Parshat Vayishlach6 min read

The Kings of Canaan Marched to Wipe Out the House of Jacob

Their own advisors told the kings to remember what two of Jacob's sons did to Shechem. They marched anyway, and old Jacob killed twelve thousand.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Kings Counted the Tents and Grew Afraid
  2. Jacob Sent His Sons to Wash Before He Sent Them to War
  3. The Army That Would Not Stay Beaten
  4. Judah Went Over the Wall of Hazor Alone
  5. The Fortress on the High Hill
The Kings of Canaan Marched to Wipe Out the House of Jacob Click for full size

The Kings Counted the Tents and Grew Afraid

The kings of Canaan watched the household of Jacob spread across the land, tent after tent, herd after herd, and they did not like the arithmetic. Strike now, they told one another, before these Hebrews root themselves too deep to pull up. They summoned their advisors and their war-captains to bless the plan.

The advisors came in and were afraid. A dread none of them could name sat down on their chests, and in place of counsel they gave a warning. "Are you silly?" they said to their kings. "Is there no understanding in you, that you propose to fight with the Hebrews? Why do you take delight in your own destruction this day?" Then they reminded the kings of a thing everyone in Canaan still whispered about. "Two of them came to the city of Shechem without fear or terror, and they put all the inhabitants to the sword, and no man stood against them. How will you fight them all?" They meant Simeon and Levi, and the morning the men of Shechem lay dead in their own gates.

The kings heard the fear in their wise men and armed anyway.

Jacob Sent His Sons to Wash Before He Sent Them to War

Word reached Jacob that the armies were on the roads. He did not put swords in his sons' hands first. He gathered them and spoke of purity before he spoke of blood. "Fear not," he told them. "God will be your helper, and He will fight for you against your enemies. Only put away the strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and wash your garments clean." So the sons of Jacob buried what did not belong to them, washed, and only then took up iron.

Then the battle came, and Jacob did not wait behind his sons. Girded with his sword, the old man charged into the front of the enemy and cut down twelve thousand of them in the first press. Judah saw his father's chest heaving. "Father, you are tired and worn," he said. "Let me fight them alone." Jacob looked at him and blessed him. "Judah, my son, I know your strength and your courage. None in the world is your equal."

Judah went in with a face like a lion's, inflamed. He killed warriors by the myriad, hardened men who had come to kill him, and still he was not spent. Levi ran to his side, and where Judah struck by the thousand, Levi cut the enemy down like grain falling under the scythe of the reaper. Between the two of them the host of Nineveh broke.

The Army That Would Not Stay Beaten

But this enemy did not know how to stay beaten. The next morning the trumpets sounded again, and the army was back on the field, hungry for the revenge it had failed to take the day before. Jacob told his sons to hold the line, and set the rest of them in reserve to spell the tired. Issachar and Gad stepped forward to lead.

The two of them alone put forty-eight thousand men in the dust and drove twelve myriads more into the mouth of a cave. Issachar and Gad dragged trees from the woods, heaped them at the cave, and lit them. Smoke rolled into the dark. The trapped men choked and shouted, "Why should we sit here and die? Better to go out and fight, and maybe live." They burst from the cave on every side at once and closed a ring around the two brothers.

Dan and Naphtali saw them swallowed and did not stop to think. They cut a road through the enemy with their swords until they reached their brothers, and the four of them stood back to back, one wall of men against the whole ring.

Judah Went Over the Wall of Hazor Alone

Then came Hazor, and Judah did not wait for a ladder-line or a plan. He set his hands to the wall and climbed. He had not even cleared the top when four warriors came down at him along the rampart, four against a man with one hand still gripping stone. He killed all four before Naphtali could reach him.

Naphtali came up behind him. They planted themselves on the wall, Judah on the right, Naphtali on the left, and dealt out death to every man who ran at them. Seeing the two brothers hold the height, the rest surged up after them, over the wall like a tide, until they had made an end of the host of Hazor. They took the city, let no one slip away, and stripped it bare.

The Fortress on the High Hill

The next city was Sartan, and Sartan sat on high ground with a high hill before it, so that men said none could come near it, and its citadel walls climbed so far up that the defenders laughed down at anyone who tried. The sons of Jacob took it anyway, and not by throwing bodies at the gate. They divided the wall between them. Judah went up first on the east. Gad took the west. Simeon and Levi took the north. Reuben and Dan took the south. And while the brothers climbed, Naphtali and Issachar knelt at the gate and set fire to the hinges, until the great doors sagged and dropped off the wall that was built to keep every enemy out.

By the end, the kings who had gathered to pull the Hebrews up by the roots had learned the thing their own advisors felt in the council chamber. They had come to destroy the house of Jacob. They stayed to fear it.

JacobJudahTwelve TribesHoly WarAmorite KingsLevi
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From the tradition

Sources

5 sources

The texts behind this telling. Some cards carry a translation of the source; others are our own retelling of it, and each card says which. Every card links out to the original.

