Chapter 10

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 mured in a cave. 23 They are brought forth, 24 scornfully used, 26 and hanged. 28 Seven kings more are conquered. 43 Joshua returneth to Gilgal.

1. Adoni-zedec. Literally, “my lord is righteousness.”

Jerusalem. The first occurrence of this name in the OT. Opinions differ as to the origin of the name. It is generally conceded that the last part of the word means “peace” (see Heb. 7:2). The first part may come either from a word meaning “inheritance” or from a word meaning “settlement,” the basic ideas of which are similar. There is little doubt that the Jerusalem of Joshua’s time is identical with Jerusalem of today. Egyptian texts as early as the 19th and 18th centuries mention the city. Its existence at that time is confirmed by archeology.

The Amarna Letters, dating from the 14th century b.c., near the time of the conquest of Canaan by Israel, mention a city of Palestine by the name of Urusalim, “city of peace.” This is its name in later Assyrian records. Rabbinical sources claim the word is derived from the name Abraham gave to Mt. Moriah, the place where he offered up his son, plus the name Salem of Gen. 14:18. Mt. Moriah later became the site of the temple Solomon built (Sam. 24:18–25; 2 Chron. 3:1). From the story recorded in Gen. 22 it seems that there was no city on Mt. Moriah in Abraham’s day, but only on the neighboring hills (see PP 703). Abraham called the place Jehovah-jireh (Gen. 22:14). “Jehovah will provide.” Moriah has been held by some to be derived from the same root and to signify “vision of Jehovah.” According to rabbinical interpretation, the name Jerusalem would be a combination of Jireh and Salem.

Another of Jerusalem’s ancient names was Jebusi or Jebus (Joshua 18:16, 28; Judges 19:10, 11). The Jebusites dwelt there in the time of the judges, and the city was not taken from them until the time of David.

Were among them. The LXX reads, “had changed sides.” The Gibeonites’ transfer of allegiance precipitated upon them the bitterest hatred of their former friends. Their decision made, the Gibeonites seem ever after to have remained loyal to Israel and the true God. This fact implies that though their method of securing the friendship of Israel was questionable, they were, nevertheless, sincere to the extent of the light they had.

2. Feared greatly. They feared now not only the power of Israel and Israel’s God, as evidenced by the reports from Jericho and Ai, but also the military strength of the cities of Gibeon. They felt that any inclination toward changing sides must be stopped immediately.

As one of the royal cities. Literally, “as one of the cities of the kingdom.” The importance of the word “as” should not be lost, because it reveals the accuracy of the writer. As previously mentioned, the city had no king but was governed by «elders» (see on ch. 9:3). Here, again, is an indirect intimation that Gibeon had no king, for it was like a city with a king for greatness. Gibeon was afterward the city of the first king of Israel, Saul (1 Chron. 8:29, 30, 33).

3 Hebron. Literally meaning “union,” “league,” or “association.” It is one of the oldest inhabited communities of Palestine, situated about 19 mi. (30 km.) southwest of Jerusalem. It was built seven years before Zoan (Tanis) in Egypt (Num. 13:22), the old Hyksos center of Avaris. Many patriarchal events are associated with Hebron. Here Abraham dwelt in the plains of Mamre (Gen. 13:18; 18:1). Here Sarah died, and Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite (Gen. 23:7–16) for her burial place. Later, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rebekah, and Leah were buried there. At Hebron the 12 spies found the giant Anakim (Num 13:22, 33). The place held many sacred memories for the Israelites.

Piram king of Jarmuth. Piram signifies “a wild ass”; Jarmuth (meaning uncertain) was about 15 3/4 mi. (25.5 km.) west-southwest from Jerusalem. It has been identified with the modern Khirbet YarmuЖk. where remains of some ancient walls and cisterns have been discovered. Nothing is known of its size in the time of Joshua, but it must have been reckoned as one of the larger royal cities of southern Palestine.

