Joshua 10:1-15

The Day the Sun Stood Still

1 Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and completely destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were [living] among them.

2 So Adoni-zedek and his people were^[a] greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.

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

4 "Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites."

5 So the five Amorite kings-the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon-joined forces, advanced with all their armies, besieged Gibeon, and fought against it.

6 Then the men of Gibeon sent [word] to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Don't abandon^[b] your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have joined forces against us."

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?^[c] 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.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. One Hb ms, Syr, Vg read So he was
• [b]. Lit Don't let your hand go from
• [c]. Or of the Upright