Joshua 10:26

And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

And afterward {H310} Joshua {H3091} smote {H5221} them, and slew {H4191} them, and hanged {H8518} them on five {H2568} trees {H6086}: and they were hanging {H8518} upon the trees {H6086} until the evening {H6153}.

With that, Y'hoshua struck them and put them to death, hanging them on five trees, where they remained hanging until evening.

After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there until evening.

And afterward Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

Commentary

Joshua 10:26 describes a pivotal moment in Israel's conquest of Canaan, detailing the execution and public display of five Amorite kings by Joshua. This act served as a stark demonstration of divine judgment and a powerful message to the remaining Canaanite inhabitants.

Context

This verse follows the dramatic and miraculous victory of Israel against a confederation of five Amorite kings who had attacked Gibeon, a city that had made a covenant with Israel. After a long pursuit and a divine intervention involving hailstones and the sun standing still, these kings were found hiding in a cave. Joshua commanded his captains to step on their necks, symbolizing complete victory and subjugation. The subsequent act of hanging their bodies was a public spectacle, intended to demoralize the enemy and confirm Israel's divinely ordained authority over the land.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The execution of these kings was not merely an act of war but a fulfillment of God's judgment against the wickedness and idolatry of the Canaanite nations (Deuteronomy 9:5).
  • Obedience and Authority: Joshua's actions demonstrate his unwavering obedience to God's commands regarding the conquest of the land and the eradication of its inhabitants. It also solidified his authority as Israel's leader.
  • Public Display of Victory: Hanging the bodies served as a public warning and a powerful visual declaration of Israel's triumph and the futility of resisting God's people.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "hanged them on five trees" (Hebrew: talah) refers to the act of displaying the executed bodies, not necessarily execution by hanging. This was a common ancient Near Eastern practice to humiliate the defeated and deter others. The stipulation that "they were hanging upon the trees until the evening" is significant. It reflects strict adherence to the Mosaic Law found in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, which commanded that a body hung on a tree must be taken down before nightfall to avoid defiling the land. This detail underscores Joshua's commitment to the Law even in the heat of battle and conquest.

Practical Application

While the brutality of ancient warfare can be challenging to reconcile with modern sensibilities, this passage offers several insights:

  • Understanding God's Justice: It reminds us of the severity of God's judgment against sin and unrepentant wickedness. The Canaanites' actions had reached a point where divine intervention was necessary for the moral cleansing of the land.
  • Spiritual Warfare: For believers today, the narrative of conquest can be seen metaphorically as a battle against spiritual forces of evil. Just as Joshua conquered physical enemies, we are called to overcome spiritual strongholds through Christ.
  • Obedience to God's Word: Joshua's meticulous obedience, even in difficult circumstances, serves as a model for our own commitment to God's commands and principles in our lives.
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Cross-References

  • Joshua 8:29

    And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, [that remaineth] unto this day.

  • Numbers 25:4

    And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

  • 2 Samuel 21:9

    And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell [all] seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first [days], in the beginning of barley harvest.

  • Esther 2:23

    And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

  • Deuteronomy 21:22

    And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

  • Deuteronomy 21:23

    His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged [is] accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.

  • 1 Samuel 15:33

    And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
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