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Joshua Chapter
Ten
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 10
This
chapter treats of the combination of five kings against the Gibeonites, Joshua 10:1; and of
the application of the Gibeonites to Joshua, for assistance, in virtue of the
league between them, which was granted, Joshua 10:6; of the
slaughter of the army by the kings of Israel, and chiefly by hailstones from
heaven, Joshua 10:10; and
of the standing still of the sun, and of the moon, while vengeance was taken on
them, Joshua 10:12; and
of the five kings being hid in a cave, and of the usage of them when taken, Joshua 10:15; and
of the taking of Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir, Joshua 10:28; which
finished the conquest of the southern part of the land, Joshua 10:40.
Joshua 10:1 Now
it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai
and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had
done to Ai and its king—and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with
Israel and were among them,
YLT
1And it cometh to pass, when
Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heareth that Joshua hath captured Ai, and doth
devote it (as he had done to Jericho and to her king so he hath done to Ai and
to her king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon have made peace with Israel,
and are in their midst, --
Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem,.... So
called, perhaps by anticipation, Jerusalem, since it seems to have had this
name given it by the Israelites, when they had got possession of it: and
Jerusalem signifies "the possession of Salem"F23Reland, p.
833. , and in memory of this its ancient name, the Jews sayF24Gloss.
in T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 16. 1. , they do not put "jod" in Jerusalem
between "lamed" and "mem"; though some make the
signification of it, "they shall see peace"F25Vid.
Stockium, p. 480. ; and others, nearer to its old name, and with respect to it,
"fear Salem", O ye enemies. Now the king of this place
had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; which, being
nearer to him than Jericho, the more alarmed him:
as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and
her king; burnt the one, and slew the other; and this terrified him, lest
he and his city should undergo the same fate:
and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and
were among them; which as it weakened the interest of the kings of Canaan, might
set an example to other places to do the like. Abarbinel suggests, that the
Gibeonites making peace with Israel secretly, without the knowledge of their
king, as he supposes, made Adonizedek fearful, lest his subjects should do the
like; the Jewish chronologers sayF26Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 31.
, that these three acts respecting Jericho, Ai, and Gibeon, were all finished
within three months.
Joshua 10:2 2 that they feared greatly,
because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and
because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
YLT
2that they are greatly
afraid, because Gibeon [is] a great city, as one of the royal cities, and
because it [is] greater than Ai, and all its men -- heroes.
That they feared greatly,.... The king of
Jerusalem and his people, lest they should fall into the hands of the
Israelites, and be used as Jericho and Ai, and the kings and inhabitants of
them were, and that they would be the next that should fall a sacrifice to
them; for Gibeon was fifty furlongs from Jerusalem, as Josephus saysF1De
Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 19. sect. 1. ; and in another place he saysF2Antiqu.
l. 7. c. 11. sect. 7. but forty, which were but five miles; and if fifty, but
little more than six miles; according to BuntingF3Travels of the
Patriarchs, &c. p. 98. , it was but four miles: and what added to their
terror was:
because Gibeon was a great city; being a
metropolitan city, and having others subject to it; therefore the surrender of
that to the Israelites might intimidate other cities, and lead them by example
to do the like, and so of bad consequence:
as one of the royal cities; the Vulgate Latin
version omits the note of similitude, and reads, "and one of the royal
cities"; and sometimes "caph" or "as" is not a note of
likeness, but of reality; yet as we nowhere read of a king of Gibeon, the sense
may be, that though it was not a royal seat, it was equal to those that were,
and like one, being a metropolitan city: and
because it was greater than Ai: had more
inhabitants in it, and perhaps better fortified:
and all the men thereof were mighty; men of
strength, courage, and valour, warlike men, and therefore for such a city to
yield so easily, and in such a base, mean, and cowardly way, was setting a very
bad example.
Joshua 10:3 3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king
of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king
of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
YLT
3And Adoni-Zedek king of
Jerusalem sendeth unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth,
and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of
Hebron,.... Which, according to JeromF4De loc. Heb. fol. 87.
