Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

By the waters of Merom suddenly - Joshua, being apprised of this grand confederation, lost no time, but marched to meet them; and before they could have supposed him at hand, fell suddenly upon them, and put them to the rout.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Suddenly - As before, at Gibeon Joshua 10:9, so now Joshua anticipates his enemies. Taken by surprise, and hemmed in between the mountains and the lake, the chariots and horses would have no time to deploy and no room to act effectively; and thus, in all probability, the unwieldy host of the Canaanites fell at once into hopeless confusion.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them,.... Being encouraged by the Lord, they set out with Joshua at the head of them, to fight the kings and their forces. It is highly probable that these were not the whole body of armed men in the camp of Israel, but a select company Joshua took of them, and who would be able to make quicker marches on this expedition:

by the waters of Merom suddenly; the Targum is,"they lay by the waters of Merom;'as they were thoughtless and careless, and not on their guard, Joshua and his forces came to them suddenly, unawares, and they not provided for them:

and they fell upon them; at once, which threw them into disorder and confusion.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.

Suddenly — When they least expected them, intending there to refresh, and prepare, and order themselves for the offensive war which they designed.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 11:7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.

Ver. 7. By the waters of Merom suddenly.] Like a lightbolt. Bajazet, for like cause, was surnamed Gilderun, or lightning: and of two brave Romans Lucan saith that they were

“ duo fulmina belli. ”

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

When they least expected them, intending there to refresh, and prepare, and order themselves for the offensive war which they designed.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

‘So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom, suddenly, and fell on them.’

The huge army gathered together, were probably still arranging tactics and leadership, not realising how close the Israelites were, when without warning the Israelite men of war, whom their scouts had probably told them were safely well out of the way, suddenly emerged and swept down on them catching them totally unawares. Their horses and chariots were unready and they panicked. They knew the fearsome reputation of these barbarians, and that they were seemingly invincible, with a God Who could do wonderful things. The alliance was a hotchpotch of armies, without unity, and may well have begun to fight each other, for in the panic they would be strangers to each other. Whatever the situation their unpreparedness resulted in panic and flight.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

7.Suddenly — Joshua’s victories were achieved by bold and unexpected strokes, appalling and disorganizing the foe by the suddenness of his assault. The Septuagint reads that he fell upon them on the “mountain slopes,” or in the hilly region, before they could deploy upon the plain by the lake and use their war chariots to any good purpose. These would only serve to obstruct their movements and impede their flight when attacked among the hills.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

Joshua 11:7. Joshua came — against them — When they least expected him, intending there to refresh, and prepare, and order themselves for the offensive war which they designed.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Suddenly.—On this occasion, as in the former campaign which began at Gibeon, Joshua surprised his adversaries by the rapidity of his movements.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

suddenly

10:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:2,3