Yehoshua 11 · Pshat

11:1

וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ יָבִין מֶלֶךְ־חָצוֹר וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶל־יוֹבָב מֶלֶךְ מָדוֹן וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ שִׁמְרוֹן וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ אַכְשָֽׁף׃

And it came to pass, when Yavin king of Ḥażor had heard those things, that he sent to Yovav king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Akhshaf,

11:2

וְֽאֶל־הַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר מִצְּפוֹן בָּהָר וּבָעֲרָבָה נֶגֶב כִּֽנְרוֹת וּבַשְּׁפֵלָה וּבְנָפוֹת דּוֹר מִיָּֽם׃

and to the kings that were in the north, in the mountains, and in the ῾Arava south of Kinnarot, and in the plain, and in the districts of Dor on the west,

Rashi

נגב כנרות. דרום גינוסר:

South of Kinros.— South of Ginosar.¹Genosar is an area near Tiberias, around Lake Kinneres.

ובנפות דור. פלכי דור, קונטדו"ש בלע"ז:

The region of Dor.—The districts of Dor. Contree in French.

מים. מערבה:

מִיָם—on the west.

11:3

הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי מִמִּזְרָח וּמִיָּם וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי בָּהָר וְהַֽחִוִּי תַּחַת חֶרְמוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃

and to the Kena῾ani on the east and on the west, and to the Emori, and the Ḥitti, and the Perizzi, and the Yevusi in the mountains, and to the Ḥivvi under Ḥermon in the land of Miżpe.

11:4

וַיֵּצְאוּ הֵם וְכׇל־מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם עִמָּם עַם־רָב כַּחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל־שְׂפַֽת־הַיָּם לָרֹב וְסוּס וָרֶכֶב רַב־מְאֹֽד׃

And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, a people numerous like the sand that is upon the sea shore for multitude, with a great many horses and chariots.

11:5

וַיִּוָּעֲדוּ כֹּל הַמְּלָכִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּחֲנוּ יַחְדָּו אֶל־מֵי מֵרוֹם לְהִלָּחֵם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}

And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Yisra᾽el.

11:6

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אַל־תִּירָא מִפְּנֵיהֶם כִּֽי־מָחָר כָּעֵת הַזֹּאת אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן אֶת־כֻּלָּם חֲלָלִים לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־סוּסֵיהֶם תְּעַקֵּר וְאֶת־מַרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרֹף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃

And the Lord said to Yehoshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time I will deliver them up all slain before Yisra᾽el: thou shalt lame their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.

11:7

וַיָּבֹא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכׇל־עַם הַמִּלְחָמָה עִמּוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם עַל־מֵי מֵרוֹם פִּתְאֹם וַֽיִּפְּלוּ בָּהֶֽם׃

So Yehoshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.

11:8

וַיִּתְּנֵם יְהֹוָה בְּיַֽד־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּכּוּם וַֽיִּרְדְּפוּם עַד־צִידוֹן רַבָּה וְעַד מִשְׂרְפוֹת מַיִם וְעַד־בִּקְעַת מִצְפֶּה מִזְרָחָה וַיַּכֻּם עַד־בִּלְתִּי הִשְׁאִיר־לָהֶם שָׂרִֽיד׃

And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Yisra᾽el, who smote them, and chased them as far as great Żidon, and as far as Misrefot-mayim, and the valley of Miżpe eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.

Rashi

משרפות מים. תרגם יונתן: חרצי ימא, שעושין חריצין, ומי הים יוצאין לתוכן, ונשרפין מחום השמש ונעשים מלח:

מִשְׂרְפוֹת מַיִם²From the word שְׂרֵפָה, fire or burning. Thus the Targum proceeds to explain: the burning of water, מַיִם. Targum Yonasan translates, sea-ditches. They dug ditches and the sea water would flow into them, and the water would be burned [evaporate] from the heat of the sun and would turn into salt.

11:9

וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר־לוֹ יְהֹוָה אֶת־סוּסֵיהֶם עִקֵּר וְאֶת־מַרְכְּבֹתֵיהֶם שָׂרַף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ {ס}

And Yehoshua did to them as the Lord bade him: he lamed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.

11:10

וַיָּשׇׁב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בָּעֵת הַהִיא וַיִּלְכֹּד אֶת־חָצוֹר וְאֶת־מַלְכָּהּ הִכָּה בֶחָרֶב כִּֽי־חָצוֹר לְפָנִים הִיא רֹאשׁ כׇּל־הַמַּמְלָכוֹת הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

And Yehoshua at that time turned back, and took Ḥażor, and smote its king with the sword: for Ḥażor beforetime was the chief of all those kingdoms.

11:11

וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־כׇּל־הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ לְפִי־חֶרֶב הַחֲרֵם לֹא נוֹתַר כׇּל־נְשָׁמָה וְאֶת־חָצוֹר שָׂרַף בָּאֵֽשׁ׃

And they smote all the souls that were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left that breathed: and he burnt Ḥażor with fire.

11:12

וְֽאֶת־כׇּל־עָרֵי הַמְּלָֽכִים־הָאֵלֶּה וְֽאֶת־כׇּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם לָכַד יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיַּכֵּם לְפִי־חֶרֶב הֶחֱרִים אוֹתָם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהֹוָֽה׃

And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, did Yehoshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moshe the servant of the Lord commanded.

