THE BOOK OF
JOSHUA.

Joshua 10

1Five kings war against Gibeon. 6The Gibeonites urgently appeal to Joshua, who goeth to their assistance. 8God encourageth him, and casteth down hailstones from heaven upon the enemy. 12At Joshua's word the sun and moon stand still. 16The five kings are discovered and shut up in a cave till the pursuit is ended. 22They are brought forth, scornfully used, and hanged. 28Makkedah destroyed with her king, 29and Libnah, 31and Lachish, 33and the king of Gezer, 34and Eglon, 36and Hebron, 38and Debir. 40After these conquests the army returneth to Gilgal.


1NOW 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 Jerichoa and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and howb the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;

a Joshua 6:15.

b Joshua 9:15.

2That 1they 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 2mighty.

1 Namely, the king at Jerusalem, and his people; as also the other kings which are named in verse 3.

2 Other, stout, valiant, mighty.

3Wherefore 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, 3saying,

3 That is, sending word unto them.

4Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.

5Therefore the five kings of the 4Amorites, 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.

4 See the annotation Gen. 48:22.

6¶And the men of Gibeon 5sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, 6Slack not thy hand 7from 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.

5 Namely, when they heard that the five kings came up against them.

6 Or, Let not thy hands be remiss, or, slacken not thy hands.

7 That is, from us, who have given ourselves over unto thee to be thy servants, wherefore thou art obliged to protect us against this great power.

7So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the 8people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.

8 These were no hired soldiers, but the stoutest and most valiant men out of all the tribes.

8¶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.

9Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.

10And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at 9Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

9 Not in the city Gibeon, but in the country about Gibeon. So it is said, Joshua 5:13 at Jericho, that is, in the country bordering near upon, or about Jericho.

11And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the LORD cast down 10great 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.

10 That is, hail-stones; as presently follows in this verse.

12¶Then 11spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said 12in the sight of Israel, Sun, 13stand thou still upon 14Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in 15the valley of Ajalon.

11 That is, he called upon, and prayed unto the Lord.

12 That is, in the presence.

13 Hebr. be silent, as 1 Sam. 14:9; Psalm 4:4; Jonah 1:12.

14 That is, stand still in the place where thou now art, for Joshua was at this time at Gibeon, verse 10.

15 This place belonged to the tribe of Zebulon, Judges 12:12. There was another Ajalon in the tribe of Dan, Joshua 19:42. The meaning of Joshua’s words is this: Sun, do not go down upon us all the while we are fighting in Gibeon, and moon, do not carry us into the night. See verse 13. Others tender it thus: Let the sun stand still, or, That the sun stand still.

13And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book 16of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

16 Or, of the godly, or of him that is just. Some retain the Hebrew word jaschar in the text. This book as with some other historical books of which mention is made in the Holy Scripture does not exist anymore. See Num. 21:14.

14And there was no day like that before it or after it, 17that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

17 That is, that God for one man’s prayer made the sun and the moon to stand still. In Hezekiah’s time the sun stood not still, but went back.

1518And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

18 Namely, after he had performed whatsoever is recorded from this verse to the end of this chapter. The writer of this book has briefly related as in one short summation this entire war; thereafter he describes more amply and fully what happened afterward.

16But 19these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

19 Namely, which are named in verse 3.

17And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.

18And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:

19And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and 20smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.

20 The meaning is, that they were to fall upon and smite the hindmost, or rereward. Hebr. cut off the tail.

20And 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.

21And 21all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah 22in peace: 23none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

21 Namely, all the people whom Joshua had sent to pursue the enemy, verse 19.

22 That is, well and in good health.

23 That is, no man had set himself against them with so much as a word; or no man had opened his mouth against them. Compare Exod. 11:7.

22Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.

23And 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.

24And 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.

25And 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.

26And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five 24trees: and they were hanging upon the trees 25until the evening.c

24 Or, timber.

25 As Joshua 8:29.

c Deut. 21:23; Joshua 8:29.

27And 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.

28¶And that day Joshua took 26Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the 27souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.

26 This was a city situated in the uttermost border of the tribe of Judah, toward the west, Joshua 15:41.

27 That is, all people and so hereafter, for cattle and other things were the spoil or prey of the Israelites, verse 40; Deut. 20:16, 17; Joshua 11:11.

29Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and 28all Israel with him, unto 29Libnah, and fought against Libnah:

28 Namely, all those that had been with him at Gibeon.

29 A city situated in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:42 and given to the priests that were of the house of Aaron, for an habitation, Joshua 21:13.

30And 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¶And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto 30Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:

30 This was a strong city situated in the uttermost border of the tribe of Judah toward the west, Joshua 15:39.

32And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it 31on 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.

31 Namely, after he came with the army before it.

33¶Then Horam king of 32Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

32 A city situated in the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua 16:3, 10; Judges 1:29.

34¶And from Lachish Joshua passed unto 33Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:

33 A city situated in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:39, about five miles distant from Jerusalem toward the south, three miles from Emmaus.

35And they took it on 34that 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.

34 Namely, when he had besieged it. See verse 32.

36And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, 35unto Hebron; and they fought against it:

35 The capture of Hebron is more amply related in Joshua 14 and 15. This city was one of the most ancient cities in the land of Canaan. It was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt, Num. 13:23. It was situated in the inheritance of Judah, Joshua 15:13. It was at first called Kirjath-arba.

37And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the 36king 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.

36 Understand here the king of Hebron, who succeeded in the place of him that was hanged, verse 26.

38¶And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to 37Debir; and fought against it:

37 A city situated on the uttermost borders of the tribe of Judah, where it joins on the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon, and was at first called Kirjath-sepher, that is, the Book-City. There was also another city called Debir, which was situated beyond Jordan in the tribe of Gad, on the uttermost border thereof, Joshua 13:26.

39And 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¶So Joshua 38smote 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 39all that breathed, 40as the LORD God of Israel commanded.d

38 That is, he subdued all the country and took possession of it.

39 That is, all the people, for the cattle they reserved for their prey, Hebr. all or, every breath.

40 This serves to excuse Joshua and the Israelites, for slaying so great a multitude of people as they destroyed by the edge of the sword.

d Deut. 7:2; 20:16, 17; Joshua 8:2.

41And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of 41Goshen, even unto Gibeon.

41 This is not Goshen in Egypt, Gen. 45:10, but it is situated in the land of Canaan, Joshua 11:16, 17; 15:51.

42And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, 42because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

42 These words are here added to take away all scruple or doubt concerning the truth of these great acts from all people who read this.

43And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.43

43 All what has been related in this book thus far happened within the space of about seven years from the beginning of this book, that is, of that which Joshua and the children of Israel have performed after their arrival in the land of Canaan.