John Calvin Commentary Joshua 11:8

"And Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they smote them, and chased them unto great Sidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining." — Joshua 11:8 (ASV)

And the Lord delivered them, etc. The greatness of the overthrow can be inferred from the fact that the slaughter continued as far as Sidon, which was a great distance from the lake of Merom. Sidon is called "great" because of its fame as a commercial center and its large population. This is not a comparison between it and a smaller town of the same name. The Hebrew noun Mozerephoth, which some retain unchanged as a proper name, we have preferred to translate as “the boiling of the waters,” because it is probable that thermal springs, which boiled, were located there.

Moreover, the panic that hurried them away into such a scattered flight plainly shows that they were driven headlong by the secret terror of the Lord. Thus, it is certain that the Israelites, who dared to follow the fugitives through so many dangers, were elevated to a valor beyond human capability by divine power.

Praise is given to Joshua both for his restraint and for his prompt obedience. He would not have submitted so willingly to the loss of so many horses and chariots if the fear of God had not overawed him. For such is human ingenuity in devising excuses, it would have been plausible to argue that even though he could not adapt them for military use, their value was by no means to be despised.

But he believed he had no right to consider anything but God's will. Then, because he had succeeded through his own good conduct in making the people willing and obedient, he, as an individual, justly received praise for what had been accomplished by all.