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)
This verse highlights a crucial distinction: while Israel was commanded to utterly destroy the Canaanites, the Gibeonites were an exception because they initiated peace negotiations. This wasn't a loophole, but a testament to God's allowance for surrender, even to those marked for judgment, demonstrating His sovereign hand in both judgment and mercy.
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)
After a series of swift and decisive victories across the land, Joshua's conquest seemed complete. Yet, this verse clarifies that almost every city fiercely resisted, resulting in their capture by force, with the sole exception of Gibeon, whose inhabitants cleverly negotiated their safety. This sets the stage for the subsequent division of the conquered land among the Israelite tribes.
Why did God 'harden the hearts' of the Canaanites, and how does this square with their own choices to fight?
This verse touches on a profound theological tension: God's sovereignty and human responsibility. The text states, 'it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly.' (Joshua 11:20). This isn't about God forcing unwilling people into sin. Instead, it speaks to God's providential ordering of events. He allows people, in their rebellion and wickedness, to pursue their chosen path to its destructive end.
Think of it like this: If someone is determined to jump off a cliff, you can't stop them if they refuse your warnings. God, in his justice, 'hardens' them by withdrawing his restraining grace, allowing their own sinful desires—pride, stubbornness, and hatred—to lead them to ruin. The Canaanites chose to fight, they chose not to seek peace (with one notable exception), and God, in his sovereign plan, used their choices to bring about his judgment and to protect his people.
So, while God's will is supreme, it works through human choices and actions. Their obstinacy and decision to fight were real, and it was precisely this unyielding resistance that sealed their doom according to God's command.
Why were the Hivites of Gibeon the only ones to make peace, and what does this tell us about their strategy?
Joshua 11:19 highlights a critical exception to the rule of total conquest: 'There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon.' This wasn't an act of inherent mercy on Gibeon's part, nor a lapse in Joshua's obedience. Instead, it was a shrewd, albeit deceptive, strategic move by the Gibeonites (as detailed in Joshua chapter 9).
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They heard about Israel's victories, including the defeat of Jericho and Ai, and the crossing of the Jordan. Recognizing the futility of direct military confrontation, they devised a plan to pretend they had traveled from a distant land. Their goal was to secure a treaty of peace with Israel, which, according to the Law, was not to be broken lightly.
This single act of seeking peace, however dishonestly achieved, spared them the fate of the other cities. It underscores that while God commanded judgment on the Canaanites, there was a prescribed way for those who submitted – a way the other cities, in their pride and obstinacy, refused to take. The Gibeonites' action, while flawed in its deceit, ultimately demonstrates the value placed on securing peace when facing overwhelming divine judgment.
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.
This verse highlights that while God commanded the complete destruction of the Canaanites, the Hivites of Gibeon are the sole exception due to their ruse to secure a peace treaty. This singular instance underscores the general rule of conquest through battle, emphasizing the widespread resistance and the divine judgment falling upon most of the Canaanite cities.
c. 1406 BC
Israelites Cross the Jordan River
Following Moses' death, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River into Canaan, marking the beginning of their military campaign to conquer the land promised to them by God.
c. 1406 BC
Fall of Jericho and Ai
The Israelites experience miraculous victories at Jericho and Ai. The conquest of Jericho, achieved through divine intervention, strikes fear into the hearts of the Canaanites.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Gibeonites Deceive Joshua
The Hivites of Gibeon, fearing the Israelites' military might, use deception to secure a treaty of peace. They pretend to be from a distant land, leading Joshua and the elders to make a covenant with them without consulting God.
c. 1405 BC
Southern Canaanite Coalition Defeated
A coalition of southern Canaanite kings, including those from Jerusalem, Hebron, and other cities, attacks Gibeon but is decisively defeated by Joshua's forces, aided by a hailstorm and divine intervention.
c. 1405 BC
Consolidated Conquest of Southern Canaan
Following the defeat of the southern coalition, Joshua continues his campaign, conquering numerous cities in southern Canaan.
c. 1404 BC
Northern Canaanite Coalition Defeated
Joshua faces a large coalition of northern kings led by the king of Hazor. Through a swift and decisive victory, God grants the Israelites the triumph they need to gain control over the northern territories.
c. 1400 BC
Completion of Major Conquest
After years of warfare, Joshua has conquered vast territories across Canaan. The land is largely subdued, though pockets of resistance and un-conquered areas remain.
This passage speaks of the Amorites reaching the fullness of their sin, which is a theological reason for their eventual destruction by Israel, mirroring the divine decision to harden hearts for judgment in Joshua 11:20.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2God explicitly commanded Israel to make no covenants with the inhabitants of Canaan and to utterly destroy them, highlighting the unique and divinely ordained nature of the conquest described in Joshua 11.
Judges 1:21This verse shows that the tribe of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem, demonstrating that the complete conquest of Canaan was a protracted process, with Joshua's victories being a significant, but not final, stage.
1 Samuel 15:3This passage recounts a similar command for complete destruction of the Amalekites, showing that the principle of utter destruction of certain peoples for their wickedness was a consistent theme in God's dealings with Israel.
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…
This verse highlights a crucial distinction: while Israel was commanded to utterly destroy the Canaanites, the Gibeonites were an exception because they initiated peace negotiations. This wasn't a loophole, but a testament to God's allowance for surrender, even to those marked for judgment, demonstrating His sovereign hand in both judgment and mercy.
After a series of swift and decisive victories across the land, Joshua's conquest seemed complete. Yet, this verse clarifies that almost every city fiercely resisted, resulting in their capture by force, with the sole exception of Gibeon, whose inhabitants cleverly negotiated their safety. This sets the stage for the subsequent division of the conquered land among the Israelite tribes.
After a series of swift and decisive victories across the land, Joshua's conquest seemed complete. Yet, this verse clarifies that almost every city fiercely resisted, resulting in their capture by force, with the sole exception of Gibeon, whose inhabitants cleverly negotiated their safety. This sets the stage for the subsequent division of the conquered land among the Israelite tribes.
"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." — This verse highlights a crucial distinction: while Israel was commanded to utterly destroy the Canaanites, the Gibeonites were an exception because they initiated peace negotiations. This wasn't a…
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Last reviewed October 2026