Joshua 11:4-9

11:4 These kings came out with their armies; they were as numerous as the sand on the seashore and had a large number of horses and chariots. ¹  11:5 All these kings gathered and joined forces ²  at the Waters of Merom to fight Israel.

11:6 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for about this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to lie dead before Israel. You must hamstring their horses and burn ³  their chariots.” 11:7 Joshua and his whole army caught them by surprise at the Waters of Merom and attacked them. ⁴  11:8 The Lord handed them over to Israel and they struck them down and chased them all the way to Greater Sidon, ⁵  Misrephoth Maim, ⁶  and the Mizpah Valley to the east. They struck them down until no survivors remained. 11:9 Joshua did to them as the Lord had commanded him; he hamstrung their horses and burned ⁷  their chariots.

[11:4]  ¹ tn Heb “They and all their camps with them came out, a people as numerous as the sand which is on the edge of the sea in multitude, and [with] horses and chariots very numerous.”

[11:5]  ² tn Heb “and came and camped together.”

[11:6]  ³ tn Heb “burn with fire”; the words “with fire” are redundant in English and have not been included in the translation.

[11:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them at the Waters of Merom suddenly and fell upon them.”

[11:8]  ⁵ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[11:8]  ⁶ tn The meaning of the Hebrew name “Misrephoth Maim” is perhaps “lime-kilns by the water” (see HALOT 2:641).

[11:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “burned with fire”; the words “with fire” are redundant in English and have not been included in the translation.