What is the meaning of Joshua 11:6? Then the LORD said to Joshua God Himself initiates the strategy. Just as in Joshua 1:1–9 the LORD directly commissioned Joshua, here He steps in again, underscoring that victory begins with His word, not human planning (cf. Judges 6:14; 1 Samuel 30:8). • The battle plan is not Joshua’s idea but divine revelation. • Because the command is from the LORD, it carries the certainty of fulfillment (Numbers 23:19). Do not be afraid of them Fear is the natural response to a massive coalition of northern kings with horses and chariots (Joshua 11:4). Yet the LORD repeats the charge He gave earlier: “Do not be afraid” (Joshua 8:1; 10:8; Deuteronomy 31:6). • Courage flows from God’s presence, not from superior weaponry (Psalm 27:1). • Previous victories (Jericho, Ai, the southern campaign) testify that the same God is still fighting (1 Samuel 17:37). For by this time tomorrow The promise comes with a timetable. Like Exodus 9:18 and 2 Kings 7:1, God names the exact moment to highlight His sovereignty over events and time itself. • Joshua can act in confident obedience knowing the outcome is imminent. • The enemy’s numerical and technological advantage will evaporate within 24 hours. I will deliver all of them slain before Israel The LORD assumes total responsibility for the result, echoing Exodus 23:27 and Deuteronomy 7:23. • “I will deliver” shifts the focus from Israel’s strength to God’s power (Psalm 44:3). • “All of them slain” shows the completeness of judgment on persistent Canaanite wickedness (Genesis 15:16; Deuteronomy 9:4). • The phrase “before Israel” assures public, unmistakable victory, reinforcing faith for future conflicts. You are to hamstring their horses God’s people must cripple the enemy’s primary military asset. This lines up with Deuteronomy 17:16, where Israel’s leaders are warned not to depend on horses. • Hamstringing renders the animals unfit for war, preventing Israel from adopting pagan military reliance (Psalm 20:7). • The act is irreversible, symbolizing a decisive break with the world’s methods (2 Samuel 8:4). And burn up their chariots Chariots were the ancient equivalent of tanks (Judges 4:3). Burning them eliminates any temptation to boast in captured technology. • God had already destroyed Egypt’s chariots in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:24–25), teaching that salvation is “not by might nor by power” (Zechariah 4:6). • By destroying the spoils, Israel preserves purity of trust and avoids future oppression from within (Psalm 33:17). summary Joshua 11:6 is a six-fold assurance: God speaks, calms fear, sets a timetable, guarantees victory, commands the disabling of enemy power, and instructs the destruction of tempting spoils. The verse teaches that triumph comes from unwavering obedience to God’s revealed word, complete dependence on His power, and deliberate rejection of worldly security. |
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