E. was twenty two miles from Jerusalem; it was an ancient city built seven
years before Zoan in Egypt; See Gill on Genesis 13:18 and
See Gill on Numbers 13:22,
and unto Piram king of Jarmuth; a city which fell to the
lot of Judah, as did Hebron, Joshua 15:35;
according to JeromF5lb. fol. 92. H. , it was four miles distant from
Eleutheropolis; according to ProcopiusF6Apud Reland. Palestin.
Illustrat. l. 2. p. 505. fourteen, about the village Eshtaol, near to which
Samson was buried, Judges 16:31; but
JeromF7Ut supra, (De loc. Heb. fol. 92.) I. speaks of a city called
Jermus, in the tribe of Judah, which seems to be the same with this; and which
he says in his day was a village, that went by the name of Jermucha, ten miles
from Eleutheropolis, as you go to Aelia or Jerusalem; and as Eleutheropolis lay
twenty miles from Jerusalem, this place must be ten miles from it, lying
between them both:
and unto Japhia king of Lachish; which the above writer
saysF8Ib. M. was a city in the tribe of Judah, and in his time a
village, seven miles from Eleutheropolis, as you go to Daroma, or the south;
and, according to BuntingF9Travels, p. 99. , it lay between
Eleutheropolis and Hebron, and was twenty miles from Jerusalem towards the
southwest:
and unto Debir king of Eglon; which the Septuagint
version calls Odollam or Adullam; and Jerom, following this version, makes
Eglon the same with Adullam, when it is certain they were different places, and
had distinct kings over them, Joshua 12:12; and
which he saysF11De loc. Heb. fol. 91. A. in his time was a very large
village, twelve miles from Eleutheropolis to the east; and, according to
BuntingF12Travels, p. 92. it was twelve miles from Jerusalem
southward. To these four kings the king of Jerusalem sent:
saying; as follows.
Joshua 10:4 4 “Come up to me and help
me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the
children of Israel.”
YLT
4`Come up unto me, and help
me, and we smite Gibeon, for it hath made peace with Joshua, and with the sons
of Israel.'
Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon,.... For which
he thought himself not a match, not only because it was a great city, and full
of mighty men, and had other cities subject to it, but because he might
reasonably judge that Joshua would come to their assistance if possible, being
in league with him; he sends to these kings in an authoritative manner, as if
they were in some respects subject to him; and he proposes Jerusalem as the
place of their rendezvous, and which it seems lay higher than their cities,
though they were in the mountainous part of the country:
for it hath made peace with Joshua, and with the children of
Israel; their avowed enemies, and so had separated themselves from their
countrymen, and from their common interest; and therefore it was thought proper
to make an example of them, that others might fear to do the same.
Joshua 10:5 5 Therefore the five kings
of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of
Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together
and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war
against it.
YLT
5And five kings of the
Amorite (the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the
king of Lachish, the king of Eglon) are gathered together, and go up, they and
all their camps, and encamp against Gibeon, and fight against it.
Therefore the five kings of the Amorites,.... For
though they were chiefly Hittites that dwelt in Hebron, and Jebusites who
inhabited Jerusalem; yet as the Amorites were the most powerful people in the
land, and had dispersed themselves in the several parts of it, and seem to have
the greatest authority in it, they were all called Amorites, and perhaps the
kings of those cities were of them, and set over them by them; so we find that
the Gibeonites, who were Hivites, are said to be of the remnant of the Amorite,
2 Samuel 21:2,
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; that is, to Jerusalem, the place of their
rendezvous, and from thence they marched:
and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it: by besieging
it, and attacking it in some of its forts.
Joshua 10:6 6 And the men of Gibeon sent
to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up
to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell
in the mountains have gathered together against us.”
YLT
6And the men of Gibeon send
unto Joshua, unto the camp at Gilgal, saying, `Let not thy hand cease from thy
servants; come up unto us [with] haste, and give safety to us, and help us; for
all the kings of the Amorite, dwelling in the hill-country, have been assembled
against us.'
