is ascribed to Joshua as the general of the army, according to the manner of all historians; and therefore it is here attributed to Joshua; though afterward, that Caleb might not lose his deserved honour, the history is more particularly described, and Caleb owned as the great instrument of it.