Japhia king of Lachish. Japhia probably means “visible,” or “the radiant one,” with the possible idea of the impersonation of the god. Lachish, now identified with the large mound of Tell edРDuweir, is the site of one of the largest occupied cities of ancient Palestine. It is about 27 mi. (44 km.) southwest of Jerusalem in what is known as the Shephelah, or low hills, of Judah. It dominated the main road from central Palestine to Egypt. Although this is the first reference to it in the Bible, Lachish is frequently mentioned in later Israelite history.

Debir king of Eglon. Debir means “oracle.” Eglon may mean “rolling.” The place has been tentatively identified with Tell elРHesйµ, which was formerly thought to contain the ruins of Lachish.

4. Come up. This expression is geographically correct, since the other kings dwelt in the lowlands and hills, and Jerusalem was of a relatively higher altitude. Jerusalem was the nearest city of importance to the now-common foe, and thus stood in the greatest danger. This may account for the leadership of Jerusalem in this crisis.

Smite Gibeon. Instead of Joshua. It is remarkable that we do not hear of one direct attack against Joshua and his army in the wars of Canaan. The conquest was chiefly an offensive campaign on the part of the Israelites. In spiritual battles as well as in military the best form of defense is often offensive action against the enemy.

5. Amorites. This term is often taken generally for any of the Canaanitish nations, probably because the Amorites were the most powerful people of the country. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were called Jebusites (Joshua 15:63); and those of Hebron, Hittites (Gen. 23:2, 3; 25:9, 10). The Gibeonites are sometimes called Hivites (Joshua 9:7), and occasionally Amorites.

6. Sent unto Joshua. The Gibeonites were in sore straits. Their defenses were in adequate against so powerful a coalition. They appealed to Joshua, in the hope that he, despite their fraud, would come to their aid. The way in which they looked to their allies for help in time of trouble may be thought of as illustrating how we may call upon God for assistance when we are hard pressed by spiritual foes. We may feel unworthy of divine aid because of our sins, but we may also know for certain that no sincere prayer for help will be unanswered.

In the mountains. Reference is to the central range called “the hill country,” in which were situated some of the five cities mentioned previously (ch. 21:11). Others were in the Shephelah; but the Gibeonites, in their haste, probably did not trouble to make the distinction. As far as they were concerned the armies of the five nations were approaching them from the mountainous region of Jerusalem (vs. 3, 4). What may appear to be a contradiction is in reality an assurance of the authenticity of the record, inasmuch as the writer faithfully recorded what the messengers told Joshua even though it may not have been entirely correct geographically.

7. Ascended. This expression and the “went up” of v. 9 are geographically correct, because the line of march from Gilgal to Gibeon is an ascent all the way. The distance from Gilgal to Gibeon was 16 1/2 mi. (26.7 km.). Marching all night up the Wadi Kelt and through the Wadi Suweinit, Joshua arrived early in the morning in the neighborhood of the city of Gibeon before the Amorites were aware that he had left camp at Gilgal. In going to the defense of Gibeon, Joshua also helped the cause of Israel. The city commanded important passes to central and southern Palestine and needed to be held.

And all the mighty men. The LXX and the Vulgate omit the “and.” The Hebrew word translated “and” may also be translated “even,” which seems to express better the meaning intended here. The passage, then, would imply that Joshua went up with an army of picked men, men of valor and courage, and skilled in warfare. The Syriac agrees with the idea thus expressed, reading, “and all of them [were] mighty men of valor.”

8. And the Lord said. Perhaps better, “for the Lord had said.” It is clear that Joshua did not undertake the expedition without seeking counsel of God. He seems at last to have learned this lesson.

9. Suddenly. Joshua was a man of dispatch. The task at hand required immediate action. Many a cause is defeated by lack of action, or action that comes too late. Joshua marched all night, and in the morning was ready for action before the enemy had time to prepare for battle.