And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal,.... Which
some think they did when besieged, and not before, which showed their faith in
the power of God, whom they now professed; but it is not likely that they
should defer sending for help so long, since it is reasonable to suppose they
might have heard of the design of the five kings against them; or that they
should be able to send out messengers when surrounded on all sides; it may be
better therefore to render the words, "had sent"F13וישלהו "sed miserant", Piscator; so Pool and
Patrick. , which they did as soon as they heard of the preparations made by the
five kings to war with them, and of their rendezvous at Jerusalem, and
especially as soon as they had information of their march towards them:
saying, slack not thine hands from thy servants; they entreat
that he would not neglect them, be indifferent to them, and delay to assist
them, since they were his subjects; and were entitled to his protection:
come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; they did not
doubt, if he made haste and helped them, but they should be saved by him:
for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are
gathered together against us. Jerusalem lay among mountains, and Hebron
was in the hill country in Judea, see Psalm 125:2; and
the other cities were doubtless in a like situation.
Joshua 10:7 7 So Joshua ascended from
Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
YLT
7And Joshua goeth up from
Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, even all the mighty men of
valour.
So Joshua ascended from Gilgal,.... Which lay low in the
plains of Jericho:
he and all the men of war with him; which must not be
understood of the whole camp of Israel, which consisted of five hundred
thousand fighting men at least; since such a number was unnecessary for this
expedition, and could not have proceeded with that haste the case required; nor
would it have been prudent and advisable to have left the unarmed people, old
men, women, and children, defenceless; but these were a select company of able
men, fit for travel as well as war:
and all the mighty men of valour; or "even all",
as many as were picked out for the purpose, being men of strength, activity,
and courage.
Joshua 10:8 8 And the Lord said to
Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man
of them shall stand before you.”
YLT
8And Jehovah saith unto
Joshua, `Be not afraid of them, for into thy hand I have given them, there doth
not stand a man of them in thy presence.'
And the Lord said unto Joshua,.... Either when upon the
march, and while he was proceeding on in his journey to the assistance of the
Gibeonites, or rather before he set out; and it is highly probable he consulted
the Lord on this occasion, having, it may be, some doubt on his mind, whether
he should go to their assistance, since the league between them was obtained by
fraud; and the words may be rendered, "and the Lord hath said"F14ויאמר "et dixerat", Masius, Drusius, Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator. : before he set forward with his men of war:
fear them not; the five kings, and their combined army:
for I have delivered them into thine hand; had
determined to do it, and which was as certain as if it had been actually done:
there shall not a man of them stand before thee; but be either
cut off, or obliged to flee.
Joshua 10:9 9 Joshua therefore came upon
them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
YLT
9And Joshua cometh in unto
them suddenly (all the night he hath gone up from Gilgal),
Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly,.... Which no
doubt threw them into consternation and confusion:
and went up from Gilgal all
night; he chose the night for secrecy and surprise, and that he might
be the sooner with the enemy, and to the assistance and relief of Gibeon; and
as it was about nine or ten miles from Gilgal to Gibeon, it was easily
performed in a night's march; See Gill on Joshua 9:6.
Joshua 10:10 10 So the Lord routed them
before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along
the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
YLT
10and Jehovah doth crush them
before Israel, and it smiteth them -- a great smiting -- at Gibeon, and
pursueth them the way of the ascent of Beth-Horon, and smiteth them unto
Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
And the Lord discomfited them before Israel,....
Disturbed, troubled, and frightened them, at the appearance and presence of the
people of Israel; they were thrown into terror and confusion upon their
approach, being so sudden and unexpected:
and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon; by the
Israelites, who came upon them suddenly:
and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron; there were
two places of this name, the upper and the nether, both built by Sherah, the
daughter or granddaughter of Ephraim, 1 Chronicles 7:24;
therefore here so called by anticipation. It was about an hundred furlongs, or
twelve miles and a half, according to JosephusF15Antiqu. l. 20. c.
4. sect. 4. , from Jerusalem, which agrees with Eusebius and Jerom; and from
Gibeon thither, it was fifty furlongs, or six miles and a quarter; so far the
kings were pursued by Joshua and his army, at least unto the ascent of it; for
being built on a hill, it had an ascent on one side, and a descent on the
other, after mentioned, and both were very narrow passages; of the former it is
said in the TalmudF16T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 32. 2. , that if two
camels go up the ascent to Bethhoron, they both fall; upon which the gloss
says, it is a narrow place, and there is no way to turn to the right hand, or
the left:
and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah; the former of
which is placed by JeromF17De loc. Heb. fol. 88. A. & 93. C.
between Eleutheropolis and Jerusalem, and was a village in his days, and the
other eight miles from Eleutheropolis, and both in the tribe of Judah, see Joshua 15:35;
according to BuntingF18Travels, &c. p. 98. , they were both
eight miles from Jerusalem towards the west.
