Joshua 10 Study Notes

10:15 Israel’s return to the camp at Gilgal anticipated the end of the war and the identical conclusion in v. 43. Thus vv. 11-15 describe the activity of God as fighting for Israel while the remainder of the chapter focuses on the events of Israel and of its enemies.

10:16 Sometime before the end of the battle with the enemy armies, the five kings (v. 3) had hidden in the cave at Makkedah (v. 10).

10:17-21 When Joshua learned where the kings were hiding, he put a guard on the cave and ordered the army to continue pursuing the enemy so they could not escape to their fortified centers. The note that a few survivors ran away to the fortified cities anticipates vv. 28-42 and the destruction of the various fortified centers.

10:22-24 Commands given by Joshua in vv. 22 and 24a are followed word-for-word in vv. 23 and 24b. The Israelite army was in complete unison and obedience to their leader, and a great victory was accomplished.

10:24 The act of the military commanders placing their feet on the necks of these kings signified the subjugation of the kings and their rule to the army of Israel (Jr 28:14; 30:8; Ezk 21:29).

10:25 Joshua repeated the words of encouragement that God had given to him in 1:5-9.

10:26-27 Joshua’s actions toward the kings duplicate those toward the king of Ai (8:29) with execution, hanging on trees until sunset, and then “burial” in a cave with a pile of stones to mark the site. See the note at 4:8-9.

10:28-40 The capture and destruction of Makkedah (v. 28), Libnah (vv. 29-30), La-chish (vv. 31-33), Eglon (vv. 34-35), Hebron (vv. 36-37), and Debir (vv. 38-39) followed in rapid sequence.

10:33 A fourth town in the sequence, Gezer, was not attacked but is mentioned as providing an army to fight against Israel at Lachish. The city of Lachish was strategically located. Egyptian inscriptions show that it was probably the base for Egypt’s empire in southern Canaan. Its defeat would have been among the most important events of Joshua’s entire southern campaign.

10:40 A summary of the victories by region is presented in this verse. The effect is to describe a complete destruction leaving no survivors. This is a stylized, hyperbolic statement celebrating the victorious southern campaign. The reality, however, is that many Canaanites did escape, as will be apparent in chap. 13 and in Jdg 1. Here the emphasis is on the obedience of Joshua and Israel in following God’s commands from Dt 20:16-18.

10:41 This summary defines all the towns in the south as far north as Gibeon. Goshen cannot refer to Egypt but must describe an otherwise unknown region (11:16). In 15:51 the town is associated with a district in the tribe of Judah.

10:42 In one campaign is literally “at one time.” Emphasis is on how quickly it was completed because the Lord fought for Israel (note the occurrence of this phrase in v. 14).

10:43 The return of all Israel to the camp at Gilgal signaled the end of the campaign and the peace that resulted so Israel could rest.