CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Joshua 10
Chapter 10 of 24
Chapter Overview
What happens in Joshua 10
Five Amorite kings attack Gibeon for making peace with Israel. Joshua marches all night to defend Gibeon, and God fights for Israel with hailstones and by making the sun stand still. Joshua then conquers the major cities of southern Canaan.
Scripture
Joshua 10
Five Kings Attack Gibeon
Study note
When Adoni-zedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard that Gibeon had made peace with Israel, he was alarmed. Gibeon was a large city with skilled warriors, and its surrender to Israel left a huge gap in the Canaanite defenses. Adoni-zedek convinced four other kings to join him in attacking Gibeon. The five kings came from Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, all major cities in southern Canaan. The Gibeonites sent an urgent message to Joshua at Gilgal, begging for help. Joshua was now honor-bound to defend them because of the treaty.
1 King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem heard the news. Joshua had taken Ai and destroyed it fully. Gibeon had also made peace with Israel. Gibeon was now their ally. Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had 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;
2 he and his people became very alarmed. Gibeon was a major city, as big as a royal capital, even larger than Ai, and all its men were skilled fighters. That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
3 So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent an urgent message to four other kings. He wrote Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. Wherefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 He said, "Come help me attack Gibeon. They have gone over to Joshua's side and made peace with Israel." Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
5 Five Amorite kings — of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon — joined their armies together. They marched to Gibeon, surrounded it, and attacked. 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 hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
6 The Gibeonites sent a frantic message to Joshua at the Gilgal camp: "Do not abandon us! Come quickly and rescue us! All the Amorite kings from the highlands have teamed up against us." And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.
7 Joshua left Gilgal at once. He brought his whole fighting force. He brought his best fighters. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
God Fights for Israel
Study note
God told Joshua not to be afraid because he had already handed the five kings over to Israel. Joshua marched his army all night from Gilgal, a distance of about twenty miles and an uphill climb of over three thousand feet, and launched a surprise attack. God threw the enemy armies into confusion and sent a fierce hailstorm that killed more soldiers than the Israelite swords did. In one of the most famous events in the Bible, Joshua asked God to make the sun stand still over Gibeon and the moon over the Valley of Aijalon to give Israel more time to finish the battle. The sun stopped for about a whole day. The Bible says there was never a day like it before or since.
8 The Lord told Joshua, "Don't be afraid of them. I have already delivered them into your hands. Not a single one of them can stand against you." And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
9 Joshua marched through the entire night from Gilgal and caught them completely off guard. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
10 The Lord threw the enemy into a panic in front of Israel. Joshua crushed them with a decisive victory at Gibeon, then chased them up the Beth-horon road and struck them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 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 Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
11 As the enemy fled down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord pelted them with enormous hailstones from the sky all the way to Azekah. More soldiers died from the hailstones than from Israelite swords. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
12 On that day when the Lord was handing the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua spoke to the Lord in front of the whole nation. He called out, "Sun, freeze in place over Gibeon! Moon, hold still over the Valley of Aijalon!" Then spake Joshua 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 thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 The sun froze and the moon stopped moving until the nation had finished defeating its enemies. This event is also recorded in the Book of Jashar. The sun hung in the middle of the sky and refused to set for nearly a full day. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
14 There has never been a day like that before or since -- a day when the Lord responded to a human voice in such an extraordinary way. The Lord was truly fighting on Israel's behalf. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
The Five Kings Captured
Study note
The five kings fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah. Joshua ordered large stones rolled over the cave entrance to trap them while the army continued pursuing the fleeing enemies. After the battle, Joshua brought the kings out of the cave. He told his commanders to put their feet on the kings' necks, a symbol of total victory in the ancient world. Joshua executed the five kings and hung their bodies on trees until evening. At sunset, following the Law of Moses, the bodies were taken down and thrown into the cave, which was sealed with stones.
