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But the Israelites did not burn any of the towns built on mounds except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
Joshua 11:13 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only. Joshua burned that.
  • KJV But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.
  • BSB Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned.
  • NKJV But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned.
  • NASB However, Israel did not burn any cities that stood on their mounds, except Hazor alone, which Joshua burned.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Israel did not burn the cities built on mounds, except Hazor. Most cities were preserved for Israel's own use.

Overview

Apart from Hazor, the fortified hilltop cities were left standing so Israel could later occupy them. This practical restraint preserved valuable settlements for the inheritance to come. The detail shows the conquest aimed not at mere devastation but at dispossession and possession of the land.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 1

  • Jer 30:18Yahweh says: “Behold, I will turn again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have compassion on his dwelling places. The city shall be built on its own hill, and the palace shall be inhabited in its own place.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Joshua videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Joshua 11:13YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JoshuaMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.

How Joshua 11:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.