Legends of the Jews 6:239Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

A moment came when Jacob, sensing impending danger, turned to his sons. But he didn't just hand them swords and send them off to battle. No, his first words were deeply spiritual, profoundly human. "Fear not," he urged, "God will be your helper, and He will fight for you against your enemies. Only you must put away from you the strange gods in your possession, and you must purify yourselves, and wash your garments clean." Before the clash of steel, before the bloodshed, Jacob called for introspection, for tahara (purity), for a turning away from anything that might cloud their connection to the Divine. It's a powerful reminder that even in the face of physical threat, the spiritual dimension remains paramount.

Then the battle began.

The narrative explodes into action. Girded with his sword, Jacob himself charged into the fray. Can you picture it? This aging patriarch, his heart filled with love and determination, leading the charge? The text says he slew twelve thousand of the weak in the army in the initial onslaught.

Judah, his son, saw his father's weariness. He stepped forward, filled with filial piety and righteous zeal. "Father," he said, "thou art tired and exhausted, let me fight the enemy alone."

Jacob, knowing his son’s strength, responded with a powerful blessing, “Judah, my son, I know thy strength and thy bravery, that they are exceeding great, so that none in the world is like unto thee therein.” This wasn't just a father acknowledging his son’s prowess; it was an affirmation of Judah's unique destiny, a destiny intertwined with courage and leadership.

The description of Judah is striking: "His countenance like a lion's and inflamed with wrath." He attacked the army, and the verse says he slew twelve myriads – that's hundreds of thousands – of seasoned warriors.

The battle raged, a chaotic dance of death and survival. And Levi, another of Jacob's sons, rushed to Judah’s aid. Together, they achieved victory over the Ninevites. The text emphasizes the sheer force of their assault. Judah alone slew five thousand more soldiers, and Levi, wielding his weapon with relentless power, cut down enemies "like grain under the scythe of the reaper."

These aren’t just numbers; they are symbolic of the overwhelming power unleashed when faith, courage, and brotherly love combine. It's a reminder that even against seemingly insurmountable odds, the spirit of humanity, guided by faith and fueled by love, can triumph.

What do we take away from this? Is it just a thrilling war story? Or is it a deeper lesson about facing our own battles, both internal and external, with a combination of spiritual preparation and unwavering courage? Perhaps the most profound lesson lies in Jacob's initial call to purification. Maybe, just maybe, before we pick up our swords, we need to examine what "strange gods" we still cling to, and cleanse ourselves for the fight ahead.

Full source
Legends of the Jews 6:233Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

Isaac and Jacob, their families growing, their presence increasingly noticeable in the land of Canaan. Naturally, the local kings were getting nervous. Should they attack? Should they try to wipe out these newcomers before they became too strong? They gathered their advisors, these kings, ready to make a decision that could change everything.

In Legends of the Jews, that monumental collection of Jewish folklore and biblical commentary compiled by Louis Ginzberg, God Himself intervened. He heard the prayers of Isaac and Jacob, and what did He do? He didn't send an army of angels. He didn't strike down the Canaanites with lightning. Instead, He filled the hearts of the Canaanite kings' advisors with fear.

That scene. These advisors, hardened veterans, seasoned politicians, suddenly gripped by an overwhelming sense of dread. The text says “great fear and terror.” When the kings asked for their counsel, the advisors practically begged them to reconsider.

"Are you silly?" they asked, according to the legend. "Is there no understanding in you, that you propose to fight with the Hebrews? Why do you take delight in your own destruction this day?" It’s almost comical, this sudden reversal.

And then they reminded their kings of a particularly gruesome event. "Behold," they said, "two of them came to the city of Shechem without fear or terror, and they put all the inhabitants of the city to the sword, no man stood up against them, and how will you be able to fight with them all?" They were referring, of course, to Simeon and Levi's devastating response to the rape of their sister Dinah (Genesis 34).

It's a brutal story, but it highlights a crucial point. The advisors weren't just afraid of the Hebrews' military might (which, let’s face it, was limited at that point). They were afraid of something more. They sensed a power, a force, a divine protection surrounding Jacob and his sons. They recognized that these Hebrews weren't just another tribe to be conquered.

So, what are we left with? A powerful image of divine intervention, not through brute force, but through the subtle manipulation of fear. A reminder that sometimes, the greatest battles are won not on the battlefield, but in the hearts and minds of our adversaries. And a lingering question: How often are we, too, guided by unseen forces, influenced by fears and anxieties that we don't fully understand? Perhaps more than we realize.

Full source
Legends of the Jews 6:244Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

Legends of the Jews turns to Jacob's Sons Fought Off a Persistent Army Day After Day.

Jacob and his family are on the move. They've just had that thing with Laban, Jacob's father-in-law, and tensions are still running high. But just when you think they're in the clear, bam! An army shows up, spoiling for a fight, wanting revenge. According to Legends of the Jews, compiled by Louis Ginzberg, this wasn't a one-off thing either. No, sir. This army was persistent.

The next day, they were back, trumpets blaring, ready to rumble. Jacob, ever the patriarch, turns to his sons and says, "Alright, boys, time to defend ourselves. Go out there and fight!"

