Joshua 11 6

Joshua 11:6 kjv

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.

Joshua 11:6 nkjv

But the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire."

Joshua 11:6 niv

The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots."

Joshua 11:6 esv

And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire."

Joshua 11:6 nlt

Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots."

Joshua 11 verses

Joshua 11 6 Meaning

Joshua 11:6 conveys a direct divine message from the Lord to Joshua, providing reassurance and specific instructions before a pivotal battle against a powerful northern coalition. It signifies God's complete sovereign control over the conflict, guaranteeing a swift and total victory for Israel. Furthermore, it commands the systematic dismantling of the enemy's most advanced military assets – their horses and chariots – to ensure Israel's reliance remains solely on God's power, not on captured earthly might.

Joshua 11 6 Context

Joshua chapter 11 narrates the northern campaign of the Israelite conquest. Having successfully subdued the southern kings, Joshua now faces a formidable coalition of northern kingdoms, led by Jabin, King of Hazor, described as "the head of all these kingdoms" (Josh 11:10). This alliance gathered a vast army "like the sand on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots" (Josh 11:4). Chariots, equipped with iron, represented the cutting edge of ancient Near Eastern military technology, formidable weapons of war against foot soldiers. The Canaanites' strategic control of the fertile lowlands gave them access to such resources, contrasting sharply with Israel, a nation whose military strength derived from divine presence and whose experience lay in foot combat through rugged terrain. It is at this critical juncture, facing an overwhelmingly superior force armed with devastating weaponry, that the Lord directly intervenes, delivering the words of assurance and specific military directives found in Joshua 11:6.

Joshua 11 6 Word analysis

• And the LORD said (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה - waiyomer YHVH): Signifies direct, authoritative communication from the covenant God of Israel (Yahweh/Jehovah). This is not an intuition or human strategic thought, but a clear divine command and promise. The Lord's initiative in speaking demonstrates His sovereignty and active involvement in Israel's history.
• to Joshua (אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ - el Yehoshua): Joshua, whose name means "The LORD is salvation" or "Yahweh saves," is the designated leader after Moses, tasked with leading the conquest. The address emphasizes God's direct relationship and enablement of His chosen servant for the monumental task ahead.
• "Do not be afraid (אַל־תִּירָא - al tira): A strong negative imperative, "fear not." This is a recurring divine reassurance to leaders and prophets throughout the Bible (e.g., Gen 15:1; Isa 41:10; Jer 1:8), indicating that human leaders often face moments of natural fear when confronted with overwhelming challenges. It addresses the natural human reaction to a militarily superior foe.
• because of them" (מִפְּנֵיהֶם - mipeneihem): Specifically points to the powerful and numerous enemy coalition and their formidable military assets as the source of potential fear. God directly acknowledges the perceived threat.
• "for tomorrow at this time" (כִּי־מָחָר כָּעֵת הַזֹּאת - ki machar ka'et hazzot): The particle ki introduces the reason for not fearing. The temporal specificity emphasizes the immediacy and certainty of the divine promise. God's action is not a vague future event but an imminent, precisely timed, and guaranteed intervention, showcasing divine control over time and outcome.
• "I will deliver" (אֲנִי נֹתֵן - ani noten): "I myself am giving/delivering." The pronoun ani (I) explicitly highlights God's personal agency. Noten (giving/delivering) is an active participle, signifying not just a future event, but an assured, certain act already "in motion" from God's perspective. It emphasizes that victory comes from Him.
• "all of them," (אֶת־כֻּלָּם - et kulam): This signifies a complete and utterly decisive defeat. No enemy combatants or leaders will escape.
• "slain," (חֲלָלִים - chalalim): Literally "pierced ones" or "fallen ones." It describes those fatally wounded or dead on the battlefield. This indicates not merely a routing or retreat, but a massacre, ensuring the complete dismantling of the enemy's fighting force.
• "before Israel." (לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - lifnei Yisra'el): The victory will be public and visible to the entire Israelite army. This public display serves to reinforce Israel's faith in God, demonstrating His power on their behalf and validating their reliance on Him.
• "You shall hamstring" (וְאֶת־סוּסֵיהֶם תְּעַקֵּר - v'et susaihem te'aqqer): A direct command. The verb 'aqar means to "uproot, pluck out," and in this context, refers to cutting the leg sinews or hocks of horses, rendering them permanently unable to run or fight. This action ensures total disablement.
• "their horses" (סוּסֵיהֶם - susaihem): Horses were a key component of military power in the ancient world, especially for rapid movement and battle impact. Israel was typically a foot-slogging army, lacking cavalry. This command prevents Israel from acquiring military assets that might lead them to trust in human might rather than divine strength.
• "and burn" (וְאֶת־מֶרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרֹף - v'et mark'votayhem tisrof): Another explicit command for total destruction. The verb saraf means to "burn," typically used for destruction or a purifying act.
• "their chariots with fire." (מֶרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶם בָּאֵשׁ - merk'votayhem ba'esh): Chariots were the elite war machines of the day, symbols of technological advancement and overwhelming power. Burning them renders them utterly useless, preventing their capture and integration into Israel's forces. This act underscores God's principle: Israel's strength lies in His presence and power, not in reliance on foreign military technology, which could also be associated with pagan deities or pride in human accomplishment.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them": This opening establishes divine initiative and immediate reassurance. It highlights the compassionate leadership of God, who directly addresses the very human apprehension Joshua might feel when confronting a vast and technologically superior enemy. This initial phrase sets the stage for God's empowerment over perceived weakness.
• "for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them, slain, before Israel.": This clause provides the bedrock for Joshua's courage. It outlines the specific timeline ("tomorrow at this time"), the divine agent ("I will deliver"), the completeness of the victory ("all of them, slain"), and its public demonstration ("before Israel"). This entire declaration asserts God's absolute sovereignty over the battle's outcome and His promise to make His power visible to His people.
• "You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.": This crucial directive is both practical and profoundly theological. While pragmatically disarming the enemy and preventing a future threat, its deeper significance lies in prohibiting Israel from adopting these potent symbols of worldly power. It's a preventive measure against self-reliance and potential idolatry, forcing Israel to remember that their victories stem purely from the Lord's intervention, not from military acquisitions or human ingenuity.