11:13

רַק כׇּל־הֶעָרִים הָעֹֽמְדוֹת עַל־תִּלָּם לֹא שְׂרָפָם יִשְׂרָאֵל זוּלָתִי אֶת־חָצוֹר לְבַדָּהּ שָׂרַף יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ׃

But as for the cities that stood still on their mounds, Yisra᾽el burned none of them, except Ḥażor only; that did Yehoshua burn.

Rashi

העומדות על תלם. שלא נהרסה חומתם, כמו יריחו שנפלה חומתה, וכן העי, שנאמר בה (לעיל ח כח): וישימה תל עולם שממה:

Remained with their walls intact. Their walls were not destroyed like Yericho, whose walls fell, and similarly Ai, as it is said, “[And Yehoshua burned Ai] and made it into a mound forever, a ruin.”³See Chapter 8:28 above.

זולתי את חצור לבדה. במסורת שרפה (בראשית רבה וישלח): משה צוה לו ומסר לו כן:

The only exception was Chatzor. He burned it because of a traditional command. Moshe so commanded and transmitted it to him. This is found in Bereishis Rabba on the Sidrah of “And Yaakov sent.”⁴This command to destroy Chatzor is not written in the Torah. Moshe received this command orally on Mount Sinai and transmitted it to Yehoshua, who fulfilled it.

11:14

וְכֹל שְׁלַל הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהַבְּהֵמָה בָּזְזוּ לָהֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רַק אֶֽת־כׇּל־הָאָדָם הִכּוּ לְפִי־חֶרֶב עַד־הִשְׁמִדָם אוֹתָם לֹא הִשְׁאִירוּ כׇּל־נְשָׁמָֽה׃

And all the spoil of those cities, and the cattle, the children of Yisra᾽el took for plunder to themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, nor did they leave any that breathed.

11:15

כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה עַבְדּוֹ כֵּן־צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכֵן עָשָׂה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֹא־הֵסִיר דָּבָר מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃

As the Lord commanded Moshe his servant, so did Moshe command Yehoshua, and so did Yehoshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moshe.

11:16

וַיִּקַּח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת הָהָר וְאֶת־כׇּל־הַנֶּגֶב וְאֵת כׇּל־אֶרֶץ הַגֹּשֶׁן וְאֶת־הַשְּׁפֵלָה וְאֶת־הָעֲרָבָה וְאֶת־הַר יִשְׂרָאֵל וּשְׁפֵלָתֹֽה׃

So Yehoshua took all that land, the hills, and all the Negev, and all the land of Goshen, and the plain, and the ῾Arava, and the mountain of Yisra᾽el, and its plain;

11:17

מִן־הָהָר הֶֽחָלָק הָעוֹלֶה שֵׂעִיר וְעַד־בַּעַל גָּד בְּבִקְעַת הַלְּבָנוֹן תַּחַת הַר־חֶרְמוֹן וְאֵת כׇּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם לָכַד וַיַּכֵּם וַיְמִיתֵֽם׃

from mount Ḥalaq that goes up to Se῾ir, as far as Ba῾al-gad in the valley of Levanon – under mount Ḥermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.

Rashi

ההר החלק. טורא שעיע, מחליק, ההר החלק עד בעל גד במצר המזרחי, ולא הספיק לכבוש בחייו את כל המצר עד הצפון, תוספתא:

The bare, divided mountain. A smooth mountain.⁵It was so called because there were no trees on it. It was divided between Yaakov and Eisov. The part belonging to Yaakov was bare and smooth as Yaakov himself. See Bereishis 27:11. This was a bare (smooth) mountain to Baal-gad, which was on the eastern border. During his lifetime, Yehoshua, was unable to conquer the entire eastern border to the north.

בעל גד. מישר גד:

Baal-gad—the plain of gad.

11:18

יָמִים רַבִּים עָשָׂה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־כׇּל־הַמְּלָכִים הָאֵלֶּה מִלְחָמָֽה׃

Yehoshua made war a long time with all those kings.

Rashi

ימים רבים עשה יהושע. בגנותו ספר הכתוב, שהיה מתכוון לדחות את כבוש הארץ כדי להאריך ימיו, לפי שנאמר (לעיל א י): ואתה תנחילנה אותם. במדרש תנחומא:

For many days did Yehoshua. This verse was said to criticize Yehoshua, who intended to delay the conquest of the land, in order to lengthen his days, for it is said, “And you will apportion it to them.”⁶It took seven years for Yehoshua to conquer the whole land. Our Sages say that he could have conquered the land more quickly. It did not have to take seven years. Yehoshua was reluctant to complete the conquest of the land and divide it between the tribes. He was afraid that once he completed it, he would die. He knew his mission in life was to bring Bnei Yisroel into Eretz Yisroel and settle them there. Once his mission was completed, his life would have no further purpose. See Devorim 31:7 Because he was reluctant to complete the conquest, God punished him, and as soon as the apportioning of the land was completed he died. He was then one hundred and ten years old. Were it not for this, he would have lived ten more years, till one hundred and twenty as did his master, Moshe. From Midrash Tanchumah.