The Book of Joshua
Joshua 10
Chapter X · Vol. I, pp. 552–556
1 Five kings war against Gibeon. 6 Joshua rescueth it. 10 God fighteth against them with hailstones. 12 The sun and moon stand still at the word of Joshua. 16 The five kings are discovered in a cave. 22 They are brought forth, 24 scornfully used, 26 and hanged. 28 Seven kings more are conquered. 43 Joshua returneth to Gilgal.
1 Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of aJerusalem had heard bhow 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 That they cfeared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal1 cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
c ch.2.11; 5.1. Ps.48.5,6.
1 Heb. cities of the kingdom.
3 Wherefore dAdoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of eHebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of fLachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
d ch.12.10-16; 15.35,39,54,63.
e Ge.23.1; 35.27. Nu.13.22. ch.14.15; 20.7. 2 Sa.2.1,11. 2 Ch.11.10.
f ch. 15.39. 2 Ki. 14.19; 18.14,17. 2 Ch.11.9. Je.34.7. Mi.1.13.
4 Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: gfor it hath made peace with Joshua, and with the children of Israel.2
g Mat.16.24. Ac.9.23. 2 Ti.3.12. 1 Pe.4.4. Ps.69.7.
2 Without inquiring into the right of one nation to prevent another from making peace with a third, and accusing the associate kings, as we well might, upon this ground, we see in their conduct the exact counterpart of the anger of worldly men against all who make peace with God. Thus forty men bind themselves with an oath to slay Paul; and thus the whole power of Charles V. was directed at the Reformation to exterminate the Protestants; and thus, 'every one that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution.'—C.
5 Thereforeh 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 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua3 to the camp to iGilgal, saying, kSlack 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 lthe mountains are gathered together against us.
7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
8 And the LORD said unto Joshua, mFear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
m De.3.2. ch.1.5-9; 8.1. Ps.103.13,14,18. Is. 41.10,15,16.
9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all nnight.4
n 2 Ti. 2.3. Ec.9.10. Je.48.10.
4 A distance of about 18 miles, which the army might accomplish without much fatigue in the course of the evening and succeeding night.—Note, When a friend is to be aided we must not linger. Speedy relief is generally the only relief. Thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God, Ps. 40. 17; 70. 5. Ca.8.14.—C.
10 And the LORD odiscomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to pBeth-horon, and smote them to Azekah,q and unto rMakkedah.
o Is. 28.21. 2 Ch. 14.12. Ps.44.3; 78.55; 68.12,14.
p ver.11; ch.16.5; 18.13,14; 21.22. 1 Sa.13.18. 1 Ki.9.17. 1 Ch.7.24.
q ver. 11. 2 Ch. 11.9. Je.34.7.
r ver. 16, 21, 28; ch. 12.16; 15.41.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the LORD scast down great stones5 from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones,6 than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
s Ju.5.20. Ps.11.6; 18.13; 77.18. Re.16.21. He.10.31.
5 i.e. hailstones.
6 Great hailstones are not so common in high latitudes as in countries nearer the equator. Sir R. Wilson in his history of the British Expedition to Egypt gives an account of a terrible hail-storm in the Bay of Marmorice, which seems to have been little less severe than that which routed and destroyed the Canaanites. In these countries hailstones, or rather fragments of aerial ice, have been known to fall some ounces in weight.—C.
12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD, in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he tsaid in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand7 thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
t Ja.5.16,17. Is.28.21. Hab.3.11. He.11.33.
7 Heb. be silent.
13 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 uJasher?8 So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.9
u Or, the upright, 2 Sa.1.18. Nu.21.14. It seems to have been an uninspired history.
8 Jasher, or the upright; most probably a name for Joshua himself.—C.
9 From twelve to fourteen hours. The real evidence of miracle stands not in any attempt to account for the means or manner, whether by refraction or any other. It lies in the personal character of Joshua as a man of God and in the personal character of all the sacred historians who have adopted it, confirmed by the miracles they wrought and prophecies they uttered, and especially in the co-existent histories from the period of this event, the concurrence of the whole Jewish nation, and the permanent institutions in which it was embodied. No event in profane history, whether ordinary or extraordinary, comes supported by a fraction of the evidence with which this miracle is presented to our judgment.—C.
14 And there xwas 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.
x Is.38.8. 2 Ki.20.10,11.
15 And yJoshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451.
y ch.4.19; ver.6,43.
16 But these five kings zfled, and hid themselves in a cave at aMakkedah.1
z Ps.48.4. Is.2.21,22. Re.6.15-17. Am.9.2.
a ch.12.16; 15.41.
1 The routed Amorites fled down the valley of Ajalon, then along the plain of Philistia at the foot of the mountains. Their course evidently was towards Jarmuth, the nearest of their cities. But at Makkedah, which lay in the valley beneath Jarmuth, the kings being closely pursued, sought refuge in a cave. The country around Makkedah is filled with caverns, some of which are of enormous extent.—P.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
18 And Joshua said, bRoll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them;
19 And cstay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost2 of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.
c Je.48.10. Ps.18.37-41.