Joshua 10:11 11 And it happened, as they
fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down
large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There
were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed
with the sword.
YLT
11And it cometh to pass, in
their fleeing from the face of Israel -- they [are] in the descent of
Beth-Horon -- and Jehovah hath cast upon them great stones out of the heavens,
unto Azekah, and they die; more are they who have died by the hailstones than
they whom the sons of Israel have slain by the sword.
And it came to pass, as they fled before Israel, and were
in the going down to Bethhoron,.... The descent of it on that side towards
Azekah, and which was also a very narrow passage, of which JosephusF19De
Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 19. sect. 7, 8. makes mention. The Jews sayF20Gloss.
in T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 54. 2. , that the going down of Bethhoron was the
place where the army of Sennacherib fell:
that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto
Azekah, and they died; the Septuagint version calls them hailstones; and so they are
called in the next clause; and that such sometimes have fallen as to kill men
and cattle, is certain from the plague of hail in Egypt, Exodus 9:19; and
some in very late timesF21Vid. Louthorp. Abridg. Philosoph. vol. 2.
p. 144, 146. have been known to fall, which were from eight, nine, and twelve
inches about, some bigger than the eggs of turkeys, and some half a pound
weight; see Gill on Revelation 16:21;
but these seem to be proper stones, such as did not melt away as hailstones do;
though so called, because they fell from heaven, as they do, but remained, and
still remain, according to the notion the Jews have of them; for they sayF23T.
Bab. Betacot, fol. 54. 1. whoever sees these great stones, in the going down to
Bethhoron, is bound to bless; and frequent mention is made by historians of
showers of stones being rained. LivyF24L. 1. p. 17. speaks of such a
shower when King Tullus conquered the Sabines; and of anotherF25L.
30. c. 30. , when Scipio succeeded at Carthage; and Pomponius MelaF26De
Orbis Situ, l. 2. c. 5. relates, that when Hercules fought with the sons of
Neptune, and darts failed him, he obtained of Jupiter to rains shower of
stones, which lay spread in great abundance; and someF1Vossius de
Origin. Idol. c. 1. sect. 16. think it refers to this fact in Joshua's time,
who is supposed to be the same with the Tyrian HerculesF2See Gale's
Court of the Gentiles, l. 2. c. 5. , from hence also called SaxanusF3Dickins.
Delph. Phoenic. c. 4. p. 42. ; and in memory of this there are stony camps in
various places, called by his nameF4Sanford de Descens. Christi, l.
1. sect. 20. p. 35. :
they were more which
died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the
sword; but what was the number of each of them is not said; it was
doubtless very great, since there was an utter destruction and consumption of
them, Joshua 10:20.
Joshua 10:12 12 Then Joshua spoke 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 still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of
Aijalon.”
YLT
12Then speaketh Joshua to
Jehovah in the day of Jehovah's giving up the Amorites before the sons of
Israel, and he saith, before the eyes of Israel, `Sun -- in Gibeon stand still;
and moon -- in the valley of Ajalon;'
Then spake Joshua to the Lord,.... In prayer, and
entreated as follows, that the sun and moon might stand still, until the
victory was complete; though the Jewish writers interpret it of a song; so the
Targum, then Joshua praised, or sung praise, as in the Targum on Song of Solomon 1:1;
and which is approved of by Jarchi and Kimchi:
in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children
of Israel; the five kings of the Amorites, and their armies, Joshua 10:5,
and he said, in the sight of Israel; in their presence, and
in the hearing of great numbers, being under a divine impulse, and having
strong faith in the working of the miracle, after related, and that it would be
according to his word; he was bold to say what he did, being fully persuaded he
should not be disappointed, and made ashamed:
sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, moon, in the valley
of Ajalon; where they now appeared, and were seen by all Israel, the one as
if over Gibeon, and the other as in the valley of which Masius thinks is the
same with the valley of Gibeon, Isaiah 28:21; and
so must be near Gibeon, and the sun and the moon not far from one another, as
they might be if it was now new moon, as Kimchi and R. Isaiah; or on the
decrease; some say seven days before her change: but Abarbinel is of opinion
that it was near the full of the moon, which was just rising in the valley of
Ajalon, and the sun near setting as it seemed over Gibeon, and were just
opposite one to another; and Joshua fearing he should not have time to pursue
his enemies, and make the victory entire, should the sun set, prays that both
sun and moon might continue in the position they were; the sun that he might
have the benefit of daylight, which was the chief thing desired; the moon being
only mentioned, that the heavenly motions might not be confounded, and the
order of the orbs disturbed; and he observes, with Jarchi and Kimchi, that
Gibeon was in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:25; and
Ajalon in the tribe of Dan, Joshua 19:42; and
it may be observed, that there was also another in the tribe of Zebulun, Judges 12:12; but
that seems to be at too great a distance; and still less probable is what some
late travellers have observedF5Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. 1.
