Waters of Merom

Biblical Text

The waters of Merom appear only in Joshua 11. After the southern campaign was complete, Jabin king of Hazor summoned Jobab king of Madon, the king of Shimron, the king of Achshaph, and a number of kings from the northern hill country. These kings "came and pitched together at the waters of Merom" (Joshua 11:5). The text describes their army as "even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many" (Joshua 11:4).

God told Joshua not to be afraid and commanded him to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots (Joshua 11:6). Joshua and his fighting men came against them "by the waters of Merom suddenly" and fell upon them (Joshua 11:7). Israel pursued the defeated army to great Zidon, to Misrephothmaim, and to the valley of Mizpeh eastward (Joshua 11:8). They then captured Hazor and burned it (Joshua 11:10–11).

Background

The name "Merom" is commonly interpreted as related to the Hebrew for "high place." "Waters" refers to a place with water, such as a spring, stream, or lake.

The location has not been identified with certainty. In the nineteenth century the view that it was Lake Huleh on the upper Jordan River was widely held. Today several proposals identify it with a spring or valley in the Galilean hill country. There have also been attempts to connect it with similar place names in Egyptian and Assyrian records, but scholars disagree.

Some scholars connect this account with a Late Bronze Age destruction layer uncovered in the excavations at Hazor. Opinions differ, however, regarding the date of the destruction and who was responsible for it.

Significance in the Bible as a Whole

The battle at the waters of Merom is portrayed as the decisive episode of the northern campaign within the conquest narrative that begins with the fall of Jericho. The latter part of Joshua 11 moves from this victory into a summary of the conquest as a whole (Joshua 11:16–23). The text also notes, however, that Joshua "made war a long time" (Joshua 11:18).

The command to do away with horses and chariots is often read alongside the law concerning the king in Deuteronomy 17:16, which warns against relying on military strength, and the confession of Psalm 20:7. The name Jabin king of Hazor reappears in Judges 4 as an enemy in the time of Deborah. The New Testament does not mention the waters of Merom directly.

Interpretation and Issues

• Historicity: The traditional view reads the text as a record of an actual battle. Another view regards the conquest narrative as a theological summary of a process that took place over a long period. Seminaries of various denominations also differ in emphasis.
• The problem of total destruction: The statement that all the inhabitants of the cities were put to death (Joshua 11:11–12) remains the subject of ongoing interpretive discussion in relation to modern ethics of war.
• Spiritual application: Preachers commonly apply the command "Be not afraid" and the burning of the chariots as examples of a faith that relies on God alone.
• What the text does not say: The specific method of the attack, such as a night march, is not described in the text. The text records only that the attack came "suddenly."