King Adonizedek of Jerusalem forms an alliance with four other Amorite kings to attack Gibeon, who had made peace with Israel. Joshua responds to Gibeon's plea, and the LORD intervenes with a great slaughter, including hailstones and causing the sun and moon to stand still for a full day. Joshua then captures and executes the five kings, proceeding to conquer and utterly destroy Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir, as the LORD fought for Israel.
Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it (as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king), and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;
that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
Wherefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.
And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill-country are gathered together against us.
And Jehovah discomfited them before Israel, and he slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
Then spake Joshua to Jehovah in the day when Jehovah delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
but stay not ye; pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for Jehovah your God hath delivered them into your hand.
And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,
And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the chiefs of the men of war that went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus shall Jehovah do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, unto this very day.
And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof: he utterly destroyed them and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
and Jehovah delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining in it; and he did unto the king thereof as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
and Jehovah delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel; and he took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword; and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
and they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls that were therein.
and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to the king thereof.
So Joshua smote all the land, the hill-country, and the South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, commanded.
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
Study Notes for Joshua 10
Verse 1
Adonizedek, King of Jerusalem, leads this coalition. Jerusalem was strategically important and its ruler feared Israel's success (Jericho/Ai) and the defection of Gibeon, a powerful city-state that controlled important trade routes.
Verse 3
This alliance involved the five major Amorite city-states in the southern hill country. Their decision to attack Gibeon rather than confront Israel directly shows their concern over Israel’s covenant relationship with the Gibeonites.
Verse 5
The term 'Amorites' is used broadly here to describe the pre-Israelite inhabitants of the central and southern hill country, although specific groups like the Hittites and Canaanites were also present.
Verse 8
This divine assurance, given before the battle, confirms that the victory is guaranteed by God. This promise reinforces the theme that the conquest is fundamentally the Lord’s war, not merely Joshua’s military campaign.
Verse 9
The rapid, all-night march from Gilgal to Gibeon (a distance of about 20 miles uphill) demonstrates Joshua's tactical initiative and his commitment to honoring the covenant made with the Gibeonites (9:15).
Verse 10
The Lord ‘discomfited’ them, meaning He threw the enemy into confusion and panic, initiating the rout that Israel then capitalized upon.
Verse 11
The hailstones represent a direct, supernatural intervention by God (a theophany, or manifestation of God’s power). The text emphasizes that more enemies perished by this divine judgment than by the Israelite army’s swords.
Verse 12
Joshua’s command reflects an extraordinary moment of faith, demanding the lengthening of daylight to ensure the complete and decisive destruction of the enemy forces before they could reach the protection of their cities.
Verse 13
The 'book of Jasher' was a lost collection of ancient Hebrew poems or heroic songs, cited here to confirm the magnitude and notoriety of this miraculous event. The theological point is God's absolute power over creation on behalf of His people.
Verse 14
This verse highlights the uniqueness of the miracle, underscoring Joshua’s exceptional status as a leader whose spoken request was answered by God to secure a military objective.
Verse 15
This verse concludes the narrative of the main battle and the pursuit. Some scholars view it as a literary bracket, anticipating the full return to Gilgal (v. 43) after the subsequent city campaigns.
Verse 24
Placing feet upon the necks of defeated kings was a powerful symbolic act in the ancient Near East, signifying total domination, humiliation, and the transfer of sovereignty. It served as a visible reassurance to the Israelite captains.
Verse 25
Joshua uses the public execution as a teaching moment, applying the immediate military victory to a general principle: God will grant Israel victory over all future enemies.
Verse 26
The kings were subsequently hanged as a public warning, but in accordance with Deuteronomic law (Deut. 21:23), they had to be taken down and buried before sunset to avoid defiling the land.
Verse 28
Makkedah is the first of a series of southern cities destroyed. The phrase 'utterly destroyed' (Heb. herem) refers to the dedication of the city and its inhabitants wholly to God, usually through destruction, as commanded by the covenant law.
Verse 33
Horam, King of Gezer, intervened to assist Lachish, demonstrating a broader regional solidarity against Israel. Gezer was a key fortress city, often under Egyptian influence, located strategically between the coastal plain and the hill country.
Verse 40
This verse summarizes the scope of the campaign, covering the major geographical regions of the southern territory: the central hill country, the Negev (south), the Shephelah (vale), and the springs/foothills. The destruction was carried out precisely as God commanded.
Verse 42
The rapid success of this extensive campaign is explicitly attributed to divine intervention. The theological message is clear: the victories were accomplished 'at one time' because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.
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