p. 290. , that the plain of Sharon near Joppa, is thought by many to be the
place where Joshua defeated the five kings, when the sun stood still, &c.
the opinion of Masius, first mentioned, seems most likely.
Joshua 10:13 13 So the sun stood still, And
the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is
this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of
heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
YLT
13and the sun standeth still,
and the moon hath stood -- till the nation taketh vengeance [on] its enemies;
is it not written on the Book of the Upright, `and the sun standeth in the
midst of the heavens, and hath not hasted to go in -- as a perfect day?'
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed,.... The sun
that came out of his chamber like a bridegroom, and rejoiced as a strong man to
run his course, stopped his course at once; and the moon that walks in her
brightness proceeded not on, but both stood still, motionless, and continued in
this position:
until the people had avenged themselves on their enemies: until the
nation and people of Israel had taken vengeance on and destroyed the live kings
and their forces: how this is to be reconciled to the Copernican system, or
that with this, I shall not inquire. It was a most wonderful and surprising
phenomenon, to see both luminaries standing still in the midst of heaven; it is
pretended by some historiansF6See Bayle's Dictionary, vol. 4. p.
268. , that a like miracle was wrought at the battle of Mulberg, won by the
Emperor Charles the Fifth, on April 24, 1547. In the Chinese historyF7Martin.
Sinie. Histor. l. 1. p. 25. it is reported, that in the time of their seventh,
emperor, Yao, the sun did not set for ten days, and that men were afraid the
world would be burnt, and there were great fires at that time; and though the
time of the sun's standing still is enlarged beyond the bounds of truth, yet it
seems to refer to this fact, and was manifestly about the same time; for this
miracle was wrought in the year of the world 2554, which fell in the seventy
fifth, or, as some say, the sixty seventh year of that emperor's reign, who
reigned ninety years:
is not this written in the
book of Jasher? about which the Jews are divided; some say it is the book of
Genesis, others the book of Deuteronomy, others the book of JudgesF8T.
Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 35. 1. ; the Targum interprets it of the book of the law,
and so Jarchi and Kimchi; and Ben Melech interprets it of the book of the law
of Moses, where they suppose this miracle was predicted. The former thinks, in
the words of Jacob to Joseph, "his seed shall fill the nations", Genesis 48:19;
which he supposes was fulfilled in Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim, when the
whole world was filled with the fame of him on account of this miracle; and the
latter in the words, "before all thy people I will do miracles", Exodus 34:10; one
was in making the face of Moses to shine, the other the standing still of the
sun for Joshua, as he interprets it. Bolducius, a commentator on the book of
JobF9Bolduc. in Job. ix. 7. , fancies that that book is designed,
and that this miracle is foretold in it, particularly in Job 9:7;
"which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not"; it is most likely that
this book of Jasher, in which this miracle was recorded, was a public register,
or annals, in which memorable events were written, as they happened in
different ages by different persons; and Masius thinks JosephusF11Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 1. sect. 17. means this by the archives laid up in the temple, to
which he appeals for the truth of this miracle:
so the sun stood still in the midst of heaven; somewhere
above the horizon, very probably this was about noon, when the sun was in its
meridian. GussetiusF12Comment. Ebr. p. 281. thinks about ten or
eleven o'clock; it may be supposed that early in the morning Joshua came up
with his troops, and engaged the kings, and it might be noon before the battle
was over, and the victory obtained, at least before Joshua had proceeded in his
pursuit of them, so far as he had done, when the miracle was wrought; and the
rather, as it would be the more conspicuous in the several parts of the world;
for had it been near sun setting, it could not have been seen in some places,
and particularly by the Chinese, as it seems to have been by what has been
observed:
and hasted not to go down about a whole day; which was
either artificial or natural; if an artificial day, then it stood still but
twelve hours; if a natural day, twenty four hours; and accordingly the length
of the day must be judged of; if it was at noon when it stood still, and
continued so a natural day, or twenty four hours, then as it had gone six hours
to noon, and, after it returned to its motion, had six more to go to its
setting, this day must be thirty six hours long; and so the Jews commonly sayF13Targum
in Cant. i. 1. T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 25. 1. Kimchi in loc. So Justin Martyr.