Issachar and Gad, two of Jacob's sons, step forward. "Father," they say, "today, we'll take the lead." Jacob, wisely, agrees. He tells their brothers to stand guard, ready to jump in and help if Issachar and Gad start to tire. It's a classic battle strategy: rotate your troops, keep them fresh.

And what a battle it was! Legends of the Jews recounts that these two brothers alone slew forty-eight thousand warriors and drove another twelve myriads (that's hundreds of thousands!) into hiding in a cave. I mean, wow!

But it doesn't end there. Issachar and Gad, resourceful as ever, gather trees from the woods, pile them up in front of the cave entrance, and set them ablaze. Talk about turning up the heat!

The warriors trapped inside, choking on smoke and scorched by the heat, face a dilemma. "Why should we just sit here and die?" they cry. "Let's go out and fight! Maybe we can still save ourselves!" See, even in the face of certain defeat, the human spirit yearns for a fighting chance.

So, they burst out of the cave, attacking Issachar and Gad from every angle. The brothers are suddenly surrounded, fighting for their lives.

That's when Dan and Naphtali, seeing their brothers in trouble, leap into action. They charge forward, swords flashing, cutting a path through the enemy ranks to reach Issachar and Gad. Together, the four brothers stand shoulder to shoulder, a united force against overwhelming odds. They oppose the foe as one.

This story, found in Legends of the Jews, reminds us that even the most familiar biblical figures have untold stories of courage, resilience, and brotherly love. And maybe, just maybe, it inspires us to stand a little closer to our own brothers and sisters, ready to face whatever challenges come our way, together.

Full source
Legends of the Jews 6:251Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

Legends of the Jews turns to Hazor in Battle.

Judah, the first to scale the formidable walls. He's not waiting for backup, not strategizing. He's just going. As he neared the top, four warriors descended upon him (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews). Four! for a second. He hadn't even fully crested the wall, and he's already facing a coordinated attack.

Here's the thing: he doesn't falter. He doesn't retreat. He slays them. All four. Before his brother Naphtali could even reach him to offer help, Judah had already cleared the path.

Naphtali, though, is right behind him. And together, they become an unstoppable force. Picture them standing side-by-side atop that wall, Judah to the right, Naphtali to the left. They become a bulwark, a deadly duo, raining destruction upon the enemy. They "dealt out death to the warriors," as the text so starkly puts it. It's a vivid, almost brutal image.

And then, the rest of the brothers. Inspired by the courage of Judah and Naphtali, they surge forward, one after another. They pour over the walls, a relentless tide of righteous fury. The text is blunt: they "made an end of exterminating the heathen host on that day." It’s a stark reminder of the realities of ancient warfare.

The story continues: they subjugated Hazor, slew the warriors, allowed no one to escape, and plundered the city. Every detail is important because it illustrates the totality of their victory. It wasn't just a battle; it was a complete takeover, a reshaping of the landscape.

We're left to consider the implications of such narratives. Are they simply historical accounts, or are they something more? Perhaps they are tales meant to inspire, to remind us of the strength and resolve that can be found even in the face of overwhelming odds. Maybe it's a reminder that sometimes, the courage to be first, like Judah, or the loyalty to stand beside, like Naphtali, can change the course of history.

Full source
Legends of the Jews 6:252Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

The day after a previous, unspecified battle – because life in the ancient world was pretty much one battle after another. – our heroes arrived at Sartan. Now, Sartan wasn't just any city. The text describes it as being located on high land. I'm picturing something incredibly strategic, difficult to approach, almost daring you to try and take it. And to add insult to injury, the hill before the city was equally high! It sounds absolutely imposing.

It says "none could come near unto it." Seriously, none? That's how impregnable this place was supposed to be. And if you somehow managed to survive the approach? Forget about the citadel, the inner stronghold! Its walls were sky-high, practically unscalable. I mean, you can almost hear the defenders laughing from above.

Here's the thing about faith, determination, and a little bit of strategic thinking: sometimes, even "none" isn't enough.

Because despite the near impossibility, they – this unnamed group of warriors, these legendary figures – they made themselves masters of the city. How? By sheer grit and a coordinated assault. It wasn't just brute force, though. It was a carefully planned operation.

The text paints a vivid picture: They scaled the walls of the citadel. It's not just a general "they attacked." It's specific. It's personal. We know who was where. Judah was on the east side, the first to ascend. Imagine him, clinging to the rock, pulling himself up, the fate of the battle perhaps resting on his shoulders. Then Gad on the west. Simon and Levi on the north. Reuben and Dan on the south. Each with their own strengths, their own vulnerabilities, but all united in purpose.

And then, the detail that really brings it home: Naphtali and Issachar, the unsung heroes, setting fire to the hinges upon which the gates of the city were hung. It's a small act, perhaps, but a crucial one. It speaks to ingenuity, to recognizing that sometimes, the most effective way to break down a barrier is to target its weakest point.

So what does this brief snapshot of a battle tell us? It's more than just a historical account. It’s a reminder that even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, collective effort, strategic thinking, and a little bit of fire can make the impossible possible. And perhaps, that's a lesson we can all take to heart, whatever our own "Sartan" might be.

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