Joshua 11:22
There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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While the Anakim were largely wiped out, this verse highlights that their complete eradication wasn't achieved in Joshua's lifetime. Their survival in Philistine cities shows that God's promises often unfold over extended periods, requiring ongoing faithfulness and perseverance from His people.
Joshua has just completed a massive campaign, conquering vast territories and systematically eradicating the Canaanite inhabitants as God commanded. This passage concludes that series of victories, noting the near-total destruction of the fearsome Anakim people, though a few survivors remained in key Philistine cities. The land then enters a period of rest from war, paving the way for the tribes to receive their allotted inheritances.
Did Israel win every single battle? This verse reveals that even in complete victory, God's hand was guiding the outcome, sometimes by hardening hearts.
Joshua 11:20 speaks of God hardening the hearts of the Anakim. This isn't about God forcing them to sin, but rather His sovereign allowance, enabling them to act out their own determined opposition to Israel. This had a crucial purpose: to ensure their utter destruction and remove any possibility of mercy, as God had commanded Moses. This highlights a profound theological truth: even in human conflict and stubbornness, God is working out His ultimate purposes. He ensures His commands are fulfilled, and His people are protected from those He has judged.
Joshua secured the land, but not all of it. What does this reveal about the nature of God's promises and our faith journey?
Joshua 11:22 explicitly states that some Anakim remained in specific Philistine cities: Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. This isn't a failure of Joshua's leadership or God's power. Instead, it points to a crucial aspect of God's plan: the conquest was to be gradual. The land was given to Israel, but its full possession would unfold over time. These remaining giants, particularly in places like Gath, would become a recurring challenge for Israel for centuries, as evidenced by figures like Goliath. It teaches us that God's promises are sure, but their fulfillment often involves a process, and we are called to trust Him through ongoing struggles, not just initial victories.
This verse highlights the thoroughness of Israel's conquest under Joshua, while acknowledging that pockets of resistance, particularly the Anakim in Philistine territory, persisted for generations, underscoring God's long-term faithfulness and the ongoing need for His people to trust and obey.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Leave Egypt
After 400 years of slavery, the Israelites, led by Moses, depart from Egypt, marking the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC
Israel Crosses the Jordan River
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, beginning their military campaign to conquer the territory.
c. 1406-1399 BC— this verse
Conquest of Canaan
Joshua leads the Israelites in a series of swift military campaigns, conquering numerous cities and defeating various Canaanite kings and peoples across the land.
c. 1399 BC
Land Divided Among Tribes
Following the conquest, the land of Canaan is systematically divided by lot among the twelve tribes of Israel, establishing their inheritance.
This passage directly mentions Goliath of Gath, who was a descendant of the Anakim, showing that this lineage persisted in Gath long after Joshua's conquest.
2 Samuel 21:16-22This passage recounts a later conflict where descendants of the Anakim, including Goliath's relatives, are described as giants and are eventually defeated by David's men, confirming their presence in Philistine territory.
Deuteronomy 2:23This earlier command from God mentions the Anakim being destroyed from before the children of Esau, foreshadowing their eventual removal from the land promised to Israel, except in the areas mentioned.
Joshua 13:3This verse lists Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron as the remaining territories of the Philistines that Joshua had not yet subdued, aligning with the specific cities mentioned where the Anakim remained.
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…
pulpitJoshua 11:22: "There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained."
Verse 22. - Only in Gaza. This statement is confirmed by what we afterwards read. In Gath especially (1 Samuel 17:4; 2 Samuel 21:18-22; 1 Chronicles 20:4-8, the last passage preserving the true text, which has become hopelessly corrupt in the second Book of Samuel) we find the race of giants remaining till David's time. But it had almost died out. Golia…
While the Anakim were largely wiped out, this verse highlights that their complete eradication wasn't achieved in Joshua's lifetime. Their survival in Philistine cities shows that God's promises often unfold over extended periods, requiring ongoing faithfulness and perseverance from His people.
Joshua has just completed a massive campaign, conquering vast territories and systematically eradicating the Canaanite inhabitants as God commanded. This passage concludes that series of victories, noting the near-total destruction of the fearsome Anakim people, though a few survivors remained in key Philistine cities. The land then enters a period of rest from war, paving the way for the tribes to receive their allotted inheritances.
Joshua has just completed a massive campaign, conquering vast territories and systematically eradicating the Canaanite inhabitants as God commanded. This passage concludes that series of victories, noting the near-total destruction of the fearsome Anakim people, though a few survivors remained in key Philistine cities. The land then enters a period of rest from war, paving the way for the tribes to receive their allotted inheritances.
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c. 1050-1010 BC
Reign of King David
David conquers the Philistine stronghold of Gath, indicating that remnants of the Anakim, or giants, and the Philistine people still resided there.
c. 734 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Philistine Cities
The Neo-Assyrian Empire conquers several Philistine cities, including Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod, disrupting their power and influence in the region.
"There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain." — While the Anakim were largely wiped out, this verse highlights that their complete eradication wasn't achieved in Joshua's lifetime. Their survival in Philistine cities shows that God's promises ofte…