Dialog. cum Tryph. p. 361. ; but if an artificial day, or twelve hours, then it
was but a day of twenty four hours; but if this was, as the Jews sayF14Seder
Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 31. Kimchi in loc. , on the third of Tammuz, which
answers to part of June, and was in the summer solstice, on the longest day in
the year, when their days consisted of fourteen hours, this will make this long
day four hours longer. According to the author of Ecclesiasticus, in the
Apocrypha:"Did not the sun go back by his means? and was not one day as
long as two?' (Sirach 46:4)it was a
double day, or, as he expresses it, one day became two, or was as long as two.
(In the late 1960's, someone circulated a story that NASA had discovered there
was a missing day in the solar system. Using this passage they accounted for
about twenty one missing hours and the account in Isaiah 38:8 to
account for the rest of the missing time. This story is a complete fable and
has absolutely no basis in fact. Editor.)
Joshua 10:14 14 And there has been no day
like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the
voice of a man; for the Lord
fought for Israel.
YLT
14And there hath not been
like that day before it or after it, for Jehovah's hearkening to the voice of a
man; for Jehovah is fighting for Israel.
And there was no day like that, before it, or after it,.... Which
must be understood as referring not to natural days, or such as are according
to the natural course of things, as those in the northern and southern poles,
which are much longer, but to miraculous and extraordinary ones: never was
there such a day as this, occasioned by the sun standing still; and as for
Hezekiah's day, which is objected, when the sun went ten degrees backward on
the dial of Ahaz, it is not certain whether those degrees were hours, or half
hours, or quarters of an hour; and if they were hours, as the going backwards
was at once, in a moment, it could only make an addition of ten hours in the
return of them, and so it must make but a day of twenty two hours: besides, the
writer of this book only speaks of days that had been in his time, and not of
what might be hereafter; add to which, that this respects not so much the
length of the day, as the manner in which it became so long; and especially it
regards the following circumstance, being at the entreaty of a man, and that
delivered in a very authoritative manner:
that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man; expressed in
prayer, and which prayer was a prayer of faith:
for the Lord fought for Israel: by casting hailstones
upon their enemies, and preserving them from them by the stopping the course of
the sun, until they had taken full vengeance on them. The day on which this
miracle was wrought, is conjectured to be Wednesday the eleventh of April, in
the year before Christ 1454F14Bedford's Chronology, p. 492. .
Joshua 10:15 15 Then Joshua returned, and
all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
YLT
15And Joshua turneth back,
and all Israel with him, unto the camp at Gilgal.
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to
Gilgal. That is, he thought to have returned, had determined upon it, and
prepared for it, but was prevented by hearing that the five kings had hid
themselves in a cave at Makkedah; which he ordered to be stopped up till the
people had finished the pursuit of their enemies, when he destroyed Makkedah,
and which led him on to the conquest of other places before he returned; or
else this verse stands not in its proper place, or is superfluous, since the
same is expressed Joshua 10:43; after
all the above mentioned was done; the Septuagint version leaves it out.
