Joshua 10:7-17

7 So Joshua and his whole military force, including all the fighting men, came from Gilgal.

8 The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you."

9 So Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal.

10 The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel. He defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them through the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

11 As they fled before Israel, the Lord threw large hailstones on them from the sky along the descent of Beth-horon all the way to Azekah, and they died. More of them died from the hail than the Israelites killed with the sword.

12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the presence of Israel: "Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, over the valley of Aijalon."

13 And the sun stood still and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Isn't this written in the Book of Jashar?^[a] So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day.

14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, because the Lord fought for Israel.

15 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

Execution of the Five Kings

16 Now the five [defeated] kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

17 It was reported to Joshua: "The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah."

Joshua 10:7-17 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.

Footnotes

• [a] Or of the Upright