Cities for the People

As he did following Israel’s victory over the southern coalition, Joshua now begins a mop-up operation in northern Canaan. Having destroyed the assembled armies of the northern kings, he moves from city to city, wiping out their citizens as mandated by God.

Turning back from the pursuit of the fleeing Canaanites, Joshua attacks Hazor, which had been the leading city of northern Canaan. Its king, who summoned the northern coalition to oppose Israel, apparently escaped from the carnage at Merom and returned to his city. But he finds no safety there; Joshua, we are told, “took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword.” All of his people are likewise put to death, as God had commanded Israel to do. Then Joshua burns the city to the ground. Israel then goes on to take all the other northern cities of the coalition, to execute the other kings who escaped from the battle, and to put to death all of the people in those cities. Curiously, however, the author of Joshua specifically notes that Israel keeps the plunder of these cities and leaves all the buildings intact. Perhaps God commanded that Hazor be made an example, as was Jericho, with all its contents placed under the ban and burned. The plunder of the less-important cities, however, is left to Israel, and the cities themselves are preserved for the use of the Israelite tribes that will settle in this region. We know that Israel used the cities of the Amorites on the Jordan’s east side (Num. 21:25). Furthermore, God promised through Moses to settle the Israelites in cities they did not build (Deut. 6:10–12; 19:1). These cities of northern Canaan, as well as others that are not specifically mentioned as burned, likely are among those in which the Israelites are living years later when Joshua speaks of this promise as fulfilled (Josh. 24:13).

This section closes with a brief ode to Joshua’s faithfulness: “As the LORD had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.” Joshua had heard the command of God that he bring judgment on the Canaanites. It was not a pleasant calling, but he submitted to it and did not seek to pass it off. Rather, he obeyed thoroughly. And his obedience was a key factor in the success of Israel’s conquest.