Joshua 11:9

Joshua 11:9 Meaning and Explanation

And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.

King James Version (KJV)

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Joshua obeys exactly, crippling the horses and burning the chariots as the Lord had commanded.

What Does Joshua 11:9 Mean?

With the battle won, Joshua carries out the rest of the Lord's word. He hamstrings the captured horses and sets the chariots ablaze, exactly as he was told. Nothing of the enemy's strength is kept for Israel's own use.

The verse is a portrait of full obedience. Joshua could have spared the chariots as spoil, but he does precisely what the Lord bade him. To burn the very things the nations trusted is to declare, in deed, that Israel's confidence rests elsewhere. Faithfulness is measured not only in the fighting but in what one is willing to give up afterward.

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What does Joshua 11:9 mean?

Joshua obeys exactly, crippling the horses and burning the chariots as the Lord had commanded.

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