And went up. Preferably, “having marched up” (RSV). This clause is simply explanatory of how Joshua “came unto them suddenly.” This he did by marching “all night.”

10. Discomfited them. Or, “threw them into a panic” (RSV). The Hebrew word here used means “to rush about madly.” When it takes an object, as here, it means “to confuse,” “to throw into confusion,” or “to rout.” In Ex. 23:27 God had promised to send His fear before Israel and cause their enemies to turn their backs before them. The discomfiture of the five kings was a fulfillment of this promise, and is an example of how the Lord would have wrought in the entire conquest of Canaan if the Israelites had always been willing to work according to His plan.

Beth-horon. Literally, “house of [the god] Choron.” Beth-horon was made up of twin towns comprising the upper and lower cities, today known as Beit ФUr el Foµqaµ (upper) and Beit ФUr etРTahtaµ (lower). These towns controlled the mountain pass. Joshua and his men pursued the Amorites in a northwest direction to this point. The path descending from Beth-horon Upper to Beth-horon Lower was very rocky and rugged, so steep that steps have been cut in the rock to facilitate the descent. It was here that the Lord sent hailstones upon them. From this point the enemy turned in a southerly direction, toward Jarmuth and Lachish, the cities of two of the kings.

Azekah. A strongly fortified city about 11 mi. (17 km.) northeast of Lachish, known today as Tell ezРZakarйЖyeh. It is referred to a number of times in later OT history.

Makkedah. The site of Makkedah is uncertain. Some believe it to be the excavated stronghold at Tell esРSafi, but that tell is held by others to be Libnah. Some prefer Tell MaqduЖm, 6 5/8 mi. (10.8 km.) southeast of Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) and 8 mi. (13 km.) west by north from Hebron.

11. Great stones. Defined in this same verse as “hailstones.” The LXX has “hailstones” in both instances. It is hardly necessary to think of these stones as being meteors, or literal “stones.” God had on a previous occasion used hailstones as an agency of destruction (Ex. 9:18–26). Records of several storms in the East are preserved, in which it is stated that the hailstones were found to weigh from one half to three quarters of a pound. In Northern China some have been known to weigh several pounds and to have killed cattle. God has in store “treasurers of the hail” (Job 38:22, 23) to use in the day of final battle (Rev. 16:21).

12. To the Lord. The Syriac reads “before the Lord,” or, “in the presence of the Lord.” The Hebrew preposition le has a variety of meanings, such as “with regard to,” “on account of,” “concerning,” “because of.” These meanings convey the idea that what Joshua said was, “because of the Lord,” or, “with regard to the Lord,” that is, spoken under divine direction or at least with divine approval. Consequently, his words were not presumptuous.

Stand thou still. The verb here translated “stand still” is generally rendered “be silent.” However, it can also mean “be motionless,” depending upon what it is applied to. Being addressed to the sun and moon, which ordinarily have no sound, it would naturally have the meaning of the latter. The inspired writer used the popular language of the day in describing matters of science. Actually it is not the sun that moves in the heavens but the earth turning on its axis that marks off the day. But even in our modern age of scientific enlightenment we speak of the sun rising or setting. Some, whose limited concept of God leaves Him powerless to interfere with natural law, feel that a halt in the rotation of the earth would have disastrous effects upon the earth itself and possibly upon the entire solar system, if not the universe. Whether the phenomenon was produced in this fashion or by the refraction of light or in some other way, the fact remains that a miracle of some kind occurred. If we believe in an omnipotent God, who, as Creator and Sustainer, controls the works of His creation, there is no problem.

The lengthening of the day not only provided additional time for the total destruction of the enemies of Israel but was a signal demonstration of the power of Israel’s God. It showed that the very gods whom the heathen worshiped were powerless before the true God. They worshiped the Canaanite god Baal and the goddess Ashtoreth. Both the sun and the moon whom they worshipped were shown to be subservient to Joshua’s command, under the direction of Israel’s God, Jehovah.

