Joshua 10:1-15

1 And when Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, had heard these things, that is, that Joshua had taken Ai, and had destroyed it; for as Joshua had done to Jericho and to the king thereof, so he did to Ai and to the king thereof; and that (the) men of Gibeon had fled (over) to Israel, and were bound in peace with them (and had made a covenant with them),
2 Adonizedek dreaded greatly (Adonizedek greatly feared); for Gibeon was a great city, and one of the king's cities, and greater than the city of Ai, and all the fighters thereof were most strong.
3 Therefore Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, sent to Hoham, king of Hebron, and to Piram, king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia, king of Lachish, and to Debir, king of Eglon, and said,
4 Ascend ye to me, and help me (Come ye up to me, and help me), (so) that we (can) fight against Gibeon, for it was yielded to Joshua, and to the sons of Israel.
5 Therefore (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, were gathered (together), and ascended together with their hosts; and setted tents against Gibeon (and pitched their tents opposite Gibeon), and fought against it.
6 Soothly the dwellers of the city of Gibeon sent to Joshua, that dwelled then in tents at Gilgal, and said to him, Withdraw not thine hands from the help of thy servants; go up soon, and deliver us, and [bring] help; for all the kings of Amorites, that dwelled in the hilly places, came together against us. (And the inhabitants of the city of Gibeon sent to Joshua, who then lived in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, Do not thou withdraw thy hands from helping thy slaves; come up soon, and help us, and rescue us; for all the kings of the Amorites, who live in the hill country, have come up together against us.)
7 And Joshua went up from Gilgal, (he) and all the host of fighters with him, the most strong men.
8 And the Lord said to Joshua, Dread thou not them (Do not thou fear them), for I have given them into thine hands; and none of them shall be able to against-stand thee.
9 Therefore Joshua felled suddenly on them, and went up all that night from Gilgal; (And so Joshua fell suddenly upon them, after going up all that night from Gilgal;)
10 and the Lord troubled them from the face of Israel, and all-brake (them) with great vengeance in Gibeon. And Joshua pursued them by the way of the ascending of Bethhoron, and smote till to Azekah and Makkedah. (and the Lord confounded them before the Israelites, and destroyed them with great vengeance in Gibeon. And Joshua pursued them by way of the ascent to Bethhoron, and struck them down unto Azekah and Makkedah.)
11 And when they fled the sons of Israel, and were in the going down of Bethhoron, the Lord sent great stones upon them from heaven, till they came to Azekah; and many more were dead by the hailstones, than they which the sons of Israel killed with sword. (And when they fled from the Israelites, and were on the descent from Bethhoron, the Lord sent great hailstones upon them from the heavens, until they came to Azekah; and many more died from the hailstones, than they whom the Israelites killed with their swords.)
12 Then Joshua spake to the Lord, in the day in which he betook Amorites in the sight of the sons of Israel; and Joshua said before the people, Sun, be thou not moved against Gibeon, and the moon, against the valley of Ajalon. (And Joshua spoke to the Lord, on the day in which he delivered the Amorites into the hands of the Israelites; and Joshua said before the people, Sun, stand thou still over Gibeon, and Moon, stand thou still over the Ajalon Valley.)
13 And the sun and the moon stood, unto the time the folk of God had venged themselves of their enemies. Whether this is not written in the book of just men? And so the sun stood in the midst of heaven, and it hasted not to go down in the space of a day; (And so the sun and the moon stood still, until the time that the people of God had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? And so the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens, and it hastened not to go down in the space of a day;)
14 so long a day was not before and afterward (there was never so long a day, before or afterward); for the Lord obeyed to the voice of a man, and he fought for Israel.
15 And Joshua turned again, with all Israel, into the tents of Gilgal. (And then Joshua, and all Israel, returned to their tents in Gilgal.)

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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.