Joshua 10:1-6

Five Kings Attack Gibeon

1 Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly destroyed it (just ¹as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king ), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had ²made peace with Israel and were within their land,

2 that he ³feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.

3 Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word ⁴to Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth and to Japhia king of Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,

4 "Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, for it has ⁵made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel."

5 So the five kings of ⁶the 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 with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it.

6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, "Do not abandon * * your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us."

Joshua 10:1-6 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.

Cross References

• 1. Joshua 8:21
• 2. Joshua 9:15
• 3. Exodus 15:14-16
• 4. Joshua 10:23
• 5. Joshua 9:15
• 6. Numbers 13:29

Footnotes

• [a] Or "put under the ban"
• [b] Lit "among them"
• [c] Lit "they"
• [d] Lit "smite"
• [e] Lit "slacken your hands from"