Joshua 10:16-43

Five Amorite Kings Executed

16 These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at ¹Makkedah.

17 And it was told to Joshua, "The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah."

18 And Joshua said, "Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them,

19 but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; ²attack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand."

20 When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow ³until they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,

21 then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. ⁴Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel.

22 Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave."

23 And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

24 And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings." Then they came near and put their feet on their necks.

25 And Joshua said to them, ⁵"Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. ⁶For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight."

26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And ⁷they hung on the trees until evening.

27 But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and ⁸they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

28 As for ⁹Makkedah, Joshua captured it on that day and struck it, and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah ¹⁰just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

Conquest of Southern Canaan

29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to ¹¹Libnah and fought against Libnah.

30 And the LORD gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining in it. And he did to its king ¹²as he had done to the king of Jericho.

31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to ¹³Lachish and laid siege to it and fought against it.

32 And the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah.

33 Then Horam king of ¹⁴Gezer came up to help Lachish. And Joshua struck him and his people, until he left none remaining.

34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Lachish to ¹⁵Eglon. And they laid siege to it and fought against it.

35 And they captured it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. And he devoted every person in it to destruction that day, as he had done to Lachish.

36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to ¹⁶Hebron. And they fought against it

37 and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it. He left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and devoted it to destruction and every person in it.

38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned back to ¹⁷Debir and fought against it

39 and he captured it with its king and all its towns. And they struck them with the edge of the sword and devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. Just as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and to its king.

40 So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland ¹⁸and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, ¹⁹but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

41 And Joshua struck them from ²⁰Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of ²¹Goshen, as far as Gibeon.

42 And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, ²²because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

43 ²³Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Joshua 10:16-43 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.

Cross References

• 1. ver. 10, 28, 29
• 2. [Deuteronomy 25:18]
• 3. Joshua 8:24
• 4. Exodus 11:7
• 5. Joshua 1:6, 9; See Deuteronomy 31:6-8
• 6. Deuteronomy 3:21; Deuteronomy 7:19
• 7. Joshua 8:29
• 8. Deuteronomy 21:22, 23
• 9. ver. 10, 16, 17
• 10. Joshua 6:21
• 11. Joshua 21:13
• 12. [See ver. 28 above]
• 13. ver. 3
• 14. Joshua 16:10; Judges 1:29; See 1 Kings 9:15-17
• 15. ver. 3
• 16. Joshua 15:13; Judges 1:10; See Joshua 14:13-15
• 17. See Joshua 15:15-17; Judges 1:11-13
• 18. Joshua 12:8
• 19. Deuteronomy 20:16, 17
• 20. Deuteronomy 9:23
• 21. Joshua 11:16
• 22. ver. 14
• 23. ver. 15