Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
they took the whole in war. "For it was of the Lord" (v. 20), i.e., God ordered it so
that they (the Canaanites) hardened their heart to make war upon Israel, that they
might fall under the ban, and be destroyed without mercy. On the hardening of the
heart as a work of God, see the remarks upon the hardening of Pharaoh (Ex 4:21). It
cannot be inferred from this, that if the Canaanites had received the Israelites
amicably, God would have withdrawn His command to destroy them, and allowed the
Israelites to make peace with them; for when they made peace with the Gibeonites,
they did not inquire what as the will of the Lord, but acted in opposition to it (see at
Josh 9:14). The remark is made with special reference to this, and has been correctly
explained by Augustine (qu. 8 in Jos.) as follows: "Because the Israelites had shown
mercy to some of them of their own accord, though in opposition to the command of
God, therefore it is stated that they (the Canaanites) made war upon them so that none
of them were spared, and the Israelites were not induced to show mercy to the neglect
of the commandment of God."
Joshua 11:21-23
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.
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