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Joshua 10

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Five Kings Attack Gibeon 1–6

1
Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem had 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; ​
2
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.
3
Wherefore Adonizedek 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, ​
4
Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
5
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 before Gibeon, and made war against it. ​
6
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 mountains are gathered together against us.

Joshua Marches to Gibeon 7–11

7
So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
8
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. ​
9
Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. ​
10
And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. ​
11
And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. ​

The Sun Stands Still 12–15

12
Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD 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 Ajalon. ​
13
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. ​
14
And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. ​
15
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. ​

Execution of the Five Kings 16–27

16
But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
17
And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
18
And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:
19
And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.
20
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, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.
21
And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
22
Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
23
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, and the king of Eglon.
24
And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which 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. ​
25
And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. ​
26
And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. ​
27
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 been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.

Conquest of Southern Cities 28–39

28
And that day Joshua took Makkedah, 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 let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho. ​
29
Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:
30
And the LORD 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 let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.
31
And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:
32
And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which 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.
33
Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining. ​
34
And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:
35
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.
36
And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:
37
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 destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
38
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:
39
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 her king.

Summary of the Southern Campaign 40–43

40
So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. ​
41
And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
42
And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. ​
43
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Joshua 10

Verse 1

Adonizedek king of Jerusalem — Adoni-tsedeq means 'lord of righteousness', a name close to Melchizedek, 'King of righteousness' and 'King of Salem' (Heb 7:2), the earlier king of the same city (Ps 76:2). Jerusalem is first named in Joshua here. What alarms him is Gibeon: it 'had made peace with Israel', the league of 9:15.

Verse 3

Hoham king of Hebron — The four kings Adonizedek summons are named with their cities. Hoham and Piram are found nowhere else; the king of Eglon is called Debir, a name also borne by a city taken in vv.38–39. His message, in v.4, gives the reason: 'Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua'.

Verse 5

the five kings of the Amorites — 'Amorites' covers all five kings, as the Gibeonites also say, 'all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains' (v.6; cf. Num 13:29). Their day was foretold to Abraham: 'the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full' (Gen 15:16). They 'encamped before Gibeon', a city that had sworn peace with Israel.

Verse 8

Fear them not — The LORD, before the night march of v.9, gives the words Joshua first heard: 'There shall not any man be able to stand before thee' (1:5); here 'not a man of them stand before thee'. 'I have delivered them into thine hand' is said as already done; to Moses of Og it was 'Fear him not: for I will deliver him' (Deut 3:2).

Verse 9

went up from Gilgal all night — The Gibeonites had sent to Gilgal: 'Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us' (v.6). Pithom, 'suddenly', is the word of an unlooked-for arrival. The march keeps the oath the princes had sworn 'by the LORD God of Israel' (9:18).

Verse 10

the LORD discomfited them — The verb is hamam, to throw into confusion. It is used of the LORD at the Red Sea, when he 'troubled the host of the Egyptians' (Ex 14:24), and again of Sisera (Judg 4:15). The rout then runs 'along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron' and on 'to Azekah, and unto Makkedah', the route of the next verse.

Verse 11

great stones from heaven — 'Stones' (eben) are the 'hailstones' (barad) of the same verse, cast down by the LORD himself, who says of hail that he has 'reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war' (Job 38:22–23). Isaiah recalls the day: 'he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon' (Isa 28:21).

Verse 12

Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon — Joshua speaks first 'to the LORD', then 'in the sight of Israel' to the sun and moon. The verb is damam, to be silent or still; v.13 adds 'the moon stayed' (amad, stood). 'Upon Gibeon' and 'in the valley of Ajalon' say where each is bidden to stand. Cf. Hab 3:11, 'The sun and moon stood still in their habitation'.

Verse 13

the book of Jasher — A written record, named again in 2 Sam 1:18, where David has the children of Judah taught 'the use of the bow'; yashar means upright. The sun and moon stand 'until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies' (naqam). 'About a whole day' is tamim, full or complete: the sun 'hasted not to go down'.

Verse 14

the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man — The verse sets this day apart: nothing like it 'before it or after it'. The reason follows: 'the LORD fought for Israel'. Lacham, to fight, is the verb of Moses' word at the sea, 'The LORD shall fight for you' (Ex 14:14), and of Joshua's own, 'the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you' (23:3).

Verse 15

unto the camp to Gilgal — The verse is repeated word for word at v.43, enclosing the account of the five kings in the cave (vv.16–27) and the cities of the south (vv.28–42). Gilgal is the camp Israel returns to, and the camp to which the Gibeonites had sent for help (v.6).

Verse 24

put your feet upon the necks of these kings — Joshua calls the captains of the men of war ('Come near') to do it themselves: 'they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them'. The image of enemies under the feet recurs in 'until I make thine enemies thy footstool' (Ps 110:1) and 'shall bruise Satan under your feet' (Rom 16:20).

Verse 25

Fear not, nor be dismayed — Joshua gives the captains the charge the LORD gave him: 'Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed' (1:9). The words chazaq and amats (strong, of good courage) are the same, with chathath, dismayed. What he adds is the ground: 'thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies'.

Verse 26

hanged them on five trees — The law governing it is Deut 21:23: 'His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day.' Verse 27 keeps it, 'at the time of the going down of the sun', as with the king of Ai (8:29). Paul draws on the same text for Christ: 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree' (Gal 3:13).

Verse 28

utterly destroyed — Charam is to devote to destruction, the verb used of Jericho (6:21), and 'he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho'. It carries out what was commanded of these nations: 'thou shalt utterly destroy them' (Deut 7:2; 20:17). 'Souls' is nephesh, living persons; 'he let none remain'.

Verse 33

Horam king of Gezer — Horam is named only here; he 'came up to help Lachish' and is struck with his people. The verse does not say Gezer was taken: 'they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer' (Josh 16:10; Judg 1:29), until Pharaoh 'had gone up, and taken Gezer' and given it to his daughter, Solomon's wife (1 Kin 9:16).

Verse 40

the springs — Four regions are named: the hills, the south (negev), the vale (shephelah, the lowland) and the springs (ashedoth, also in the list of 12:8). 'All that breathed' is neshamah, the word of the command 'thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth' (Deut 20:16), carried out 'as the LORD God of Israel commanded'.

Verse 42

at one time — Paam echad is 'one time' or one occasion: the kings and their land were taken in a single campaign. The cause is given as at v.14, 'the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel', with the same verb, lacham.