Joshua 11:14 Meaning and Explanation
“And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Israel took the goods and livestock as spoil, but the people of the cities were entirely struck down.
What Does Joshua 11:14 Mean?
The spoil and the cattle Israel kept for themselves, as had been permitted, while the inhabitants fell under the same judgment that had been decreed against the nations of the land. The verse draws the line clearly between what was taken and what was given over.
The provision of spoil shows the Lord supplying His people even amid judgment, settling them with flocks and goods they had not raised. The severity toward the inhabitants remains the harder truth of the chapter, the long-warned consequence falling on peoples whose ways had ripened over generations. The reader holds both together: the Lord's provision and the Lord's justice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joshua 11:14
What does Joshua 11:14 mean?
Israel took the goods and livestock as spoil, but the people of the cities were entirely struck down.