Joshua 10

1 Now it happened, when Adoni-Tzedek king of Yerushalayim heard how Yehoshua had taken `Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Yericho and her king, so he had done to `Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Giv`on had made shalom with Yisra'el, and were among them;

2 that they feared greatly, because Giv`on was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than `Ai, and all the men of it were mighty.

3 Therefore Adoni-Tzedek king of Yerushalayim sent to Hoham king of Hevron, and to Pir'am king of Yarmut, and to Yafia king of Lakhish, and to Devir king of `Eglon, saying,

4 Come up to me, and help me, and let us strike Giv`on; for it has made shalom with Yehoshua and with the children of Yisra'el.

5 Therefore the five kings of the Amori, the king of Yerushalayim, the king of Hevron, the king of Yarmut, the king of Lakhish, the king of `Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped against Giv`on, and made war against it.

6 The men of Giv`on sent to Yehoshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Don't slack your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amori that dwell in the hill-country are gathered together against us.

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

8 The LORD said to Yehoshua, Don't fear them: for I have delivered them into your hands; there shall not a man of them stand before you.

9 Yehoshua therefore came on them suddenly; [for] he went up from Gilgal all the night.

10 The LORD confused them before Yisra'el, and he killed them with a great slaughter at Giv`on, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beit-Horon, and struck them to `Azeka, and to Makkedah.

11 It happened, as they fled from before Yisra'el, while they were at the descent of Beit-Horon, that the LORD cast down great stones from the sky on them to `Azeka, and they died: they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Yisra'el killed with the sword.

12 Then spoke Yehoshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amori before the children of Yisra'el; and he said in the sight of Yisra'el, Sun, stand you still on Giv`on; You, Moon, in the valley of Ayalon.

13 The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn't this written in the book of Yashar? The sun stayed in the midst of the sky, and didn't hurry to go down about a whole day.

14 There was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD listened to the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Yisra'el.

15 Yehoshua returned, and all Yisra'el with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

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

17 It was told Yehoshua, saying, The five kings are found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.

18 Yehoshua said, Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them:

19 but don't stay; pursue after your enemies, and strike the hindmost of them; don't allow them to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.

20 It happened, when Yehoshua and the children of Yisra'el had made an end of killing them with a very great slaughter, until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,

21 that all the people returned to the camp to Yehoshua at Makkedah in shalom: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Yisra'el.

22 Then said Yehoshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings to me out of the cave.

23 They did so, and brought forth those five kings to him out of the cave, the king of Yerushalayim, the king of Hevron, the king of Yarmut, the king of Lakhish, the king of `Eglon.

24 It happened, when they brought forth those kings to Yehoshua, that Yehoshua called for all the men of Yisra'el, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings. They came near, and put their feet on the necks of them.

25 Yehoshua said to them, Don't be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom you fight.

26 Afterward Yehoshua struck them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging on the trees until the evening.

27 It happened at the time of the going down of the sun, that Yehoshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, to this very day.

28 Yehoshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and the king of it: he utterly destroyed them and all the souls who were therein; he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Yericho.

29 Yehoshua passed from Makkedah, and all Yisra'el with him, to Livna, and fought against Livna:

30 and the LORD delivered it also, and the king of it, into the hand of Yisra'el; and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were therein; he left none remaining in it; and he did to the king of it as he had done to the king of Yericho.

31 Yehoshua passed from Livna, and all Yisra'el with him, to Lakhish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:

32 and the LORD delivered Lakhish into the hand of Yisra'el; and he took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were therein, according to all that he had done to Livna.

33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lakhish; and Yehoshua struck him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

34 Yehoshua passed from Lakhish, and all Yisra'el with him, to `Eglon; and they encamped against it, and fought against it;

35 and they took it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword; and all the souls who were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lakhish.

36 Yehoshua went up from `Eglon, and all Yisra'el with him, to Hevron; and they fought against it:

37 and they took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and the king of it, and all the cities of it, and all the souls who were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to `Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls who were therein.

38 Yehoshua returned, and all Yisra'el with him, to Devir, and fought against it:

39 and he took it, and the king of it, and all the cities of it; and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hevron, so he did to Devir, and to the king of it; as he had done also to Livna, and to the king of it.

40 So Yehoshua struck all the land, the hill-country, and the South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, commanded.

41 Yehoshua struck them from Kadesh-Barnea even to `Aza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Giv`on.

42 All these kings and their land did Yehoshua take at one time, because the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, fought for Yisra'el.

43 Yehoshua returned, and all Yisra'el with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

Joshua 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

Five kings war against Gibeon. (1-6) Joshua succours Gibeon The sun and moon stand still. (7-14) The kings are taken, their armies defeated, and they are put to death. (15-27) Seven other kings defeated and slain. (28-43)

Verses 1-6 When sinners leave the service of Satan and the friendship of the world, that they make peace with God and join Israel, they must not marvel if the world hate them, if their former friends become foes. By such methods Satan discourages many who are convinced of their danger, and almost persuaded to be Christians, but fear the cross. These things should quicken us to apply to God for protection, help, and deliverance.

Verses 7-14 The meanest and most feeble, who have just begun to trust the Lord, are as much entitled to be protected as those who have long and faithfully been his servants. It is our duty to defend the afflicted, who, like the Gibeonites, are brought into trouble on our account, or for the sake of the gospel. Joshua would not forsake his new vassals. How much less shall our true Joshua fail those who trust in Him! We may be wanting in our trust, but our trust never can want success. Yet God's promises are not to slacken and do away, but to quicken and encourage our endeavours. Notice the great faith of Joshua, and the power of God answering it by the miraculous staying of the sun, that the day of Israel's victories might be made longer. Joshua acted on this occasion by impulse on his mind from the Spirit of God. It was not necessary that Joshua should speak, or the miracle be recorded, according to the modern terms of astronomy. The sun appeared to the Israelites over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Ajalon, and there they appeared to be stopped on their course for one whole day. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? forms a sufficient answer to ten thousand difficulties, which objectors have in every age started against the truth of God as revealed in his written word. Proclamation was hereby made to the neighbouring nations, Behold the works of the Lord, and say, What nation is there so great as Israel, who has God so nigh unto them?

Verses 15-27 None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. This shows their perfect safety. The kings were called to an account, as rebels against the Israel of God. Refuges of lies will but secure for God's judgment. God punished the abominable wickedness of these kings, the measure of whose iniquity was now full. And by this public act of justice, done upon these ringleaders of the Canaanites in sin, he would possess his people with the greater dread and detestation of the sins of the nations that God cast out from before them. Here is a type and figure of Christ's victories over the powers of darkness, and of believers' victories through him. In our spiritual conflicts we must not be satisfied with obtaining some important victory. We must pursue our scattered enemies, searching out the remains of sin as they rise up in our hearts, and thus pursue the conquest. In so doing, the Lord will afford light until the warfare be accomplished.

Verses 28-43 Joshua made speed in taking these cities. See what a great deal of work may be done in a little time, if we will be diligent, and improve our opportunities. God here showed his hatred of the idolatries and other abominations of which the Canaanites had been guilty, and shows us how great the provocation was, by the greatness of the destruction brought upon them. Here also was typified the destruction of all the enemies of the Lord Jesus, who, having slighted the riches of his grace, must for ever feel the weight of his wrath. The Lord fought for Israel. They could not have gotten the victory, if God had not undertaken the battle. We conquer when God fights for us; if he be for us, who can be against us?

Chapter Summary

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.