Joshua 10
[Joshua 10:1] NOW IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN ADONIZEDEC 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;
<<ADONIZEDEC>> in Hebrew ADONI-TZEDEC meaning
Lord of Justice. Remember the
story of Abraham who after defeating the four
kings was greeted by the King of Salem:
<<AND MELCHIZEDEK KING
OF SALEM BROUGHT FORTH BREAD AND WINE: AND HE WAS
THE PRIEST OF THE MOST
HIGH GOD>> [Genesis 14:18]. In this
case MELCHIZEDEKin Hebrew is
MELCHI-TZEDEKmeaning King of Justice. Salem
is "Shalom meaning peace and
wholeness. Shalom appears to be another name for
Jerusalem and the name
Jerusalem itself (Yerushalayim) is comprised of the
roots Yeru-Shalayim.
The first root Yeru could have several meanings and
is probably derived from
a root meaning, He (God) will make Himself seen.
<<AND ABRAHAM
CALLED THE NAME OF THAT PLACE JEHOVAHJIREH [JEHOVAH-JIREH:
God will make
Himself seen] AS IT IS SAID TO THIS DAY, IN THE MOUNT OF THE
LORD IT SHALL
BE SEEN>> [Genesis 22:14]. The name of Jerusalem has
additional
meanings and connotations all of which reflect different aspects
of the
city's nature and destiny.
At all events we see here in Joshua 10:1 that
another king of Jerusalem
(ADONI-TZEDEC KING OF JERUSALEM) bore a name with
the component Tzedek
(Justice) as part of it as if this had become a
tradition for the kings of
that place to include that component in the names
they bore.
[Joshua 10:2] 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.
The people of Gibeon and its
associates had made with Israel and ultimately
became a kind of sub-clan
within Israel. We mentioned the possibility that
descendants of Gibeon may
now be found amongst the inhabitants of Abu-Gush
who on the whole are
traditionally pro-Jewish and support the State of
Israel. About 20% of the
inhabitants of Abu Gosh are of Circassian origin.
[Some Circassians had a
tradition that they were descended from Hittites.
This could tie in with
them possibly deriving from Gibeon and the
associated cities: GIBEON, AND
CHEPHIRAH, AND BEEROTH, AND
KIRJATHJEARIM(Joshua 9:17).] The rest of the
inhabitants of Abu Gosh are
native inhabitants but according to reports
quite a few of them claim to be
descended from British soldiers who in the
days of the Mandate (1919-1948)
had a camp in their township.
[Joshua
10:3] WHEREFORE ADONIZEDEC 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,
These were all cities in the
south.
[Joshua 10:4] 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.
They intended to attack and destroy Gibeon and make an example of
it
presumably so that other Canaanite settlements would not dare to make
peace
with Israel. Similarly the Palestinians when they first began their
uprising they killed and terrorized all of their fellow citizens who were
suspected of being sympathetic towards the Israelis. They still do put an
emphasis on eliminating any expression of pro-Israeli feelings. Very, very
many more Palestinians have been killed by their own people than by the
Israelis. Despite all this a lot of Palestinians are still pro-Israel. The
Israeli authorities have a problem of how to cope with all the offers of
help it receives from the Palestinian population. Even so, it should still
be kept in mind that at present most Palestinians believe the State of
Israel should be eliminated and all the Jews exterminated if necessary or
even if just possible.
[Joshua 10:5] 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.
<<THE FIVE KINGS OF THE AMORITES>>: There were ten
different nations of Canaan.
<<AND CANAAN BEGAT SIDON HIS FIRST
BORN, AND HETHAND THE JEBUSITE, AND THE
AMORITE, AND THE GIRGASITE, AND THE
HIVITE, AND THE ARKITE, AND THE SINITE,
AND THE ARVADITE, AND THE ZEMARITE,
AND THE HAMATHITE: AND AFTERWARD WERE
THE FAMILIES OF THE CANAANITES SPREAD
ABROAD>> [Genesis 10:15-18].
