And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
Joshua did ... as the Lord (Joshua 11:6 ) bade him. Houghing the horses is done by cutting the sinews and arteries of their hinder legs, so that they not only become hopelessly lame, but bleed to death. The reasons for this special command were, that the Lord designed to lead the Israelites to trust in Him, not in military resources (Psalms 20:7), to show that in the land of promise there was no use of horses; and, finally, to discourage their traveling, as they were to be an agricultural, not a trading people.