2 Heb. cut off the tail.
20 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 And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: dnone moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
22 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
23 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 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, eput your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.3
e Ju.8.20. Ps.15.4; 91.13; 149. 8, 9. Is. 26. 6. Mal.4.3. Ro.16.20.
3 The neck being the place of the yoke in the horse, ox, &c., which are, in the most literal sense, conquered captives, subdued by man's ingenuity or power, and held and sold at his will: 'to put the feet upon the neck of men' is the emblem of their total subjugation to the will of their conquerors. So David expresses his victories over his inveterate enemies, Ps. 18. 40. The custom seems to have been universal. Soper, king of Persia, is said to have put his foot daily upon the neck of the Roman emperor Valerius, whom he had taken captive in battle. Quintus Curtius records an example of the same kind, when Dioxippus, an Athenian, conquered in a single combat with Horratas, a Macedonian, in presence of Alexander, and concluded with putting his foot upon the neck of his prostrate antagonist. To those who have formed their ideas upon European models, the custom may appear unnecessarily degrading; but to men of Asiatic ideas it conveys no such impression. It merely indicates the completeness of subjugation.—C.
25 And Joshua said unto them, fFear not, nor be dismayed; be strong, and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
f 1 Sa.17.37. Ps.63.9; 77.11. 2 Co.1.10. 2 Ti.4.17. ch.1.6,9; 6.12; 8.1. De.31.7,23.
26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and ghanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
27 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 hgreat stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.
A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451.
h ch.7.26; 8.29. 2 Sa.18.17. La.3.53.
28 And that day Joshua took Makkedah,4 and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, ithem, 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.
4 A city of Judah, about 14 miles south-west of Jerusalem. The utter destruction of king and people was the righteous sentence of God against their utter wickedness. Murderers suffer in all countries that peaceable men may live.—C.
i ch.6.21; ver.30,32,35,37,39,40. De. 20.16,17; 7.2,16.
29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto kLibnah,5 and fought against Libnah:
k ch. 15.42; 21.13. 2 Ki.8.22; 19.8, not that Nu.33.20,21.
5 A city of Judah. It was known as a village in the fourth century of the Christian era; but its very ruins have since disappeared.—C.
30 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 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto lLachish,6 and encamped against it, and fought against it:
l ver. 3,5; ch. 12.11; 15.39. 2 Ch.11.9. 2 Ki.19.8.
6 A city of Judah, about 35 miles south-west of Jerusalem. It became a famous, or rather infamous, seat of idolatry, for which it was threatened with the divine wrath, Mi. 1. 13, which was first inflicted by Sennacherib, and secondly by Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Ki. 18. 17. Je.34.7.—C.
32 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day,7 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.
7 After they laid siege to it.
33 Then Horam king of mGezer8 came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.
m ch.12.12; 16.3,10. Ju.1.29. 1 Ch.20.4. 1 Ki.9.16,17.
8 A city of Ephraim, about twenty miles north-west of Jerusalem. After various disasters, it was re-edified by Solomon, 1 Ki. 9. 17. Its ruins, like those of the former cities, have likewise disappeared.—C.
34 And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon,n and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:
n ver. 3, 5; ch.12.12; 15.39.
35 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 odestroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 And Joshua went up from Eglon,9 and all Israel with him, unto pHebron; and they fought against it:
9 See note on ch. 10.3.—P.
p ver.3; ch.14.13; 15.54; 21.13. Ge.13.18. Nu. 13.22. 2 Sa. 5.1,5; 15.9,10.
37 And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king1 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.
1 The king of Hebron was one of the five who had been put to death, and hanged on five trees (ver.23,26). We must suppose that by this time a successor had been appointed, a circumstance not improbable, both from the importance of Hebron, and from the pressing nature of their affairs.—J.
38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to qDebir,2 and fought against it.
q ch.15.15,49; 12.13; 21.15.
2 Debir was a very ancient city of the Anakim, ch. 15. 13. Before the conquest it was called both Kirjath-sepher, 'town of the book,' and Kirjath-sannah, 'town of the law,' probably because it contained some celebrated school. It lay near Anab and Eshtemoh, Jos.15.49,50, the ruins of which are still seen in the mountains, about seven miles south of Hebron. The exact site of Debir has not been found.—P.
39 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 So Joshua rsmote 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 sthat breathed, tas the LORD God of Israel commanded.3
A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451.
r He conquered what fell to the lot of Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, and Dan, ch.15.21-63; 18.21-28; 19.1-8,40-48.
s Of mankind, Ps. 9.17. 2 Th. 1.7-9. Jude 15.
t De.20.16,17; 7.2,16. Ex.23.31-33; 34.12.
3 It is impossible to read this catalogue of conquered cities, which have since totally disappeared, without reflecting on the effects of national idolatry and wickedness. Cities become desolate by misrule, but that permitted misrule is the judgment of God against a godless generation.—C.
