Joshua 11:19
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text highlights a crucial detail: Gibeon is the only city that surrendered peacefully, implying the others could have, but actively chose war. This wasn't just about Israel's obedience to God's command to destroy the Canaanites; it was also about the Canaanites' own defiant rejection of any chance for peace.
After a series of swift and decisive victories against a coalition of Canaanite kings, Joshua now turns to subdue the remaining strongholds. The text clarifies that virtually all cities were conquered through outright warfare, with a singular exception: the Hivites of Gibeon. This stark contrast sets the stage for understanding the comprehensive nature of Israel's conquest and God's judgment on the Canaanites.
Most cities fought fiercely against Israel, but one notably didn't. What made Gibeon different, and what can we learn from their desperate decision?
Joshua 11:19 highlights an exception to the rule: the Hivites of Gibeon were the only city that made peace with Israel. While the text doesn't detail their initial peace treaty in this specific verse, other passages (Joshua 9) reveal they used deception to secure it. They pretended to be from a distant land, fearing for their lives and seeking an alliance rather than outright war. This was a strategic, albeit deceitful, move for survival in the face of overwhelming divine power. Unlike the other Canaanite cities that defiantly resisted, Gibeon chose a path of negotiation, even if it involved trickery.
This reminds us that even in seemingly impossible situations, people make choices. Their decision to seek peace, however flawed in its execution, contrasted sharply with the stubbornness of others who chose annihilation.
Why did most Canaanite cities refuse peace, choosing instead to fight and be destroyed? The answer lies not just in their stubbornness, but in God's sovereign purpose.
The latter part of Joshua 11:19 states, 'all other they took in battle.' This wasn't just a description of military conquest; it was the outworking of God's judgment. The commentaries suggest that God 'hardened their hearts' (as with Pharaoh in Exodus) not by forcing them, but by allowing their natural stubbornness, pride, and animosity to intensify. Their resistance was not an unexpected obstacle to God's plan; it was the very means by which His judgment would be executed.
This divine hardening ensured that those who had reached the height of their iniquity would face utter destruction, leaving no room for mercy. The Israelites were commanded to destroy them utterly, and God's providence ensured that these nations would present themselves for battle, thereby fulfilling the divine decree. The war was long and difficult precisely because God was using it to cleanse the land and demonstrate His power.
Understand the original words
shalom · Hebrew Noun
A state of harmony or covenantal agreement. Biblically, it signifies not merely the absence of war, but wholeness, well-being, and a right relationship with God and others.
The verse highlights that while most Canaanite cities were conquered by force, Gibeon's peace was secured through deception. This singular exception underscores the broader pattern of Israelite military success and divine judgment on the remaining inhabitants.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Cross the Jordan River
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites miraculously crossed the Jordan River, marking the beginning of their military campaign to conquer Canaan. This event signifies their entry into the Promised Land.
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Jericho and Ai
The initial victories at Jericho and Ai demonstrated God's power and signaled the start of the conquest. The destruction of these cities instilled fear in the surrounding nations.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
The Gibeonite Deception
The Hivites of Gibeon, fearing the Israelites, used trickery to secure a peace treaty rather than submitting to conquest. This event stands as the sole exception to the general destruction of Canaanite cities.
c. 1400 BC
Confederation of Kings Defeated
A large coalition of Canaanite kings, led by the king of Jerusalem, was decisively defeated by Joshua in a significant battle in the southern region.
This passage explicitly commands Israel to make no peace treaties and to utterly destroy the nations they encounter, directly contrasting with the exception made for Gibeon and highlighting the unique nature of that agreement.
Exodus 23:32-33This verse reiterates the prohibition against making covenants or showing mercy to the inhabitants of Canaan, underscoring why the Gibeonites' treaty was an exception and emphasizing God's desire for complete separation from their idolatry.
Joshua 9:3-15This chapter details the Gibeonites' deceptive strategy to secure a peace treaty, explaining the specific circumstances that led to their unique status as the only city to make peace, despite the general command to destroy.
Judges 3:1-6This passage shows how the nations not destroyed served as a test for Israel, illustrating the long-term consequences of the incomplete conquest and the residual presence of these peoples, which began with exceptions like Gibeon.
calvinJoshua 11:16-23: "So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;"
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Quia a Jehova fuit, ut induraretcor eorum in occursum belli c…
bensonJoshua 11:19: "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 11:19-20 . All other they took in battle — That is, all that were taken by Joshua were taken by the sword, and therefore it is no wonder that the war was long, when the enemy was so obstinate. It was of the Lord to harden their hearts — In the same sense in which he hardened the heart of Pharaoh. He did not soften their hearts throug…
The text highlights a crucial detail: Gibeon is the only city that surrendered peacefully, implying the others could have, but actively chose war. This wasn't just about Israel's obedience to God's command to destroy the Canaanites; it was also about the Canaanites' own defiant rejection of any chance for peace.
After a series of swift and decisive victories against a coalition of Canaanite kings, Joshua now turns to subdue the remaining strongholds. The text clarifies that virtually all cities were conquered through outright warfare, with a singular exception: the Hivites of Gibeon. This stark contrast sets the stage for understanding the comprehensive nature of Israel's conquest and God's judgment on the Canaanites.
After a series of swift and decisive victories against a coalition of Canaanite kings, Joshua now turns to subdue the remaining strongholds. The text clarifies that virtually all cities were conquered through outright warfare, with a singular exception: the Hivites of Gibeon. This stark contrast sets the stage for understanding the comprehensive nature of Israel's conquest and God's judgment on the Canaanites.
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c. 1400 BC
Anakites Eliminated
Joshua systematically conquered and destroyed the Anakites, a fearsome people known for their giants, from the mountainous regions of Canaan.
c. 1400 BC
Land Divided Among Tribes
Following the major military campaigns, Joshua oversaw the division of the conquered land among the twelve tribes of Israel.
c. 1400 BC
Land Rests from War
After years of intense conflict, the land finally experienced a period of peace, allowing the Israelites to settle and establish their inheritance.
"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." — The text highlights a crucial detail: Gibeon is the only city that surrendered peacefully, implying the others could have, but actively chose war. This wasn't just about Israel's obedience to God…