Seven of the Canaanite nations were
in the Land when the Israelites
invaded and it was commanded to destroy
them: <<AND JOSHUA SAID, HEREBY YE
SHALL KNOW THAT THE LIVING GOD IS
AMONG YOU, AND THAT HE WILL WITHOUT FAIL
DRIVE OUT FROM BEFORE YOU THE
CANAANITES, AND THE HITTITES, AND THE
HIVITES, AND THE PERIZZITES, AND THE
GIRGASHITES, AND THE AMORITES, AND
THE JEBUSITES>> [Joshua
3:10].
Canaan was both a generic name for ALL the Canaanite peoples as
well as
being the particular name for only one of them. Likewise the
Amorites were
only one of the Canaanite nations. It may be that the Amorites
were the
dominant people amongst the Canaanites and therefore ALL of the
Canaanite
nations are sometimes referred to as Amorites.
[Joshua
10:6] 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.
[Joshua 10:7] SO JOSHUA ASCENDED FROM
GILGAL, HE, AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF WAR
WITH HIM, AND ALL THE MIGHTY MEN OF
VALOUR.
This was part of the War of Conquest as well as a campaign to
protect the
people of Gibeon. The Gibeonites had tricked them and forced
themselves
upon them. Nevertheless once the Israelites accepted the
Gibeonites they
did so completely and extended their protection to them and
were prepared
to risk their lives on behalf of them. We can all learn from
this.
[Joshua 10:8] 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.
War and life in general must be conducted
according to the forces of nature
and circumstance. Nevertheless, we should
never forget that the outcome is
determined by God Almighty.
[Joshua
10:9] JOSHUA THEREFORE CAME UNTO THEM SUDDENLY, AND WENT UP FROM
GILGAL ALL
NIGHT.
[Joshua 10:10] 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 BETHHORON, AND SMOTE THEM TO AZEKAH, AND UNTO
MAKKEDAH.
[Joshua 10:11] AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS THEY FLED FROM
BEFORE ISRAEL, AND
WERE IN THE GOING DOWN TO BETHHORON, 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.
Meteorites and comets fall naturally from space onto
the earth from time to
time. Sometimes they do great damage. The miracle in
this case was that the
meteorites fell when and where they did. God had
determined that they would
fall on the fleeing enemies of Israel. This was a
punishment against these
people for opposing the will of God, defying the
Israelites and attempting
to harm allies of the Israelite Tribes. Miracles
of coincidental events
happen to nearly all of us at some time or other.
Often we take them for
granted or do not even notice them. We should attempt
to be more aware of
the influence of Divine providence in our
lives.
<<HAILSTONES>>: In Hebrew Aveni Barad, i.e. stones of
hailwhile above its
says GREAT STONES. One modernist commentator suggests
that we should
understand HAILSTONES to mean a hail of stones or stones
falling like hail.
This is not necessary. Hailstones are large
ice-particles. Meteorites are
comprised of a mixture of stones and ice. If
the stones were meteorites
then the description of great stones together
with hailstones is an
accurate one in the literal sense.
[Joshua
10:12] 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.
The earth stood still or the sun stopped moving. Nowadays we
explain the
sun to be the center of the solar system with the earth and
planets moving
around it. Actually in space everything is relative. It is
just as correct
to consider the earth to be the center with the sun and
planets moving
around the earth. This possibility however requires
complicated
mathematical equations and makes astronomical predictions more
difficult. Scientifically the simplest explanation is the best and that
is the one we use. This however does not necessarily mean that alternate
explanations are incorrect.
[Joshua 10:13] 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 JASHER? SO THE SUN STOOD STILL
IN THE MIDST OF HEAVEN, AND
HASTED NOT TO GO DOWN ABOUT A WHOLE
DAY.
<<THE BOOK OF JASHER>>: This book has been lost. There
is a post-Christian
Jewish work by the same name that contains some
interesting traditions and Midrashim.
[Joshua 10:14] 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.
[Joshua 10:15] AND JOSHUA
RETURNED, AND ALL ISRAEL WITH HIM, UNTO THE CAMP TO GILGAL.
[Joshua
10:16] BUT THESE FIVE KINGS FLED, AND HID THEMSELVES IN A CAVE AT
MAKKEDAH.
