Joshua10
New Living Translation
1Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies.
2He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors.
3So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon.
4“Come and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.”
5So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon.
6The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us.”
7So Joshua and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon.
8“Do not be afraid of them,” the Lord said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”
9Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise.
10The Lord threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah.
11As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.
12On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”
13So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.
14There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day!
15Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
16During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah.
17When Joshua heard that they had been found,
18he issued this command: “Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside.
19The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don’t give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the Lord your God has given you victory over them.”
20So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns.
21Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel.
22Then Joshua said, “Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me.”
23So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.
24When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, “Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.” And they did as they were told.
25“Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the Lord is going to do this to all of your enemies.”
26Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening.
27As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.
28That same day Joshua captured and destroyed the town of Makkedah. He killed everyone in it, including the king, leaving no survivors. He destroyed them all, and he killed the king of Makkedah as he had killed the king of Jericho.
29Then Joshua and the Israelites went to Libnah and attacked it.
30There, too, the Lord gave them the town and its king. He killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libnah as he had killed the king of Jericho.
31From Libnah, Joshua and the Israelites went to Lachish and attacked it.
32Here again, the Lord gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed everyone in it, just as he had done at Libnah.
33During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua’s men killed him and his army, leaving no survivors.
34Then Joshua and the Israelite army went on to Eglon and attacked it.
35They captured it that day and killed everyone in it. He completely destroyed everyone, just as he had done at Lachish.
36From Eglon, Joshua and the Israelite army went up to Hebron and attacked it.
37They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages. And just as he had done at Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population.
38Then Joshua and the Israelites turned back and attacked Debir.
39He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to Debir and its king just what he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king.
40So Joshua conquered the whole region—the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.
41Joshua slaughtered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from the region around the town of Goshen up to Gibeon.
42Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people.
43Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Joshua 10.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Five kings war against Gibeon. (1–6). Joshua succours Gibeon, The sun and moon stand still. (7–14). The kings are taken, their armies defeated, and they are put to death. (15–27). Seven other kings defeated and slain. (28–43).
vv1-6
When sinners leave the service of Satan and the friendship of the world, that they make peace with God and join Israel, they must not marvel if the world hate them, if their former friends become foes. By such methods Satan discourages many who are convinced of their danger, and almost persuaded to be Christians, but fear the cross. These things should quicken us to apply to God for protection, help, and deliverance.
vv7-14
The meanest and most feeble, who have just begun to trust the Lord, are as much entitled to be protected as those who have long and faithfully been his servants. It is our duty to defend the afflicted, who, like the Gibeonites, are brought into trouble on our account, or for the sake of the gospel. Joshua would not forsake his new vassals. How much less shall our true Joshua fail those who trust in Him! We may be wanting in our trust, but our trust never can want success. Yet God's promises are not to slacken and do away, but to quicken and encourage our endeavours. Notice the great faith of Joshua, and the power of God answering it by the miraculous staying of the sun, that the day of Israel's victories might be made longer. Joshua acted on this occasion by impulse on his mind from the Spirit of God. It was not necessary that Joshua should speak, or the miracle be recorded, according to the modern terms of astronomy. The sun appeared to the Israelites over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Ajalon, and there they appeared to be stopped on their course for one whole day. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? forms a sufficient answer to ten thousand difficulties, which objectors have in every age started against the truth of God as revealed in his written word. Proclamation was hereby made to the neighbouring nations, Behold the works of the Lord, and say, What nation is there so great as Israel, who has God so nigh unto them?
vv15-27
None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. This shows their perfect safety. The kings were called to an account, as rebels against the Israel of God. Refuges of lies will but secure for God's judgment. God punished 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 the sins of the nations that God cast out from before them. Here is a type and figure of Christ's victories over the powers of darkness, and of believers' victories through him. In our spiritual conflicts we must not be satisfied with obtaining some important victory. We must pursue our scattered enemies, searching out the remains of sin as they rise up in our hearts, and thus pursue the conquest. In so doing, the Lord will afford light until the warfare be accomplished.
Key Words
אֲדֹנִי־צֶדֶק: Adoni-Tsedek, a Canaanitish king
מֶלֶךְ: a king
יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם: Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
יְהוֹשׁוּעַ: Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader
לָכַד: to catch (in a net, trap or pit); generally, to capture or occupy; also to choose (by lot); figuratively, to cohere
עַי: Ai, Aja or Ajath, a place in Palestine
חָרַם: to seclude; specifically (by a ban) to devote to religious uses (especially destruction); physical and reflexive, to be blunt as to the nose
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
Cross References
Joshua 10Prophetic and poetic allusion to the sun and moon standing still during the battle.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The only other biblical reference mentioning the ancient historical record called the Book of Jasher.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament application of putting enemies underfoot, symbolizing Christ treading Satan under believers' feet.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Adherence to the Mosaic law requiring that bodies hanged on trees be taken down by sunset.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The name Adoni-zedek ('lord of righteousness') echoes Melchizedek ('king of righteousness'), both kings of Jerusalem.
Supported by JFB
Isaiah references the Lord's awesome, miraculous judgment in the valley of Gibeon.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Messianic archetype of enemies being placed as a footstool under the feet of the conquering King.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Direct fulfillment of God's promise that no king or enemy would stand before Israel.
Supported by John Calvin
Miraculous hailstones as a divine weapon of war, echoing the plagues of Egypt.
Supported by Matthew Poole