Joshua 10:1-15

The Sun Stands Still

1 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction,^[a]¹doing to Ai and its king ²as he had done to Jericho and its king, and ³how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,

2 ⁴he^[b] feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.

3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,

4 "Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For ⁵it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel."

5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, ⁶gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.

6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua ⁷at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us."

7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and ⁸all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.

8 And the LORD said to Joshua, ⁹"Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. ¹⁰Not a man of them shall stand before you."

9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal.

10 ¹¹And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who^[c] struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of ¹²the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were ¹³going down the ascent of Beth-horon, ¹⁴the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, ¹⁵"Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."

13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.

14 ¹⁶There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for ¹⁷the LORD fought for Israel.

15 So ¹⁸Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

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Joshua 10:1-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 10

This chapter treats of the combination of five kings against the Gibeonites, Jos 10:1-5; and of the application of the Gibeonites to Joshua, for assistance, in virtue of the league between them, which was granted, Jos 10:6-9; of the slaughter of the army by the kings of Israel, and chiefly by hailstones from heaven, Jos 10:10,11; and of the standing still of the sun, and of the moon, while vengeance was taken on them, Jos 10:12-14; and of the five kings being hid in a cave, and of the usage of them when taken, Jos 10:15-27; and of the taking of Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir, Jos 10:28-39; which finished the conquest of the southern part of the land, Jos 10:40-43.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 18

1. Joshua 8:22, 26-29
2. See Joshua 6:21, 24
3. Joshua 9:15
4. Deuteronomy 11:25
5. ver. 1; Joshua 9:15
6. Joshua 9:2
7. Joshua 5:10; Joshua 9:6
8. Joshua 8:1, 3
9. Joshua 11:6; Judges 4:14
10. Joshua 1:5
11. Judges 4:15; 1 Samuel 7:10; Psalms 18:14; Isaiah 28:21
12. Joshua 16:3, 5; Joshua 18:13, 14; 1 Kings 9:17; 1 Chronicles 7:24; 2 Chronicles 8:5
13. [See ver. 10 above]
14. [Psalms 18:12-14; Isaiah 30:30; Revelation 16:21]
15. Habakkuk 3:11; [Isaiah 28:21]
16. Isaiah 38:8; [2 Kings 20:11]
17. ver. 42; Joshua 23:3, 10
18. ver. 43

Footnotes 3

[a]. That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verses 28, 35, 37, 39, 40
[b]. One Hebrew manuscript, Vulgate (compare Syriac); most Hebrew manuscripts they
[c]. Or and he

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.