Joshua 10:20

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.

And it came to pass, when Joshua {H3091} and the children {H1121} of Israel {H3478} had made an end {H3615} of slaying {H5221} them with a very {H3966} great {H1419} slaughter {H4347}, till they were consumed {H8552}, that the rest {H8300} which remained {H8277} of them entered {H935} into fenced {H4013} cities {H5892}.

After Y'hoshua and the people of Isra'el had finished killing them off in a very great slaughter, till they had been destroyed, and the remaining remnant had entered the fortified cities,

So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities.

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,

Commentary

Commentary on Joshua 10:20

Joshua 10:20 describes a critical moment in the Israelite conquest of Canaan, specifically detailing the aftermath of the miraculous battle against the coalition of five Amorite kings led by Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem. This verse highlights the thoroughness of the Israelite victory under God's direction, while also acknowledging the strategic retreat of some enemy remnants.

Context

This verse is situated immediately after the dramatic events of the Gibeonite campaign. The Gibeonites, having deceived Israel into a treaty (Joshua 9:15), faced an attack from a confederacy of five Amorite kings. Joshua and the Israelites marched to their aid, and God intervened powerfully, casting down great hailstones and miraculously causing the sun and moon to stand still, extending the daylight for Israel to complete their victory (Joshua 10:13). Verse 20 focuses on the immediate outcome of this divine assistance and Israel's military action, showing the extent of the rout.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Conquest: The "very great slaughter" is not merely human warfare but the execution of God's long-standing judgment against the wickedness of the Canaanite nations, fulfilling His promise to give the land to Israel (Genesis 15:16).
  • Thoroughness of Victory: The phrase "till they were consumed" emphasizes the devastating and near-total defeat of the enemy forces on the open field. This was a decisive blow that broke the back of a significant regional coalition.
  • Enemy Resilience and Retreat: Despite the overwhelming defeat, some "remained of them" and "entered into fenced cities." This detail is crucial, indicating that not all enemies were annihilated in the open battle. These fortified cities would become future strongholds and sources of continued conflict for Israel, highlighting the ongoing challenge of fully possessing the land.

Linguistic Insights

  • "Very great slaughter" (ืžึทื›ึผึธื” ื’ึฐื“ื•ึนืœึธื” ืžึฐืึนื“ - makkah gedolah me'od): The Hebrew term makkah refers to a blow or defeat. The addition of gedolah me'od ("very great") emphasizes the immense scale and decisiveness of the victory, underscoring the divine power at work.
  • "Consumed" (ืชึผึธืžึผึธื - tamam): This word signifies completion, exhaustion, or being brought to an end. It suggests that the active pursuit and killing of the enemy forces continued until the point of exhaustion for the Israelites, or until the enemy forces were effectively wiped out in the open.
  • "Fenced cities" (ืขึธืจึดื™ื ื‘ึผึฐืฆึปืจื•ึนืช - 'arim betsurah): These were fortified cities, built with walls and defenses, designed to withstand siege. The remnants sought refuge in these strongholds, indicating a strategic withdrawal rather than a complete surrender.

Practical Application

Joshua 10:20 provides several lessons for believers today:

  • God Fights Our Battles: Just as God fought for Israel, sometimes with miraculous intervention, He continues to empower His people in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12). We are called to stand firm, trusting in His strength for victory.
  • Thoroughness in Obedience: The intensity of the conquest reflects the importance of thoroughly dealing with sin and spiritual enemies in our lives. Partial obedience can leave "fenced cities" or strongholds for future problems.
  • Ongoing Vigilance: The fact that remnants escaped to fortified cities reminds us that even after significant victories, spiritual enemies may retreat to strongholds, requiring continued vigilance, prayer, and reliance on God's power to overcome them. The Christian walk is often a process of pressing on towards full victory.
Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Joshua 8:24

    And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

  • Jeremiah 8:14

    Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

  • 2 Samuel 20:6

    And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than [did] Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

  • Deuteronomy 20:16

    But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee [for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

  • Joshua 10:10

    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.

  • 2 Chronicles 13:17

    And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
โ† Back