Joshua 11:12
וְֽאֶת־כָּל־עָרֵ֣י הַמְּלָכִֽים־֠הָאֵלֶּה וְֽאֶת־כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶ֞ם לָכַ֧ד יְהֹושֻׁ֛עַ וַיַּכֵּ֥ם לְפִי־חֶ֖רֶב הֶחֱרִ֣ים אֹותָ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֔ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה עֶ֥בֶד יְהוָֽה׃
1. Transliteration
Veʾet-kol-ʿārê hammelākhîm-hāʾēlleh veʾet-kol-malkhêhem lākhad Yehōshuaʿ, vayyakkēm lefî-ḥerev, heḥĕrîm ʾōtām, kaʾăsher tsivvāh Mōsheh ʿeved YHWH.
2. Literal Translation
And all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, Yehoshuaʿ captured, and he struck them by the mouth of the sword; he devoted them to destruction, just as Moshe, the servant of YHWH, had commanded.
3. Grammar Focus: Fronted Objects Before the Main Verb
This verse begins with a long object before the main verb appears:
וְאֶת־כָּל־עָרֵי הַמְּלָכִים־הָאֵלֶּה וְאֶת־כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם
The marker אֶת points to a definite direct object. In simple terms, it marks what receives the action. Here, before the reader even hears the verb לָכַד, “captured,” Hebrew has already placed the captured things in front: all the cities and all their kings.
For beginners, this is important: Hebrew can move the object to the front to make the scope feel large and heavy. The sentence does not begin with “Yehoshuaʿ captured.” It begins with the full weight of what was captured.
4. The Campaign Line in Four Movements
| Movement | Hebrew Phrase | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Objects named first | וְאֶת־כָּל־עָרֵי / וְאֶת־כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם | The verse first displays the full scope of the conquest. |
| Main capture | לָכַד יְהֹושֻׁעַ | Yehoshuaʿ is named after the verb, keeping the action prominent. |
| Striking action | וַיַּכֵּם לְפִי־חֶרֶב | A second action follows: he struck them by the sword. |
| Obedience frame | כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה | The verse ends by grounding the action in command. |
5. Vocabulary Builder: Capture, Strike, Devote
| Hebrew Word | Pronunciation | Core Root & Meaning | Ancient Concrete Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| לָכַד | lākhad | Root ל־כ־ד, “to capture, seize, take” | The image is taking hold of something so that it is no longer free or outside one’s control. |
| וַיַּכֵּם | vayyakkēm | Root נ־כ־ה, “to strike, smite” | The action is forceful and direct. The ending ־ם means “them.” |
| חֶרֶב | ḥerev | Noun meaning “sword” | A concrete weapon image. The phrase לְפִי־חֶרֶב pictures the sword as having a “mouth.” |
| הֶחֱרִים | heḥĕrîm | Root ח־ר־ם, “to devote, ban, devote to destruction” | A thing is removed from ordinary human use and placed under a solemn ban. |
| צִוָּה | tsivvāh | Root צ־ו־ה, “to command” | The verse ends not with personal ambition, but with obedience to command. |
6. Syntax Insight: The Little Marker אֶת Points to the Target
The word אֶת does not usually translate smoothly into English. It marks a definite direct object. In this verse, it appears twice:
וְאֶת־כָּל־עָרֵי
וְאֶת־כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם
This repeated אֶת helps beginners see the structure. Hebrew is pointing: these are the things affected by the verb. First the cities are marked. Then the kings are marked. Then the action arrives: לָכַד יְהֹושֻׁעַ, “Yehoshuaʿ captured.”
7. Manuscript Image: The Mouth of the Sword
The phrase לְפִי־חֶרֶב literally means “to the mouth of the sword” or idiomatically “by the edge of the sword.”
This is concrete Hebrew imagery. A sword is pictured as if it has a mouth, consuming what it strikes. For beginners, this shows how Hebrew often expresses action through vivid physical pictures. Instead of an abstract phrase like “military execution,” the text gives the reader a sharp image: the mouth of the sword.
8. Beginner Practice Activity: Find the Direct Objects
Look for the two phrases marked by אֶת. These are the definite direct objects in the verse.
| Hebrew Element | Your Discovery |
|---|---|
| וְאֶת־כָּל־עָרֵי הַמְּלָכִים־הָאֵלֶּה | Is this one object group? |
| וְאֶת־כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם | Is this another object group? |
| לָכַד יְהֹושֻׁעַ | Is this the capture action? |
Click to Reveal the Scribal Answer
Answer: The two direct object groups are וְאֶת־כָּל־עָרֵי הַמְּלָכִים־הָאֵלֶּה, “and all the cities of these kings,” and וְאֶת־כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם, “and all their kings.”
The marker אֶת helps you see what receives the action of לָכַד, “captured.”
What the Fronted Objects Make Us See
This verse is not arranged casually. Hebrew first places the captured cities and kings before the reader, then gives the action of capture. That word order makes the conquest feel broad before it becomes verbal action.
The repeated sequence of verbs gives the verse a hard narrative rhythm: לָכַד, he captured; וַיַּכֵּם, he struck them; הֶחֱרִים, he devoted them to destruction. Each verb adds another step.
But the final phrase, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד יְהוָה, frames the whole action as obedience to command. The verse ends not merely with battle, but with the authority of Mosheh, the servant of YHWH.
