Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them,.... Men, women, and children:

there was not any left to breathe; any human creature; for as for the cattle they were taken for a prey:

and he burnt Hazor with fire; as he did Jericho and Ai, though no other cities he had taken; but it seems that this city, though burnt, was built again and inhabited by Canaanites, who had a king over them of the same name with this in the times of Deborah, Judges 4:2.

Geneva Study Bible

(f) Both men, women and children.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

he burnt Hazor with fire — calmly and deliberately, doubtless, according to divine direction.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

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.

Not any left — That is, no human person.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 11:11 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.

Ver. 11. And he burnt Hazor with fire.] Which yet was rebuilt and reigned in by another Jabin, this man’s nephew haply, who therefore might, in revenge, the more cruelly tyrannise over the Israelites. [ 4:2-3] Malice is commonly hereditary, and runs in the blood; and, as we used to say of runnet, the older it is, the stronger.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

There was not any, i.e. no human person.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

‘And they smote all the souls who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying (devoting) them. There was none left that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire.’

Burning with fire was something he had only done to Jericho, Ai and now Hazor. Jericho because it was the firstfruits, Ai so as to counteract their defeat there, and Hazor because it was too powerful. It would at least render it powerless for some time into the future, although he must have been aware that people would return and rebuild it. Possibly he hoped that before that happened the conquest of Canaan would be complete. Archaeology has borne witness to the destruction by fire of Hazor at this time. In its restoration the lower city was not rebuilt.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

11.Smote all the souls — For a justification of this severity see on Joshua 6:21.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

souls. Hebrew, plural of nephesh. App-13.

edge. Hebrew mouth. Figure of speech Pleonasm. App-6. breathe. Hebrew. neshamah. App-16.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

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.

He burnt Hazor with fire - calmly and deliberately; doubtless, according to divine direction, as being the Canaanite metropolis of the north; because its destruction was an exception to the usual treatment of the conquered cities of Canaan.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

any left to breathe

Heb. any breath.

10:40