Joshua 11:21

Cut off the Anakims - from Hebron, from Debir - This is evidently a recapitulation of the military operations detailed Joshua 10:36-41.

Destroyed - their cities - That is, those of the Anakims; for from Joshua 11:13 we learn that Joshua preserved certain other cities.

At that time - i. e. in course of the "long time" mentioned in Joshua 11:18.

The Anakims - See Numbers 13:22. As it was the report of the spies respecting the Anakims which, above all, struck terror into the Israelites in the wilderness, and caused their faithless complaining and revolt, so the sacred writer goes back here in his story to record pointedly the overthrow of this gigantic and formidable race. They had their chief settlements in the mountains around Hebron Joshua 10:3 or Debir. See Joshua 15:15.

Anab was a city in the mountain district of Judah, lying some distance south of Hebron. It still bears its ancient name.

11:21 At that time — In that war, but in divers years.

The mountain — Or, mountains, the singular number for the plural; these barbarous and monstrous persons either chose to live in the dens or caves, which were frequent in the mountains of those parts, or else they were driven thither by the arms and success of the Israelites.

From Debir — From the territories belonging to these cities, as we have often seen in this history, cities mentioned for the country subject to them.

The mountains of Israel — It doth not follow from hence, that this book was written by some other person long after Joshua's death, even after the division of the Israelites into two kingdoms. of Israel and Judah; but only that this was one of those clauses which were added by Ezra or some other prophet; though that be not necessary: for since it was evident to Joshua, from Genesis 49:10, etc. that the tribe of Judah was to be the chief of all these tribes, and some dawnings of its eminency appeared in that time, in their having the first lot in the land of Canaan, chap. 15:1, and the largest inheritance, chap. 19:9, it is no wonder that it is mentioned apart, and distinguished from the rest of the tribes of Israel, though that also be one of them. But how could Joshua utterly destroy these, when Caleb and Othniel destroyed some of them after Joshua's death? chap. 14:12; Judges 1:10-12. This might be, either 1. Because these places being in part destroyed and neglected by the Israelites, were repossessed by the giants, and by them kept 'till Caleb destroyed them. Or rather 2. Because this work, though done by the particular valour of Caleb, is ascribed to Joshua as the general of the army, according to the manner of all historians; and therefore it is here attributed to Joshua, though afterwards, that Caleb might not lose his deserved honour, the history is more particularly described, and Caleb owned as the great instrument of it, chap. 14:6-15 and Judges 1:12-20.