15 Afterward, Joshua and all Israel went back to the camp at Gilgal. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
16 Meanwhile, the five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah. But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
17 Someone reported to Joshua, "The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah." And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
18 Joshua ordered, "Roll heavy stones over the cave entrance and post guards there." And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:
19 "But the rest of you, keep going! Do not stop! Chase your enemies and hit them from behind. Do not let them reach their fortified cities, because the Lord your God has put them in your hands." And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.
20 Joshua and the Israelites kept fighting until the enemy was almost wiped out. Only a few who survived made it to cities with strong walls. 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.
21 The entire army returned safely to Joshua's camp at Makkedah. Nobody in the region dared say a word against Israel. And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
22 Joshua commanded, "Open up the cave and bring out those five kings." Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
23 They brought out the five kings -- the rulers of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 Once the kings were brought before him, Joshua called for all the Israelite soldiers. He told his commanders, "Step forward and put your feet on these kings' necks." They came and did it. And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
25 Joshua told them, "Never be afraid. Never lose your nerve. Stay strong and be brave! The Lord will deal with every enemy you face in exactly this way." And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
26 Joshua then executed the five kings and hung their bodies on five trees. The bodies hung there until evening. And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
27 At sunset Joshua had the bodies taken down and thrown back into the cave where they had hidden. Heavy stones were placed at the cave's mouth, and those stones are still there. And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.
Joshua's Southern Campaign
Study note
After defeating the five kings, Joshua led a rapid military campaign through southern Canaan. He conquered the cities of Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Gezer, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir one after another. When Horam king of Gezer came to help Lachish, Joshua defeated him too. The campaign swept from Kadesh-barnea in the south to Gaza in the west to Gibeon in the north. The chapter emphasizes repeatedly that 'the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.' Joshua then returned to his base camp at Gilgal.
28 That same day Joshua captured Makkedah, destroyed it, and executed its king. He wiped out everyone there, leaving no survivors, treating Makkedah's king just as he had treated Jericho's king. And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.
29 From Makkedah, Joshua and the entire army advanced to Libnah and attacked it. Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:
30 The Lord gave Libnah and its king to Israel as well. Joshua put everyone there to the sword, leaving no survivors. He treated its king the same way he had treated Jericho's king. And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.
31 From Libnah, Joshua and the army moved on to Lachish. They set up camp nearby and launched their assault. And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:
32 The Lord delivered Lachish into Israel's hands. Joshua took it on the second day and put everyone to the sword, just as he had done at Libnah. And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
33 King Horam of Gezer came to help defend Lachish. But Joshua wiped out him and his whole army. Not one person survived. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.
34 From Lachish, Joshua and the army moved to Eglon. They camped near it and attacked. And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:
35 They took Eglon that very day and put everyone to the sword. Joshua completely destroyed it, just as he had done at Lachish. And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 From Eglon, Joshua and the army marched up to Hebron and attacked it. And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:
37 They captured Hebron, killed its king and every person in the city and its surrounding settlements. Joshua left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon. He completely destroyed the city and everyone in it. And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
38 Then Joshua and the army circled back to Debir and attacked it. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:
39 He captured Debir, its king, and all the nearby settlements. They put everyone to the sword and completely destroyed them. No one survived. Joshua handled Debir and its king the same way he had handled Hebron and Libnah. And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.
40 Joshua took over the whole region -- the hills, the southern desert, the western slopes, and the mountains. He beat every king and left nobody alive. He destroyed everything that breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had ordered. So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.
41 Joshua's conquests stretched from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, from the entire Goshen region all the way to Gibeon. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
42 Joshua beat all these kings and took their land in one campaign. The Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
43 Then Joshua and the whole army returned to their base camp at Gilgal. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
Key Themes
Themes in Joshua 10
God fighting on behalf of His peopleSupernatural intervention in human battlesHonoring commitments even at great costThe completeness of God's victory
Apply This Today
Living Joshua 10
When we honor our commitments to others, even at personal cost, God honors us in return. Joshua marched all night to defend Gibeon because Israel had given their word. God responded by fighting for Israel in extraordinary ways. Faithfulness to our promises invites God's extraordinary power into our circumstances.
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