This passage gives an account of the several cities taken by Joshua, after he had routed and destroyed the army they had raised to oppose him. He destroys the cities that had raised the army, and several others that lay in his way, some of which came to the assistance of the former.

Makkedah lay near the route of the retreat, as we have seen, and not far from Beth-horon. The hiding place of the kings was near this place; and the necessity of watching the cave was the occasion of there being a camp near the same spot.

The king of Hebron is mentioned as being destroyed with the city. But the king of Hebron had been destroyed with those that hid in the cave! This is a "contradiction." At the same time, it is highly probable, that when one king was slain, another took his place, generally his son, and so the contradiction disappears!

Joshua destroyed these cities utterly. There is nothing in the original that answers to utterly. But the sense of that term is thought to be included in the word destroy:

It is the word that has been noticed, before. It means to devote; and it means to destroy, as the result of being devoted. The Lord devoted these cities, but Joshua destroyed them. To carry out the true meaning of the first of these things, it was necessary that the last be thorough and complete. No doubt this is the reason why our translators introduced the qualifying term "utterly." It is important that the two senses of the word for devote and destroy be not confounded, as they appear to be in some instances in the English version.

In the passage before us we find Debir, as the name of a man, and the name of a city. That the one was named from the other, we can not say; but the supposition is a reasonable one. And when it is certain that scores of names of men and cities found in the Bible are identical, what must we think of the following from a learned divine? "With the exception of Ir David,

city of David, Sion, the writer does not recall any city of Palestine named after a man." Grove in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. One would think the learned author might have "recalled " the following; "The children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it * * * * * * and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan, their father." Hebron was called Mamre, from one of Abraham's confederates. It was afterwards called Kirjath-arba, or shorter, Arba, from a man of that name. Haran was evidently named from a brother of Abram. . Cain built a city and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. Shechem was named from the son of Hamor. Sidon from the first-born of Canaan, etc., etc.

The limits of this campaign of Joshua are given thus: From Kedesh to Gaza, and from Gaza to Gibeon. It commenced at Gibeon, and advanced westward to Bethhoron the upper. It there turned south, and proceeded in that direction to Hebron, and so on to Kadesh. From Kadesh, Joshua and his army traverse the southern border of the land to Gaza, near to Egypt. From that point he makes his way back, through the district of Goshen, to Gibeon from which he started. The line of march was in form nearly a triangle. This being completed, the Hebrew leader returns to Gilgal in the valley of the Jordan.

SECTION X. A GENERAL UPRISING AND THE RESULT.

JOS. XI.

1. And it came to pass, when | east and on the west, and to the Jabin king of Hazor had heard Amorite, and the Hittite, and the those things, that he sent to Jobab Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the king of Madon and to the king of mountains, and to the Hivite under Shimron, and to the king of Ach- Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. saph,

2. And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,

4. And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.

5. And when all these kings were 8. And to the Canaanite on the I met together, they came and pitch

ed together at the waters of Merom, sword; for Hazor before-time was to fight against Israel. the head of all those kingdoms.

6. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them; for to-morrow, about this time, will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses and burn their chariots with fire

7. So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom sud. denly; and they fell upon them.

8. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.

9. And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their char iots with fire.

10. And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the

verse;

11. And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.

12. And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses, the servant of the Lord commanded.

13. But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.

14. And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.

Hazor was an important place; and the reason of its taking the lead in this war, is indicated in the 10th "Hazor before time was the head of all those kingdoms." And though the intimation is, that Hazor had in some degree lost its prestige, it is plain that, of the cities mentioned in this connection, it was still the most important. These places lay in a different direction from those mentioned in the preceding chapter. Indeed, the direction was exactly opposite.

The place of the great battle fought on this occasion, was lake Merom. This was one of the three lakes formed by the river Jordan, and through which it passes. They are Merom, Genezereth, and Asphaltites. In the dry season the first is more a swamp than a lake.

Joshua was commanded to hough the horses of the enemy, and to burn the chariots with fire. It was not allowed to the Hebrews to have many horses; and char

iots they could not use, in their mountainous country; and at that early day they had no use for them to extend their limits.

Great victories have often been gained by sudden attacks, even with comparatively small armies. With a large army the advantage would be in proportion. Alexander and Napoleon gained many victories they would not have gained, if they had moved slower, and made their attacks with greater deliberation. Joshua had set them the example. And it was as true then as now, that God favored the brave army and the skilful leader. No more then than now, did he help those that did not help themselves.

The limit of the pursuit west and north-west was the great Sidon, situated on the Mediterranean sea, The limit east was Mizpeh, under mount Hermon. The king of Hazor had been principally instrumental in raising the army to fight Joshua. And therefore, the city is taken, the king and his people destroyed, and the city burned in the fire.

"All the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them." In the southern campaign many of the cities are named; but here they are referred to in a general way. Hazor is mentioned for an obvious reason.

The cities that stood still in their strength, Joshua did not burn cities that did not send out an army to oppose him. This is good evidence that he did not understand his orders from Moses, to be, to destroy indiscriminately every thing in the land. The plain inference, from the statement that he did not burn the cities, is, that he did not molest the people.

Joshua's mission was to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan; but those who resisted his efforts, he was to destroy. But those who stood still in their strength, he did not molest. It would be time to drive out or destroy them, when they gave him occasion to do so.

Every man was smitten with the edge of the sword. Of course this language included the women and chil

dren. The Hebrew soldier, unlike the soldiers of other nations, was not permitted to violate his female captives, though he might put them to death. Let it not be said then that it was cruel to slay the women with the men. And when both men and women were destroyed, it was not a mercy to leave the children to perish. See this subject discussed at length in Vol. III.

JOS. XI.

15. As the Lord commanded | harden their hearts, that they Moses his servant, so did Moses should come against Israel in bat. command Joshua, and so did Jo- tle, that he might destroy them shua: he left nothing undone of utterly, and that they might have all that the Lord commanded Mo- no favor, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Mo. ses.

ses.

16. 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;

17. Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon, under mount Hermon; and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them.

18. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

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;

21. And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains; from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.

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.

23. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel, according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from

20. For it was of the Lord to war.

"As God commanded Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so did Joshua." As Joshua let alone certain cities that did not arise against him, and yet did all that Moses commanded, and all that God commanded Moses, therefore, Moses did not command Joshua, (and God did not command Moses) to slay indiscriminately all the people of Canaan.

Joshua made war a long time with all those kings