Joshua 10:16 16 But these five kings had
fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
YLT
16And these five kings flee,
and are hidden in a cave at Makkedah,
But these five kings fled,.... They were not killed
by hailstones, nor slain by the sword of the Israelites, but made their escape,
being reserved by the providence of God for a more shameful end:
and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah; not in the
city of Makkedah, which as yet was not in the hands of Israel, whereas this
cave was, as appears by what follows; but it was in some hill, or mountain,
near it; in the border of it, as Kimchi expresses it, and where a hill is shown
to this day in which it was, as Drusius says.
Joshua 10:17 17 And it was told Joshua,
saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”
YLT
17and it is declared to
Joshua, saying, `The five kings have been found hidden in a cave at Makkedah.'
And it was told Joshua,.... Either by some of his
own people, or by some of the inhabitants of the land in his interest, who had
observed it:
saying, the five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah: this seems to
make it appear that they were others, and not Joshua's soldiers, that found
them; for had they, no doubt they would have seized them, and brought them
before him, or slain them, unless they chose first to know his will concerning
them, next expressed.
Joshua 10:18 18 So Joshua said, “Roll
large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them.
YLT
18And Joshua saith, `Roll
great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and appoint over it men to watch them;
And Joshua said, roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave,.... To keep
the kings in, that they might not make their escape, until he had convenient
time to have them brought before him, and be treated by him as they deserved;
and no doubt there were plenty of stones about the hill or mountain, in which
this cave was, fit for this purpose:
and set men by it for to keep them; as a guard upon them, to
prevent their escape.
Joshua 10:19 19 And do not stay there
yourselves, but pursue your enemies, and attack their rear guard.
Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the Lord your God has
delivered them into your hand.”
YLT
19and ye, stand not, pursue
after your enemies, and ye have smitten the hindmost of them; suffer them not
to go in unto their cities, for Jehovah your God hath given them into your
hand.'
And stay you not, but pursue after your enemies,.... That is,
do not stay at this cave, but having placed a sufficient guard there, go in
pursuit of the enemy, with as much celerity as possible:
and smite the hindmost of them; their rear; or
"tail" themF15אב־תאם
"caudam eorum caedite", Pagninus, Vatablus, Masius, Drusius; "et
decaudetis eos", Montanus; "decaudabitis eos", Munster. , as the
word is, cut off the tail of them:
suffer them not to enter their cities; where they
would not only be safe themselves for a while, but would be able to hold out
against a siege for some time, and give much trouble to conquer them:
for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hands; this he said
to encourage them, and quicken them to the pursuit of them with all eagerness
and vehemence. According to the Samaritan ChronicleF16Apud
Hottinger. Smegma, p. 509. , the signal or watchword was,"God is strong in
battle, God is his name.'
Joshua 10:20 20 Then it happened, while
Joshua and the children of Israel made an end of slaying them with a very great
slaughter, till they had finished, that those who escaped entered fortified
cities.
YLT
20And it cometh to pass, when
Joshua and the sons of Israel finish to smite them -- a very great smiting,
till they are consumed, and the remnant who have remained of them go in unto
the fenced cities,
And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel,.... Joshua
seems to have pitched his camp at Makkedah, while the rest of his army pursued
the fleeing Canaanites, and when he and they were at different places:
had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till
they were consumed: and not to be seen in any large bodies, but scattered here and
there:
that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced
cities; to which they belonged, and which were afterwards taken, as
related in the latter part of this chapter, Joshua 10:28.
Joshua 10:21 21 And all the people
returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace. No one moved his tongue
against any of the children of Israel.
YLT
21that all the people turn
back to the camp, unto Joshua, [at] Makkedah, in peace; none moved sharply his
tongue against the sons of Israel.
And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in
peace,.... Sound and well, as not one killed or missing, so not one
wounded, as the Vulgate Latin version,"sound and in full number:"
none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel; as to curse
them, reproach them, and speak ill of them, for invading them, and using them
in the manner they did, such was the terror that was upon them. It may be
supplied, "not a dog moved" his tongue, as in Exodus 11:7; as it
was with them when they came out of Egypt, so it was when they entered the land
of Canaan. It seems to be a proverbial expression, as Ben Gersom observes,
signifying that no harm was done to them by word or deed.
