Joshua 11:19 kjv
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.
Joshua 11:19 nkjv
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle.
Joshua 11:19 niv
Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle.
Joshua 11:19 esv
There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle.
Joshua 11:19 nlt
No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon. All the others were defeated.
Joshua 11 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Josh 9:3-27 | "Now when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done..." | Gibeon's deception and treaty |
| Deut 7:1-2 | "When the LORD your God brings you into the land...you shall utterly destroy them" | Command for complete destruction, no covenant |
| Deut 20:16-18 | "However, in the cities of these peoples...you shall not leave alive anything that breathes." | Specific instruction for cherem (devotion to destruction) |
| Josh 11:20 | "For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts..." | God's sovereignty in hardening hearts for judgment |
| Ex 4:21 | "But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go." | Parallel example of God hardening hearts (Pharaoh) for His purpose |
| Deut 2:30 | "But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing...for the LORD your God hardened his spirit..." | King Sihon's refusal to make peace, also divinely orchestrated |
| Josh 10:42 | "All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel." | God fighting for Israel, leading to conquest by force |
| Gen 15:16 | "Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." | Canaanite wickedness accumulated, necessitating judgment |
| Lev 18:24-25 | "Do not defile yourselves...for by all these the nations which I am driving out before you have become defiled." | Canaanites expelled due to their abominations |
| Josh 24:12-13 | "And I sent the hornet before you...it was not by your sword or by your bow." | Divine assistance in the conquest, not solely Israel's military might |
| Num 33:55 | "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land...those whom you allow to remain will be thorns in your sides..." | Consequences of failing to fully drive out/destroy |
| Judges 2:2 | "and you yourselves shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars." | Command not to make treaties with Canaanites |
| Is 2:4 | "Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war." | Prophetic contrast: future messianic peace |
| Rom 9:18 | "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." | God's sovereign prerogative in hardening hearts |
| Eph 2:14-16 | "For He Himself is our peace...that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace." | Christ's work in establishing true peace for believers |
| 1 Pet 5:9 | "But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers..." | Spiritual battle, resisting enemies of faith |
| Matt 10:34-36 | "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." | Christ's initial coming bringing division for a purpose |
| Luke 19:42 | "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!" | Jerusalem's rejection of peace offered by Christ |
| Ps 37:34 | "Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land;" | God grants land inheritance based on obedience |
| 1 Sam 15:3 | "Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him;" | Another instance of cherem against an enemy of God |
| Ezek 23:25 | "I will also set My jealousy against you...they will deal with you in fury." | God's judgment leading to destruction of nations |
| Hab 2:8 | "Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples will plunder you..." | Nations that act by force will also be dealt with by force |
| Deut 23:6 | "You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever." | Command not to make peace with Ammonites and Moabites |
| 2 Chron 20:3 | "Jehoshaphat was afraid and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast..." | Seeking God in conflict vs. making peace with enemies |
| Jer 6:14 | "They heal the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace." | False peace in times requiring judgment or repentance |
Joshua 11 verses
Joshua 11 19 Meaning
Joshua 11:19 succinctly states that during the conquest of Canaan, nearly all cities opposed Israel and were taken by military force. The single exception was Gibeon, which, through deceit, entered into a peace treaty with the Israelites. This verse highlights the divine judgment enacted through conquest, where peace was generally not an option for the Canaanite inhabitants, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the eradication process, orchestrated by God Himself.
Joshua 11 19 Context
Joshua 11:19 is situated at the conclusion of Israel's major conquest campaigns in the land of Canaan. Specifically, it follows the successful defeat of the northern confederation of kings led by Jabin of Hazor, detailing Joshua's comprehensive obedience to Moses' commands for the holy war (Josh 11:15-18). The verse serves as a crucial summary of the character of the entire conquest: a predominantly uncompromising military endeavor. It immediately precedes Joshua 11:20, which provides the theological rationale for this lack of peace – God Himself hardened the hearts of the Canaanites, so they would fight Israel and be utterly destroyed without mercy. This historical context reveals the conquest as a divinely sanctioned act of judgment upon the inhabitants of the land, fulfilling God's covenant promises to Abraham while simultaneously cleansing the land of its egregious moral and spiritual defilement. The single exception of Gibeon underscores the general rule and highlights God's sovereign oversight, even in instances of human error or deception.
