Joshua 24:11-12
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Joshua is reminding them that "the men of Jericho" not only fought them, but he lists all the other nations, implying their struggle wasn't just against Jericho, but against the whole land's inhabitants combined. This collective listing underscores that their victory was a comprehensive triumph over all who stood against God's people.
And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joshua is recounting the major victories God granted Israel as they entered and conquered the Promised Land. He's reminding the people that crossing the Jordan and confronting Jericho and the various Canaanite nations was not their own doing, but God's powerful intervention on their behalf. This is part of a larger speech where Joshua is urging the Israelites to commit to serving God faithfully.
Jericho wasn't the only challenge Joshua's people faced. What happens when multiple, distinct enemies pool their forces against you?
Joshua recounts how the conquest of Canaan wasn't just a single battle, but a series of conflicts against a coalition of peoples.
The Seven Nations
Joshua lists seven distinct groups: the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, in addition to the people of Jericho itself. This wasn't a monolithic enemy, but a collection of tribes and kingdoms, each with their own territories and potentially their own agendas, yet they united against Israel.
More Than Just Defense
While some, like the people of Jericho, primarily engaged in defensive operations (like shutting their gates), others actively fought. This united opposition, even in its varied forms, represented a significant challenge to Israel's progress and God's promise.
God's Deliverance
Despite this formidable and united front, Joshua emphasizes that God delivered them into their hand. This highlights that even when enemies band together, God's power and plan are greater.
You've just seen the waters of the Jordan part. What's next? It's not a peaceful stroll into your inheritance.
Joshua reminds the people of their journey, moving from the miraculous crossing of the Jordan to immediate confrontation.
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Beyond the Miracle
The crossing of the Jordan River was a monumental act of God's power, mirroring the parting of the Red Sea years earlier. However, this miracle was not an end in itself, but the beginning of the next phase: conquest.
Immediate Opposition
As soon as they entered the land and approached Jericho, they faced resistance. The text implies that the fighting and opposition were not isolated events but rather encompassed all their subsequent wars with these nations, happening 'successively.'
God's Sovereignty in Conflict
Joshua frames these battles not just as Israel's actions, but as God's work. The repeated phrase 'I delivered them into your hand' emphasizes that victory wasn't due to Israel's might alone, but to God's direct intervention and granting them the land.
Joshua reminds the people of their victories not just over Jericho, but against numerous other hostile groups, emphasizing that God's power secured their inheritance, not just their own military might.
c. 1446 BC
Israel crosses the Jordan River
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites miraculously crossed the Jordan River, marking their entry into the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Fall of Jericho
The city of Jericho, the first major obstacle, was conquered by the Israelites through divine intervention, its walls falling after a week of marching and shouting.
c. 1446-1439 BC
Conquest of Canaanite Nations
Following Jericho, the Israelites engaged in a series of military campaigns, defeating various Canaanite peoples, including the Amorites, Perizzites, and others, to secure the land.
c. 1439 BC
Division of the Land
After the major military campaigns, the land of Canaan was systematically divided among the twelve tribes of Israel under Joshua's leadership.
This passage sets the stage for the conquest by highlighting God's promise to drive out the nations before Israel, directly mirroring the divine enablement Joshua recounts in verse 11.
Joshua 6:1-2This passage describes the specific encounter with Jericho, emphasizing God's direct intervention and instructions for its defeat, which Joshua here summarizes as a victory granted by God.
Psalm 44:3This psalm reflects on Israel's past victories, directly referencing that they 'won no victory by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them,' aligning with Joshua's emphasis on God delivering the enemies into their hand.
Nehemiah 9:24This prayer recounts God's faithfulness in giving Israel the land and its inhabitants into their hands, echoing the comprehensive list of nations and the statement of divine deliverance found in Joshua 24:11.
wesleyJoshua 24:11: "And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand."
24:11 Deliver them - Namely, successively; for in these few words he seems to comprise all their wars, which being so fresh in their memory, he thought it needless particularly to mention.
calvinJoshua 24:1-14: "And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God."
And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
Congregavit itaque [194] Josue omnes tribus Israel in Sichem, vocavi…
Joshua is reminding them that "the men of Jericho" not only fought them, but he lists all the other nations, implying their struggle wasn't just against Jericho, but against the whole land's inhabitants combined. This collective listing underscores that their victory was a comprehensive triumph over all who stood against God's people.
Joshua is recounting the major victories God granted Israel as they entered and conquered the Promised Land. He's reminding the people that crossing the Jordan and confronting Jericho and the various Canaanite nations was not their own doing, but God's powerful intervention on their behalf. This is part of a larger speech where Joshua is urging the Israelites to commit to serving God faithfully.
Joshua is recounting the major victories God granted Israel as they entered and conquered the Promised Land. He's reminding the people that crossing the Jordan and confronting Jericho and the various Canaanite nations was not their own doing, but God's powerful intervention on their behalf. This is part of a larger speech where Joshua is urging the Israelites to commit to serving God faithfully.
"And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into you…" — Joshua is reminding them that "the men of Jericho" not only fought them, but he lists all the other nations, implying their struggle wasn't just against Jericho, but against the whole land's inhabi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
