Joshua 10

The Sun Stands Still at Gibeon

1 And it happened that when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua captured Ai and had utterly destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he did to Ai and its king) and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,

2 he became very afraid because Gibeon [was] a very large city, {like one of the royal cities}, and because it [was] larger than Ai, and all its men [were] mighty warriors.

3 So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent [word] to Hohman king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,

4 "Come up and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and the {Israelites}."

5 And 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, gathered [together] and went up, they and all their forces, and {they laid siege to Gibeon} and made war against it.

6 And the men of Gibeon sent [word] to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, "{Do not abandon} your servant. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country have gathered against us."

7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and {all the fighting men} with him, {all the best warriors}.

8 And Yahweh said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand; {no one will withstand you}.

9 Joshua came upon them suddenly {by marching up} all night from Gilgal.

10 And Yahweh threw them into panic before Israel, who struck them [with] a great blow at Gibeon and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

11 And as they were fleeing from Israel, [they were] on the slope of Beth-horon, and Yahweh threw huge stones from the heavens on them as far as Azekah; and more died by the hail stones than those whom the {Israelites} killed by the sword.

12 Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh, on the day Yahweh gave the Amorites over to the {Israelites}, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun in Gibeon, stand still, and moon, in the valley of Aijalon."

13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until [the] nation took vengeance [on] its enemies. Is it not written in the scroll of Jashar? The sun stood still in the middle of the heaven and was not in haste to set for about a full day.

14 There has not been a day like this before it or after, that Yahweh listened to the voice of [a] man; for Yahweh fought for Israel.

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

The Kings of the Amorites Are Killed

16 But these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

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

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

19 But do not stay [there]; pursue after your enemies and attack them from the rear. Do not allow them to go into their cities, for Yahweh your God has given them into your hand."

20 When Joshua and the {Israelites} had finished striking them [with] a very great blow, until they perished, {those of them who survived} went into the fortified cities,

21 and all the people returned to the camp safely to Joshua [at] Makkedah. {No one spoke} against the {Israelites}.

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

23 And they did so, and brought him these five kings 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 these kings to Joshua, Joshua called all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of {the fighting men} who had gone with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came near and put their feet on their necks.

25 And Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid or dismayed! Be strong and bold, for thus Yahweh will do to all your enemies whom you [are] about to fight.

26 And after this Joshua struck them down and killed them, and he hanged them on five trees. And they were hanging on the trees until the evening.

27 And it happened {at the time of sunset}, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they put large stones against the mouth of the cave, [which are there] to this very day.

28 Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and he struck it and its king with {the edge of the sword}; he utterly destroyed it and everyone that was in it. He did not leave behind a survivor. So he did to the king of Makkedah just as he did to the king of Jericho.

Joshua’s Conquest of the South

29 And Joshua passed on, and all of Israel with him, from Makkedah [to] Libnah, and he fought against Libnah.

30 And Yahweh also gave it into the hand of Israel, and its king and all the people in it he struck with {the edge of the sword}. He left in it no survivor. He did to its king just as he did to the king of Jericho.

31 And Joshua passed on, and all of Israel with him, from Libnah to Lachish, and {he laid siege to it} and fought against it.

32 And Yahweh gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day. He struck it with {the edge of the sword}, and everyone in it, just as he did to Libnah.

33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua struck him and his people until he left no survivor behind.

34 And Joshua passed on, and all of Israel with him, from Lachish to Eglon, and {they laid siege to it} and fought against it.

35 And they captured it on that day, and he struck it with {the edge of the sword}, and all the people that [were] in it on that day he utterly destroyed as he had done to Lachish.

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

37 and captured it, and they struck it with {the edge of the sword}, its king and all its cities, and all the people that [were] in it; he left behind no survivor, as he had done to Eglon, and he utterly destroyed it and all the people that [were] in it.

38 Then Joshua returned to Debir, and all of Israel with him, and they fought against it,

39 and he captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with {the the edge of the sword}, and they utterly destroyed all the people that [were] in it; he left behind no survivor, just as he had done to Hebron. Thus he did to Debir and its king what he had done to Libnah and its king.

40 So Joshua struck all the land--the hill country, the Negev, the Shephelah, and the slopes--and all their kings; he left behind no survivor, and {all that breathed} he utterly destroyed as Yahweh the God of Israel commanded.

41 Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen up to Gibeon;

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

43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at 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?

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "they"
• [b]. Literally "like one of the cities of the kingship"
• [c]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [d]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [e]. Literally "they camped against Gibeon"; see Josh 10:31
• [f]. Literally "do not release your hands from"
• [g]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [h]. Literally "all the people of the war"
• [i]. Literally "all the mighty warriors of the army"
• [j]. Literally "not a man of them will stand in your presence"
• [k]. Literally "he went up"
• [l]. Hebrew "he"
• [m]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [n]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [o]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [p]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [q]. Literally "the survivors [who] survived"
• [r]. Or "in peace"
• [s]. Literally "No one moved his tongue"
• [t]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [u]. Literally "the men of war"
• [v]. Literally "at the time of the going of the sun"
• [w]. Literally "[the] mouth of [the] sword"
• [x]. Literally "[the] mouth of [the] sword"
• [y]. Literally "he camped opposite it"
• [z]. Literally "[the] mouth of [the] sword"
• [aa]. Literally "they camped opposite it"
• [ab]. Literally "[the] mouth of [the] sword"
• [ac]. Literally "[the] mouth of [the] sword"
• [ad]. Literally "[the] mouth of [the] sword"
• [ae]. An arid region south of the Judaean hills
• [af]. Or "lowlands"; a geographical region on the western edge of the hills of Judea
• [ag]. The slopes of the hills of the western Jordan to the Dead Sea region
• [ah]. Literally "all of the breath"

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.