41 And Joshua smote them from uKadesh-barnea even unto xGaza, and all the country of yGoshen, even unto Gibeon.
u Nu.13.17,26; 32.8; 34.4.
x Ge.10.19. De.9.23. ch.13.3; 15.47. Ju.16.1,21. Am.1.6,7. Je. 47.1,7. Zec.9.5. Ac.8.26.
y Not Goshen in Egypt, ch.11.16; 15.51.
42 Andz all these kings, and their land, did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto athe camp to Gilgal.
a ch. 4.19; ver. 15. 1 Sa.11.14.
Notes
[Ver. 1. Inhabitants of Gibeon. We never heard of a king of Gibeon: hence there is a high probability that the four cities, ch. 9. 17, were small federative states, somewhat like the Hanse towns of Germany, and were not moved to make peace by cowardice or weakness, see ver. 2, but by faith in the divine commission of Moses, and the promise of God to bestow Canaan upon Israel. C.]
Ver. 3. [It is worthy of note that the termination of the name Adoni-zedek is identical with that of Melchi-zedek, who was king of Jerusalem in Abraham's time. The former signifies 'Lord of righteousness,' the latter 'King of righteousness.' The town of Jarmuth, now called Yarmuk, stands on the top of a hill at the western base of the mountain chain of Judah, about equidistant from Jerusalem and Hebron. Lachish and Eglon were situated on the plain of Philistia, on the leading road to Gaza. P.]
Ver. 11. [I read and examined with much care the details of this remarkable narrative on the battle-field. I was then for the first time fully able to understand it. On hearing the tidings of the alliance against Gibeon, Joshua made a forced night march up from the deep valley of the Jordan, to the summit of the ridge on which Gibeon stands; and ere the sun rose the Israelites defiled into the open plateau round the city. Their sudden appearance, and fierce attack, overwhelmed the Amorites, who were driven back in confusion across the plateau. Joshua pursued them 'along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron;' i.e. up the gentle ascent from the plain of Gibeon to the rocky ridge east of Bethhoron. Here they had outstripped their pursuers; but when they were in 'the going down of Bethhoron'—when they were rushing down the stony declivities from the ridge to the town, and from the town to the deep valley of Ajalon westward—'the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them.' Joshua crossed the ridge in pursuit, and on gaining some prominent peak from which he saw the fleeing Amorites below, pursued by the wearied Israelites, he feared that night would come ere the victory was complete. Behind him, eastward, were the heights which covered Gibeon; before him, westward, was the deep valley of Ajalon. Here he uttered the remarkable prayer, 'Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.' P.]
Ver. 12. [Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. Were even philosophers better acquainted with the causes of the annual and diurnal movements of the heavenly bodies, they would be better able to judge of this miracle. Though all miracles are alike easy to Omnipotence, it may still be fact, that some order of exceeding simplicity effected what appears so stupendous to our eyes. Something perhaps more simple than the stopping of the pulsation of the heart, and consequent suspension of the circulation of the blood. Had syncope, or fainting, never been witnessed but once some thousands of years ago, it would appear as incredible to modern physiologists as the standing still of the sun to infidel philosophers. The objection derived from the words—stood still, or went not down—is unworthy of a schoolboy, and indicates as little knowledge of language as of Scripture evidence. The words state a fact in relation to sight, and so are literally true; and if we may admit the translation of Dr. A. Clarke, which there seems no ground to question, then do they likewise accord with the Newtonian astronomy, and most probably develop a still deeper insight in the mysteries of nature. According to Clarke, the address, ver. 12, should be translated:—'Sun! upon Gibeon be dumb; and the moon in the vale of Ajalon.' The effect of which is related in the following words:—'And the sun was dumb; and the moon stood still.' In which words Joshua does not say to the sun, stand still, as if he had conceived him to be running his race round the earth; but be dumb, silent, or inactive, so as to stop the rotation of the earth. And the book of Jasher, in recording the event, speaks with equal philosophical correctness. In the first case he says, the sun was dumb, withheld his influences, but the moon stood still. It must be seen from the address to the sun, that it was near the setting when the words which seem a command to the sun, but are a prayer to God, were uttered. C.]
Reflections.—Inveterate is the enmity of Satan and error against Jesus Christ, and even against those who are in a hopeful way of becoming converts to him; and, like their great leader, the wicked likewise are unanimous and hearty in their wickedness, and in persecuting the people of God. But when spiritual or temporal enemies thrust sore at us, then we feel the necessity of looking up to Jesus, the Captain of the Lord's host, for salvation. If we have given up ourselves to him, we may be cast down, but cannot be destroyed: Jesus and his angels will flee to our relief: his power, his prayers, shall concur for our protection and deliverance! But how terrible is the danger of his enemies! Both heaven and earth conspire to effectuate their ruin! Every assistant, every retreat, shall prove but a refuge of lies; the meanest saint shall see them fall! And when the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Jesus shall come to sit in righteous judgment upon all them who know not God and obey not the gospel;—who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power! Oh! unparalleled day! then all the haters of the Lord shall go into everlasting despair; and the righteous, after finishing their fight of faith, and enriched with peace, shall, with Jesus at their head, return, and enter into life eternal in the camp of God above!