The Skeptics Annotated Bible (215 page)

28 And that day
Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword
, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them,
and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain
: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.

(10.28)
“Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword … and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain.”

29
Then Joshua
passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and
fought against Libnah:

30
And the LORD delivered it also
, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel;
and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain
in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.

(10.29-30)
“Then Joshua … fought against Libnah: And the LORD delivered it also … and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain.”

31 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:

32 And
the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which
took it on the second day, and
smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein
, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

(10.32)
“The LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which … smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein.”

33
Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

(10.33)
“Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.”

34 And from Lachish
Joshua passed unto Eglon
, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:

35 And they took it on that day,
and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed
that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

(10.34-35)
“Joshua passed unto Eglon … and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed.”

36 And
Joshua went
up from Eglon, and all Israel with him,
unto Hebron
; and they fought against it:

37 And they took it,
and smote it with the edge of the sword
, and the king thereof,
and all the cities
thereof,
and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining
, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.

(10.36-37)
“Joshua went … unto Hebron … and smote it with the edge of the sword … and all the cities … and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining.”

38 And
Joshua returned
, and all Israel with him,
to Debir
; and fought against it:

39
And he took it
, and the king thereof,
and all the cities
thereof;
and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining
: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.

(10.38-39)
“Joshua returned … to Debir … And he took it … and all the cities … and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining.”

40
So Joshua
smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he
left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

(10.40)
“So Joshua … left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.”

41 And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.

42 And
all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

(10.42)
“All these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.”

43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

11
And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,

2 And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,

3 And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.

4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.

5 And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

(11.6-20) God delivers the Hazorites into Joshua’s hand, and he knows just what to do with them: smite them all with (you guessed it) the edge of the sword until “there was not any left to breathe.”
God’s 37th Killing

6 And
the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel
: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.

(11.6)
“The LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel.”

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.

8 And
the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them
, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward
;
and they smote them,
until they left them none remaining.

(11.8)
“The LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them … until they left them none remaining.”

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

(11.9)
“Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses.”

10 And
Joshua
at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and
smote the king thereof with the sword
: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.

(11.10)
“Joshua … smote the king thereof with the sword.”

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.

(11.11)
“They smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe.”

12 And
all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.

(11.12)
“All the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.”

13 But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.

14 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.

(11.14)
“Every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.”

15
As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

(11.15)
“As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.”

(11.16-17)
“So Joshua took … all their kings … and smote them, and slew them.”

16
So Joshua took
all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;

17 Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and
all their kings
he took,
and smote them, and slew them.

18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle.

20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly
, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

(11.20)
“For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly.”
Notice that God hardens their hearts so that he can have an excuse to kill them.

(11.21-22)
More giant killing
The Anakim are described elsewhere in the Bible (Deuteronomy 1.28, 2.10, 2.21, and 9.2) as “a people great and tall”—which is biblespeak for “giants”. God’s 36th Killing