Session 17 · Joshua 11:16-23
Holy War and the Giant Clans
Face the moral difficulty of conquest honestly, and read the passage closely.
Book reading: Chapter 25
Read the assignment first: Joshua 11:16-23, then Chapter 25. Joshua’s account describes a long campaign, the defeat of kings, the destruction of the Anakim in the hill country, and the land given to Israel by tribal allotments. The ending says the land had rest from war. These are not abstract events. The passage includes the hard statement that cities were devoted to destruction, and says the Lord hardened the opposing kings’ hearts so they came against Israel. Read those words without softening them. If a sentence troubles you, name exactly what troubles you rather than rushing to defend it.
In Heiser’s framing, the conquest command is directed against giant clans descended from the Nephilim, and more precise passages should guide how broad statements are read. Joshua 11 specifically names the Anakim and describes where they were defeated, while also noting that some remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. Deuteronomy 7:1-5 gives broader commands concerning the nations. Read both texts and ask how their details relate. The book’s interpretation is an argument to weigh against Scripture; the passage itself does not spell out every connection or resolve every moral question.
A useful response begins by stating the difficulty in your own words. For example: this passage describes the destruction of whole communities under divine command, and I struggle to understand how that fits with God’s justice and the command to love our neighbors. Make the wording your own. Honest grief and questions do not require you to dismiss the Bible or to pretend you have solved it. Joshua’s account belongs to a particular stage in Israel’s history. Jesus tells his followers to love their enemies, pray for those who persecute them, and refuse retaliation (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:17-21). These commands shape Christian conduct now; ancient Israel’s battle instructions are not permission for Christians to harm people.
Joshua 11:23 says the land was given as an inheritance “according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses.” The chapter links the outcome to a promise, while its details keep the story concrete: the campaign lasted a long time, not every city made peace, and the Anakim were not described as wholly gone from the wider region. Notice what the author reports and what remains difficult. Then bring the question to God without demanding a quick answer. If this account stirs up painful memories or deep distress, talk it through with a pastor, counselor, or trusted friend.
The practice today is careful reading, not imitation of warfare: put Joshua 11 beside Deuteronomy 7, record the questions that remain, and ask what Jesus commands his disciples. Can you hold a serious question and a serious commitment to follow Christ at the same time? A faithful reader can refuse both evasion and cruelty.
Key idea
Joshua 11 describes the conquest and names the Anakim among those defeated. Heiser argues that the conquest commands targeted giant clans; read that proposal alongside the passage’s details and Jesus’ commands against retaliation.
Questions to consider
- How does Joshua 11:16-23 describe the Anakim, the campaign, and the land’s rest?
- In your own words, what is morally difficult about the conquest, and what do Jesus’ teachings require of you today?
Journal prompt
State the moral difficulty of the conquest in your own words. Then note which details Joshua 11 gives, which questions remain, and how Jesus’ commands shape your response.
Practice
1. Spend 15 minutes reading Joshua 11:16-23 and Deuteronomy 7:1-5. Write one sentence naming the moral difficulty, two details from Joshua 11, and one question you still have.