Some, on casual reading, have believed that the miracle took place as the sun was setting, and that the sun, therefore, was held just above the horizon. But v. 13 states that “the sun stood still in the midst of heaven.” Joshua and his men were pursuing the Canaanites beyond Beth-horon. Inasmuch as the battle started early in the morning, it would have been possible to reach this spot before noon. As Joshua stood at the summit of the pass at Beth-horon and looked down upon the vast multitudes of the enemy fleeing to the southwest toward their strongholds, he feared that the day would prove too short to bring complete victory. He knew that the opportune time to strike was while the enemy was disorganized. Delay would give time for reorganization. So as he looked back eastward toward Gibeon he saw the sun, as it were, above that point. To the west, over the Valley of Aijalon, the waning moon was still faintly visible. Had the time been near sunset, he would have seen the sun toward the west sinking in the sea instead of toward the east over Gibeon.

As to the length of time that the sun was delayed in its course, it is generally assumed to have been a whole day. However, the Hebrew is not specific. Literally, it reads, the sun “did not hasten to go down as a perfect day,” that is, as it does when the day is finished. But the language also permits the reading “about a whole day.” This would give time for the accomplishing of the events noted through v. 28, since the wording of that verse seems to imply that Makkedah was taken on the same day.

13. Book of Jasher. Literally, “book of the upright.” The Syriac calls it “book of praises,” or “book of hymns.” The book is directly referred to only twice in the OT, here and in 2 Sam. 1:18–27. The LXX of 1 Kings 8:53 mentions a “book of the song,” probably also a reference to the book of Jasher. The book, as a whole, seems to have been made up of ballads accompanied by prose introductions, dealing with historical heroes—upright men—showing how they lived and what they achieved. It was evidently compiled by degrees, as the events performed by these upright men and women occurred. That the ballad of 2 Sam. 1:19–27 was composed by David and recorded in the book of Jasher is no proof that parts of the book were not in existence earlier, even, perhaps, in the time of Joshua. The remarkable event of the standing still of the sun and moon may have been recorded soon after its occurrence. If so, when Joshua recorded the battle of Gibeon (see p. 169), probably a short time before his death, it would seem that he quoted this particular ballad with its prose introduction as part of his account of this remarkable incident. Verse 15 implies that it is a part of the quotation, or at least words of comment on the contents of the ballad. The first part of v. 12, by way of introduction, and v. 15, by way of conclusion, may have been added by the writer of v. 14, but it seems more probable that all except the formula of citation, “is not this written in the book of Jasher?” is part of the quotation.

16. In a cave. Literally, “in the cave.” The site of Makkedah is uncertain (see on v. 10). Evidently a cave was nearby.

19. And stay ye not. Literally, “and you, ye shall not stand still.” Joshua’s prompt dispatch revealed the skill of his inspired generalship. The time was advantageous for action against the main forces of the enemy. Any diversionary action, such as the execution of the five kings, would have meant costly delay.

Smite the hindmost. That is, rout the rear of the host. The Hebrew word translated “smite” occurs only here and in Deut. 25:18.

21. All the people. If the “all” is to be taken literally, it means that no Israelite was slain, none wounded, none missing from the battle. The Hebrew expressly states that against one single Israelite none dared lift up the voice, much less a weapon. It was a complete, glorious victory.

24. All the men. That is, all the men of war “which went with him,” as stated in the same verse. Joshua knew how to keep the good will of his men. He took them into his confidence. They had shared in the battle, and they deserved to see the fruits of their labor and to share in the final results. The true leader shares both the joys and the sorrows of service with his fellow laborers—not only the labor but the fruits of labor as well. He makes his men feel that they are a part of the task and not mere cogs in the wheel of success. Joshua had confidence in his men, and they had confidence in him. For a leader thus to share is to strengthen his position, not to weaken it. Confidence begets confidence.