Joshua 11 6 Bonus section

The command to hamstring horses and burn chariots had significant practical and theological implications beyond mere destruction. Firstly, by crippling rather than killing the horses, Israel avoided inheriting a vast resource that could tempt them into a cavalry-based army, deviating from their divine mandate of relying on God as a foot-fighting people. This ensured that Israel’s military strategy remained distinct from the powerful empires around them, underlining their unique identity under God. Secondly, the act served as a public, tangible demonstration of absolute divine power over even the most advanced human military might. It shattered any notion that Israel's success was due to their strategic genius or newly acquired technology. Thirdly, given that chariots and warhorses were often dedicated to or symbols of pagan gods of war or fertility, their destruction through fire also acted as a polemic against the strength of Canaanite deities, asserting YHVH's exclusive sovereignty and rendering impotent anything that might lead Israel astray.

Joshua 11 6 Commentary

Joshua 11:6 encapsulates God's strategic guidance and theological principles for Israel's conquest. Faced with a numerically and technologically superior enemy, Joshua receives direct divine assurance: God guarantees an immediate, comprehensive victory. This promise is not just an encouraging word but a specific decree, emphasizing God's meticulous control over time ("tomorrow at this time") and outcome ("all of them, slain"). The most profound aspect, however, lies in the explicit command to disarm the enemy in a unique way: hamstringing horses and burning chariots. This instruction goes beyond simple military pragmatism. It is a profound theological statement preventing Israel from incorporating the tools of worldly power into their own might. It prevents future kings from accumulating horses, a warning articulated later in Deut 17:16. God wills for His people to rely on His presence and power alone, reinforcing the truth that "some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" (Ps 20:7). This command teaches a crucial lesson about pure reliance on the Lord for victory, guarding against human pride and the temptation to equate success with military accumulation rather than divine faithfulness.