[Joshua 10:17] AND IT WAS TOLD JOSHUA, SAYING, THE FIVE
KINGS ARE FOUND HID
IN A CAVE AT MAKKEDAH.
[Joshua 10:18] AND JOSHUA
SAID, ROLL GREAT STONES UPON THE MOUTH OF THE
CAVE, AND SET MEN BY IT FOR TO
KEEP THEM:
[Joshua 10:19] 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.
[Joshua
10:20] 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.
[Joshua 10:21] 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.
[Joshua 10:22] THEN SAID JOSHUA, OPEN THE MOUTH
OF THE CAVE, AND BRING OUT
THOSE FIVE KINGS UNTO ME OUT OF THE
CAVE.
[Joshua 10:23] 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.
[Joshua
10:24] 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, PUT YOUR FEET
UPON THE NECKS
OF THESE KINGS. AND THEY CAME NEAR, AND PUT THEIR FEET UPON
THE NECKS OF
THEM.
[Joshua 10:25] 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.
Sometimes when you have defeated
your enemies you must make examples of
them, pursue after them and destroy
them. The Talmud says, Anyone who is
merciful to the cruel will end up being
cruel to the merciful.
[Joshua 10:26] AND AFTERWARD JOSHUA SMOTE
THEM, AND SLEW THEM, AND HANGED
THEM ON FIVE TREES: AND THEY WERE HANGING
UPON THE TREES UNTIL THE EVENING.
[Joshua 10:27] 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 GREAT STONES
IN THE CAVE'S MOUTH, WHICH REMAIN UNTIL
THIS VERY DAY.
[Joshua 10:28] 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.
[Joshua 10:29] THEN JOSHUA PASSED FROM MAKKEDAH, AND ALL ISRAEL
WITH HIM,
UNTO LIBNAH, AND FOUGHT AGAINST LIBNAH:
[Joshua 10:30] 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.
[Joshua 10:31] AND JOSHUA PASSED FROM LIBNAH,
AND ALL ISRAEL WITH HIM, UNTO
LACHISH, AND ENCAMPED AGAINST IT, AND FOUGHT
AGAINST IT:
[Joshua 10:32] 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.
These people were being destroyed because they
worshipped false gods,
indulged in sexual depravities, practiced human
sacrifice, oppressed the
weak, and other sins. They had also placed
themselves in opposition to the
God of Israel and the people of Israel and
had not left the land as they should have done.
[Joshua 10:33] THEN
HORAM KING OF GEZER CAME UP TO HELP LACHISH; AND JOSHUA
SMOTE HIM AND HIS
PEOPLE, UNTIL HE HAD LEFT HIM NONE REMAINING.JOSH 10:34]
AND FROM LACHISH
JOSHUA PASSED UNTO EGLON, AND ALL ISRAEL WITH HIM; AND
THEY ENCAMPED AGAINST
IT, AND FOUGHT AGAINST IT:
[Joshua 10:35] 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 DESTROYED THAT
DAY, ACCORDING TO ALL THAT HE HAD DONE TO
LACHISH.
[Joshua 10:36] AND JOSHUA WENT UP FROM EGLON, AND ALL ISRAEL
WITH HIM, UNTO
HEBRON; AND THEY FOUGHT AGAINST IT:
[Joshua 10:37] 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.
[Joshua 10:38]
AND JOSHUA RETURNED, AND ALL ISRAEL WITH HIM, TO DEBIR; AND
FOUGHT AGAINST
IT:
[Joshua 10:39] 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.
[Joshua 10:40] 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.
[Joshua
10:41] AND JOSHUA SMOTE THEM FROM KADESHBARNEA EVEN UNTO GAZA, AND
ALL THE
COUNTRY OF GOSHEN, EVEN UNTO GIBEON.
[Joshua 10:42] AND ALL THESE KINGS
AND THEIR LAND DID JOSHUA TAKE AT ONE
TIME, BECAUSE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL
FOUGHT FOR ISRAEL.
[Joshua 10:43] AND JOSHUA RETURNED, AND ALL ISRAEL
WITH HIM, UNTO THE CAMP TO GILGAL.
Joshua Index
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