Upon the necks. This procedure was a custom of the Orient as can be seen from certain Assyrian and Egyptian monuments. It was a token of complete victory. To the Israelites it was a demonstration of the complete subjection to which God would reduce all their adversaries (see Gen. 49:8; 2 Sam. 22:41).

26. Hanged. The Hebrew people did not hang men alive on OT times. The victim was first killed and then hanged by way of example, to deter others from similar crimes. But according to the law of Deut. 21:23, the body must not hang overnight lest the land be defiled.

27. It came to pass. In view of the fact that the day was lengthened, there is no reason to doubt that “the going down of the sun,” mentioned in this verse, was on the evening of the remarkably long day.

28. That day. Apparently the day of the battle of Beth-horon. It seems that the taking of Makkedah completed the series of accomplishments of that memorable day. It left the Israelites, for a time, without danger of attack. It was a great day, full of great accomplishments.

29. Libnah. The operations against Libnah mark the beginning of a further stage of the campaign. Libnah was a strongly fortified city north of Lachish. Excavations on the site reveal that it was once a well-built fortress and that fire practically destroyed it at about this time.

31. Lachish. This was the chief “fenced city” of the area and continued to be a stronghold in later Israelitish history. The site has been excavated, and is known today as Tell edРDuweir. Here the famous Lachish Letters, from the time of Jeremiah, were found. The ruins are about 27 mi. (44 km.) southwest of Jerusalem and 19 mi. (31 km.) from the seacoast. Lachish is frequently mentioned in the OT. It was an important stronghold, whose control an enemy from the south must secure before advancing on Jerusalem (see 2 Kings 18:14, 17; 19:8).

33. Gezer. This city is the present Tell Jezer. Important archeological material has been found in excavations at this site, 19 1/4 mi. (31 km.) west-northwest of Jerusalem. It was out of Joshua’s line of march, but Horam, its king, came to the assistance of Lachish. Joshua smote him and his army, but did not take his city (ch. 16:10). Horam evidently had a pact of mutual assistance with the king of Lachish, effective in the event of an attack on either city. Gezer was later designated a Levitical city (ch. 21:21).

34. Eglon. See on v. 3.

36. Hebron. See on v. 3. Evidently the inhabitants of Hebron had appointed a new king to succeed the one previously slain (vs. 24–26). The expression “all the cities thereof” (v. 37) indicates that Hebron was a metropolis, that is, a mother city, with several cities subject to its jurisdiction and dependent upon it. Such also was Gibeon, mentioned in ch. 9:17.

38. Debir. The Canaanite name was Kirjath-sepher, which means “city of books.” In ch. 15:49 it is called Kirjath-sannah, city of palm trees. It was in the highlands of Judah about 12 mi. (19 km.) southwest of Hebron and about 8 mi. (13 km.) southeast of Lachish. It has been identified with Tell Beit Mirsim. The Canaanites subsequently retook the city, but Othniel, the brother of Caleb, later recaptured it for Israel. For his bravery he received Achsah, the daughter of Caleb, in marriage (ch. 15:17). The city was given to the priests (ch. 21:15).

40. All the country. The expression “the hills” denotes the mountainous region extending southward from Jerusalem.

South. Heb. negeb. A semiarid region of limestone, with but few perennial springs, bereft of trees, and green only in the rainy season. The territory offered an opportunity for the diligent husbandman who would not only plow up every level spot but utilize the very rocks and make them support his crops and vines.

The vale. This lowland, the Shephelah, was the foothill region between Judah and Philistia.

The springs. Probably the undulating land at the foot of the Shephelah, and between it and the plain of Philistia. This region was intersected by brooks and ravines, and so fertile and prosperous.

41. Goshen. Not the country of that name in Egypt, the former residence of the Hebrews, but a section in southern Judah (chs. 11:16; 15:51).

43. Gilgal. See on chs. 9:6 and 10:7.

Ellen G. White comments

1–43PP 506–510

1–6PP 507

2     PP 506

7–14PP 508

12   PP 509

40, 42, 43        PP 510