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 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;
Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to 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 armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.
The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, “Don’t abandon your 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 have gathered together against us.”
The LORD confused them before Israel, and he killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah.
As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, the LORD hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than who the children of Israel killed with the sword.
Then Joshua spoke 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 still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!”
The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the midst of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day.
but don’t stay. Pursue your enemies, and them from the rear. Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”
When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,
They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
When they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came near, and put their feet on their necks.
Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
At the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.
Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king. He utterly destroyed them and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
The LORD delivered it also, with its king, into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining in it. He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
The LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel. He took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls who were in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
They took it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
They took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king and all its cities, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls who were in it.
He took it, with its king and all its cities. They struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king; as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king.
So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, and the South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings. He left no one remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded.
Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to 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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