Joshua 11 19 Word analysis
- There was not (לֹא הָֽיְתָה, lo hayta): This negation emphatically states the complete absence of a condition, stressing the uniformity of the situation.
- a city (עִיר, ‘ir): Refers to any fortified settlement, highlighting that this policy applied universally across the land's diverse population centers.
- that made peace (הִשְׁלִ֥ימָה, hishlimah): From the verb shalam (שָׁלַם), meaning "to be complete," "sound," or "at peace." In the Hiphil stem, it signifies "to make peace," "to surrender," or "to come to terms." It implies a negotiated, non-military resolution, which was prohibited for most Canaanites under divine law (cherem).
- with the sons of Israel (עִם־בְּנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, ‘im benei Yisra'el): Denotes the nation of Israel as God's chosen instrument of conquest, acting in covenant relationship with Him.
- except (כִּי אִם, ki im): This strong adversative conjunction explicitly introduces the single divergence from the stated general rule, drawing immediate attention to its unique nature.
- Gibeon (גִּבְע֔וֹן, Giv'on): A significant Hivite city whose cunning inhabitants famously deceived Israel into forming a peace treaty (Joshua 9). This case highlights the binding nature of an oath made before God, even if based on false pretenses.
- the inhabitants of which (יֹשְׁבֵ֗יהָ, yosheveiha): "Its dwellers"; this refers specifically to the people of Gibeon, who were active agents in negotiating the treaty.
- made a treaty with them (וַיִּכְרְתוּ, vayyichretu): From karat (כָּרַת), "to cut." To "cut a treaty" (Hebrew: karat berit) was a common ancient idiom, referring to the formal, often ritualistic, process of establishing a binding covenant or agreement. It underscores the solemn and unbreakable nature of the agreement made.
- all they took (אֶת־הַכֹּ֗ל לָקָח֛וּ, et hakol laqachu): "All of it they took." This phrase emphasizes the comprehensiveness and totality of the conquest. It implies a widespread and systematic campaign, not isolated victories.
- by force of arms (בַּמִּלְחָמָה, bammilchamah): Literally "in the war" or "by means of warfare." This directly contrasts with "making peace," highlighting that conquest for all other cities was achieved through direct military engagement and the might of battle, as was divinely intended for their judgment.
Joshua 11 19 Bonus section
The divine command for cherem was unique to Israel's conquest of Canaan and applied only to specified nations at that time. It was not a universal model for future warfare or international relations but a specific judgment from God against the accumulating iniquity of the Canaanite peoples, preventing their spiritual pollutants from corrupting the nascent nation of Israel. This particular form of conquest distinguished Israel's actions from common Ancient Near Eastern warfare, imbuing it with a sacral character as an act of divine judgment. The Gibeonite situation also reveals the nuanced interplay between divine will and human action; though Israel was deceived, their adherence to the oath, while problematic from a purely strategic viewpoint, affirmed the seriousness with which God views solemn vows and His people's integrity. It indirectly prevented Israel from breaking their covenant pledge, even though it meant they lived alongside non-Israelites who became their bondservants, fulfilling another dimension of God's sovereignty.
Joshua 11 19 Commentary
Joshua 11:19 is a concise summation of Israel's military strategy and God's sovereign plan during the conquest. It asserts that nearly all cities within Canaan refused peace with Israel and were consequently subdued by warfare. This was not due to Israel's inherent bellicosity but reflected God's specific command for cherem—the utter destruction of these wicked nations—to prevent the defilement of Israel and the land (Deut 20:16-18, Lev 18:24-25). The lone exception of Gibeon (Joshua 9), who secured a treaty through deception, highlights two significant theological points: first, God's respect for the oath, even if made erroneously, demonstrating His covenant faithfulness; and second, it paradoxically reinforces the general rule. The Gibeonites' unique status as covenant-bound servants serves as a reminder that all other nations faced an ultimatum: resistance leading to destruction or flight (if they fled to a nation not under cherem). This verse, read with Joshua 11:20, provides profound insight into divine providence and judgment, emphasizing that the Canaanites' continued resistance was part of God's overarching purpose to bring about their deserved destruction. The passage underlines that in this phase of God's redemptive history, the divine objective was the removal of deeply entrenched wickedness through direct, military action.