Joshua 10:22 22 Then Joshua said, “Open
the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.”
YLT
22And Joshua saith, `Open ye
the mouth of the cave, and bring out unto me these five kings from the cave;'
Then said Joshua, open the mouth of the cave,.... That is,
roll away the great stones that were laid at the mouth of it:
and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave; to receive
their sentence in a public manner, for the encouragement of his troops and the
terror of the Canaanites, particularly Makkedah, now besieged by him.
Joshua 10:23 23 And they did so, and
brought out those five kings to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the
king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king
of Eglon.
YLT
23and they do so, and bring
out unto him these five kings from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of
Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
And they did so,.... Opened the mouth "of" the
cave, by rolling away the stones:
and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave; who are next
mentioned by name, one by one, according to their dignity, and in the order
they were brought unto him:
the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth,
the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon; who are
particularly named for the greater glory of the conquest, and the triumph over
them.
Joshua 10:24 24 So it was, when they
brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of
Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, “Come
near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they drew near and put
their feet on their necks.
YLT
24And it cometh to pass, when
they bring out these kings unto Joshua, that Joshua calleth unto every man of
Israel, and saith unto the captains of the men of war, who have gone with him,
`Draw near, set your feet on the necks of these kings;' and they draw near, and
set their feet on their necks.
And it came to pass, when they brought out these kings unto Joshua,.... And set
them before him, and he had passed sentence on them:
that he called for all the men of Israel; that is, for
the chief men, the principal officers of the army:
and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him; the
chiliarchs and centurions, the captains of thousands and hundreds, of the
several regiments in the army who went out to battle with him, and under him:
come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings; not in a
contemptuous and insulting manner, not through vanity and haughtiness, but for
the mortification of the kings; and as a token of their extreme subjection, and
as a proper punishment for their crimes of idolatry, tyranny, and cruelty; and
by way of terror to others of the kings of Canaan that should fight against
them, and as a pledge and confirmation of the subjection of the rest, as well
as to fulfil the promises and predictions of God, Deuteronomy 33:29;
and which was done not of himself, but by the order, and according to the will
of God:
and they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them; as Joshua
ordered them, and in obedience to him their general.
Joshua 10:25 25 Then Joshua said to them,
“Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the
Lord will do to all
your enemies against whom you fight.”
YLT
25And Joshua saith unto them,
`Fear not, nor be affrighted; be strong and courageous; for thus doth Jehovah
do to all your enemies with whom ye are fighting;'
And Joshua said, rest not, nor be dismayed,.... Not
meaning at the kings, who perhaps lay bound upon the ground, or however were
not in a condition to make any resistance, so that they had nothing to fear
from them; but this respects future time, and what other enemies they should
meet with; who would be brought into subjection to them as these were, and
therefore from hence should take heart:
be strong, and of good courage; and go on valiantly in
subduing the rest of their enemies, and not be afraid of them:
for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye
fight; put them into their hands, and give them power to tread on their
necks: this shows that what Joshua did, or ordered to be done, was of the Lord.
Joshua 10:26 26 And afterward Joshua
struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were
hanging on the trees until evening.
YLT
26and Joshua smiteth them
afterwards, and putteth them to death, and hangeth them on five trees; and they
are hanging on the trees till the evening.
And afterwards Joshua smote them and slew them,.... With the
sword; either by his own hands, or by others whom he ordered to slay them:
and hanged them on five trees; to their shame and
disgrace, and the terror of others:
and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening; by way of
contempt of them, and as a spectacle of terror to others, especially to the
inhabitants of Makkedah, and their king they were now besieging.
Joshua 10:27 27 So it was at the time of
the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took them down
from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid
large stones against the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.
YLT
27And it cometh to pass, at
the time of the going in of the sun, Joshua hath commanded, and they take them
down from off the trees, and cast them unto the cave where they had been hid,
and put great stones on the mouth of the cave till this very day.
And it came to pass, at the time of the going down of the sun,.... Which was
the time fixed by the law of God for taking down bodies that were hanged, Deuteronomy 21:23,
that Joshua
commanded, and they took them down off the trees; not from, any respect to
them, but that they might not defile the land, as dead bodies in a ceremonial
sense did, