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Commentary on Joshua 10 verses 15–27
It was a brave appearance, no doubt, which the five kings made when they took the field for the reducing of Gibeon, and a brave army they had following them; but they were all routed, put into disorder first, and then brought to destruction by the hail-stones. And now Joshua thought, his work being done, he might go with his army into quarters of refreshment. Accordingly it was resolved, perhaps in a council of war, that they should presently return to the camp at Gilgal (Jos 10:15), till they should receive orders from God to take possession of the country they had now conquered; but he soon finds he has more work cut out for him. The victory must be pursued, that the spoils might be divided. Accordingly he applies himself to it with renewed vigour.
I. The forces that had dispersed themselves must be followed and smitten. When tidings were brought to Joshua where the kings were he ordered a guard to be set upon them for the present (Jos 10:18), reserving them for another day of destruction, and to be brought forth to a day of wrath, Job 21:30. He directs his men to pursue the common soldiers, as much as might be, to prevent their escaping to the garrisons, which would strengthen them, and make the reduction of them the more difficult, Jos 10:19. Like a prudent general, he does that first which is most needful, and defers his triumphs till he has completed his conquests; nor was he in such haste to insult over the captive kings but that he would first prevent the rallying again of their scattered forces. The result of this vigorous pursuit was, 1. That a very great slaughter was made of the enemies of God and Israel. And, 2. The field was cleared of them, so that none remained but such as got into fenced cities, where they would not long be safe themselves, nor were they capable of doing any service to the cities that sheltered them, unless they could have left their fears behind them. 3. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel, Jos 10:21. This expression intimates, (1.) Their perfect safety and tranquillity; some think it should be read (from Exo 11:7), Against any of the children of Israel did not a dog move his tongue; no, not against any one man of them. They were not threatened by any danger at all after their victory, no, not so much as the barking of a dog. Not one single Israelite (for the original makes it so particular) was brought into any distress, either in the battle or in the pursuit. (2.) Their honour and reputation; no man had any reproach to cast upon them, nor an ill word to give them. God not only tied the hands, but stopped the mouths, of their enraged enemies, and put lying lips to silence. (3.) The Chaldee paraphrase makes it an expression of their unalloyed joy for this victory, reading it, There was no hurt nor loss to the children of Israel, for which any man should afflict his soul. When the army came to be reviewed after the battle, there was none slain, none wounded, none missing. Not one Israelite had occasion to lament either the loss of a friend or the loss of a limb, so cheap, so easy, so glorious, was this victory.
II. The kings that had hidden themselves must now be called to an account, as rebels against the Israel of God, to whom, by the divine promise and grant, this land did of right belong and should have been surrendered upon demand. See here,
1.How they were secured. The cave which they fled to, and trusted in for a refuge, became their prison, in which they were clapped up, till Joshua sat in judgment on them, Jos 10:18. It seems they all escaped both the hail-stones and the sword, God so ordering it, not in kindness to them, but that they might be reserved for a more solemn and terrible execution; as, for this cause, Pharaoh survived the plagues of Egypt, and was made to stand, that God might in him show his power, Exo 9:16. They all fled, and met at the same place, Providence directing them; and now those who were lately consulting against Israel were put upon new counsels to preserve themselves and agreed to take shelter in the same cave. The information brought to Joshua of this is an evidence that there were those of the country, who knew the holes and fastnesses of it, that were in his interests. And the care Joshua took to keep them there when they were there, as it is an instance of his policy and presence of mind, even in the heat of action, so, in the result of their project, it shows how those not only deceive themselves, but destroy themselves, who think to hide themselves from God. Their refuge of lies will but bind them over to God's judgment.
2.How they were triumphed over. Joshua ordered them to be brought forth out of the cave, set before him as at the bar, and their names called over, Jos 10:22, Jos 10:23. And when they either were bound and cast upon the ground unable to help themselves, or threw themselves upon the ground, humbly to beg for their lives, he called for the general officers and great men, and commanded them to trample upon these kings, and set their feet upon their necks, not in sport and to make themselves and the company merry, but with the gravity and decorum that became the ministers of the divine justice who were not herein to gratify any pride or passion of their own, but to give glory to the God of Israel as higher than the highest, who treads upon princes as mortar (Isa 41:25), and is terrible to the kings of the earth, Psa 76:12. The thing does indeed look barbarous, thus to insult over men in misery, who had suddenly fallen from the highest pitch of honour into this disgrace. It was hard for crowned heads to be thus trodden upon, not by Joshua himself (that might better have been borne), at least not by him only, but by all the captains of the army. Certainly it ought not to be drawn into a precedent, for the case was extraordinary, and we have reason to think it was by divine direction and impulse that Joshua did this. (1.) God would hereby punish the abominable wickedness of these kings, the measure of whose iniquity was now full. And, by this public act of justice done upon these ringleaders of the Canaanites in sin, he would possess his people with the greater dread and detestation of those sins of the nations that God cast out from before them, which they would be tempted to imitate. (2.) He would hereby have the promise by Moses made good (Deu 33:29), Thou shalt tread upon their high places, that is, their great men, which should the rather be speedily fulfilled in the letter because they are the very last words of Moses that we find upon record. (3.) He would hereby encourage the faith and hope of his people Israel in reference to the wars that were yet before them. Therefore Joshua said (Jos 10:25): Fear not, nor be dismayed. [1.] "Fear not these kings, nor any of theirs, as if there were any danger of having this affront now put upon them in after-time revenged upon yourselves, a consideration which keeps many from being insolent towards those they have at their mercy, because they know not how soon the uncertain fate of war may turn the same wheel upon themselves; but you need not fear that any should rise up ever to revenge this quarrel." [2.] "Fear not any other kings, who may at any time be in confederacy against you, for you see these brought down, whom you thought formidable. Thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies; now that they begin to fall, to fall so low that you may set your feet on their necks, you may be confident that they shall not prevail, but shall surely fall before you," Est 6:13. (4.) He would hereby give a type and figure of Christ's victories over the powers of darkness, and believers' victories through him. All the enemies of the Redeemer shall be made his footstool, Psa 110:1. And see Psa 18:40. The kings of the earth set themselves against him (Psa 2:2), but sooner or later we shall see all things put under Him (Heb 2:8), and principalities and powers made a show of, Col 2:15. And in these triumphs we are more than conquerors, may tread upon the lion and adder (Psa 91:13), may ride on the high places of the earth (Isa 58:14), and may be confident that the God of peace shall tread Satan under our feet, shall do it shortly and do it effectually, Rom 16:20. See Psa 149:8, Psa 149:9.
3.How they were put to death. Perhaps, when they had undergone that terrible mortification of being trodden upon by the captains of Israel, they were ready to say, as Agag, Surely the bitterness of death is past, and that sufficient unto them was this punishment which was inflicted by many; but their honours cannot excuse their lives, their forfeited devoted lives. Joshua smote them with the sword, and then hanged up their bodies till evening, when they were taken down, and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, Jos 10:26, Jos 10:27. That which they thought would have been their shelter was made their prison first and then their grave; so shall we be disappointed in that which we flee to from God: yet to good people the grave is still a hiding-place, Job 14:13. If these five kings had humbled themselves in time, and had begged peace instead of waging war, they might have saved their lives; but now the decree had gone forth, and they found no place for repentance, or the reversal of the judgment; it was too late to expect it, though perhaps they sought it carefully with tears.
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SUMMARY
Joshua 10:26 vividly records the execution and public display of the five Amorite kings by Joshua, immediately following Israel's miraculous victory over their confederation. This decisive act served as a profound and visible demonstration of God's unwavering judgment against the pervasive wickedness of the Canaanite nations, simultaneously affirming Israel's divine authority and triumph in the ongoing conquest of the Promised Land.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse provides the climactic conclusion to the dramatic narrative of Israel's confrontation with a formidable confederation of five Amorite kings: those of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. These kings had united their forces to punish Gibeon, a city that had recently secured a peace treaty with Israel, as detailed in Joshua 9. In response to Gibeon's urgent appeal, Joshua launched a swift and decisive counter-attack. The ensuing battle was marked by extraordinary divine intervention, including a devastating hailstorm that killed more of the enemy than Israel's swords, and the miraculous prolongation of daylight, enabling Israel to achieve a complete victory, as recounted in Joshua 10:11-14. Following their rout, the five kings sought refuge in a cave at Makkedah. Joshua's forces trapped them there, and after the pursuit of the fleeing armies, the kings were brought forth. Joshua then commanded his military commanders to place their feet on the kings' necks, a powerful symbolic act of complete subjugation and victory, as described in Joshua 10:24-25, culminating in their execution and public display as detailed in the present verse.
Historical & Cultural Context: The practice of executing defeated enemies and publicly displaying their bodies was a common, albeit brutal, custom throughout the ancient Near East. Such displays served as potent deterrents, designed to demoralize remaining opposition and unequivocally solidify the conqueror's authority. However, Israel's actions, while participating in this broader custom, were distinct in their meticulous adherence to specific Mosaic Law. The command to take down the bodies before evening, as stipulated in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, was unique. This particular injunction prevented the land from being defiled overnight and served to distinguish Israel's practices from the more prolonged and extreme displays of other nations, emphasizing a divine standard of purity. The Canaanites, whose kings were the subject of this judgment, were notorious for their egregious idolatry, child sacrifice, and pervasive moral corruption, which had reached a point where divine judgment was mandated for the cleansing of the land and the preservation of Israel's holiness, as warned in Leviticus 18:24-28.
Key Themes: Joshua 10:26 powerfully reinforces several overarching themes central to the book of Joshua and the broader Pentateuch. It profoundly underscores the theme of Divine Judgment against the persistent wickedness and spiritual depravity of the Canaanite nations, fulfilling God's long-standing promise to dispossess them due to their abominations, as articulated in Deuteronomy 9:4-5. The passage also highlights God's Unwavering Faithfulness to His Covenant Promises, demonstrating how He empowers Israel to conquer the very land He swore to their ancestors, a promise first given to Abraham in Genesis 12:7. Joshua's actions exemplify Obedience to God's Explicit Commands, particularly the instructions regarding the cherem (devotion to destruction) against the Canaanites, which was essential for ensuring the purity of Israel's worship and the sanctity of the land, as outlined in Deuteronomy 7:1-6. Finally, the public display of the kings serves as a potent symbol of Divine Victory and the Establishment of Israel's Authority, signaling to all remaining inhabitants the futility of resisting the God of Israel and the inevitability of His plans.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Joshua 10:26 employs several significant literary devices to convey its powerful message. The act of hanging the kings on trees serves as potent Symbolism, representing the complete and utter defeat of the enemies of God and Israel. It is a visual declaration of divine judgment and the futility of resisting the Lord's chosen people. The specific detail of "five trees" for the "five kings" adds a layer of precise Enumeration and Parallelism, emphasizing the totality and specificity of the victory over this particular confederation. Furthermore, the explicit mention of the bodies hanging "until the evening" is a crucial instance of Allusion to the Mosaic Law found in Deuteronomy 21:22-23. This detail highlights Joshua's unwavering Obedience to God's commands, even in the midst of the brutal realities of war, reinforcing the theme that Israel's conquest was not merely human aggression but a divinely ordained and regulated act. This adherence to the law also provides a subtle Contrast with the practices of surrounding nations, who might leave bodies exposed for much longer, underscoring Israel's unique covenant relationship with Yahweh and their commitment to His holiness and the purity of the land.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Joshua 10:26 stands as a stark testament to the severity of God's righteous judgment against unrepentant sin and the precise fulfillment of His covenant promises. The execution and public display of the Amorite kings were not arbitrary acts of war or mere human vengeance, but a divinely mandated cleansing of the land, which had been profoundly defiled by the abominable practices of its inhabitants. This event underscores the absolute holiness of God and His intolerance for pervasive wickedness, while simultaneously affirming His unwavering faithfulness to Israel in granting them the promised land. It teaches that God's justice is absolute and that those who persistently oppose His will and corrupt His creation will ultimately face His righteous wrath. This passage serves as a powerful reminder that God is actively involved in human history, upholding His moral order and executing His sovereign plan.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the graphic nature of this passage can be challenging for modern readers, it offers profound spiritual insights when viewed through a theological lens. It compels us to grapple with the reality of God's justice and the severe consequences of unrepentant sin. For ancient Israel, this act was a powerful reminder of God's active presence in their battles and His unwavering commitment to establishing His people in the land. For believers today, it serves as a sober reminder that sin has real and grave consequences, and that God is ultimately sovereign over all earthly powers. It also calls us to consider our own spiritual battles, recognizing that just as God empowered Joshua to overcome physical enemies, He equips us to overcome spiritual strongholds and temptations through the power of Christ. Our obedience, like Joshua's, is crucial in living out our faith and participating in God's ongoing redemptive work in the world. This passage encourages us to trust in God's power to deliver and to stand firm against the forces that oppose His kingdom, knowing that ultimate victory belongs to Him and that His justice will prevail.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Joshua "hang" the kings if they were already dead? Was this a form of execution or something else?
Answer: The Hebrew word for "hanged" (תָּלָה, tâlâh) in this context refers to the public display of the bodies, not the method of execution itself. The kings were already "smote" and "slew" (killed) by Joshua, as the verse clearly states. Publicly displaying the bodies of defeated enemies was a common practice in the ancient Near East, serving as a powerful visual deterrent and a symbol of complete victory and humiliation over the defeated. For Israel, it also served as a stark declaration of God's judgment against the wickedness of the Canaanite kings and their idolatrous practices. This act was deliberately carried out to demoralize the remaining Canaanite inhabitants and confirm Israel's divinely ordained authority over the land, while also adhering to the specific Mosaic Law of taking the bodies down before evening, as commanded in Deuteronomy 21:22-23.
How can we reconcile the apparent brutality of this passage with God's loving character?
Answer: Reconciling such passages requires understanding the comprehensive nature of God's character, which includes both love and justice, and the specific historical and theological context. The Canaanites had reached a point of extreme moral depravity, including widespread idolatry, sexual perversion, and child sacrifice, which had "filled up their measure of iniquity" (Genesis 15:16). God's command for their dispossesssion and judgment was not arbitrary but a righteous response to profound and unrepentant evil, intended to cleanse the land and protect Israel from moral and spiritual corruption. It demonstrates God's holiness and justice, which are as fundamental to His character as His love and mercy. While challenging to our modern sensibilities, this act underscores the severity of sin and God's unwavering commitment to righteousness, even when it involves severe judgment. It reminds us that God is not only a God of compassion but also a just judge who will not tolerate unrepentant wickedness indefinitely, ultimately ensuring that His creation is purified.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Joshua 10:26, with its depiction of kings hung on trees as a public sign of judgment and decisive victory, finds a profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the New Testament. While the Old Testament scene portrays the physical defeat of earthly enemies and the public display of their bodies, it subtly foreshadows the ultimate spiritual victory achieved by Christ on the cross. The tree, which in Joshua's time was a symbol of curse and public humiliation for the executed, as stipulated in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, becomes the very instrument of our salvation through Jesus. Galatians 3:13 powerfully declares that Christ "became a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'" Thus, Jesus, the true King of kings, was "hanged on a tree," not for His own sin, but to bear the curse of humanity's sin, thereby conquering the spiritual enemies of sin, death, and the devil. His public display on the cross was not a sign of His defeat, but the ultimate demonstration of His triumph over all principalities and powers, disarming them and making a public spectacle of them, as described in Colossians 2:15. Just as Joshua's victory secured the Promised Land for Israel, Christ's victory on the tree secures eternal life and freedom from sin's dominion for all who believe, ushering in a new kingdom where sin and death are ultimately vanquished, and the true Lamb of God is exalted, drawing all people to Himself (John 12:32).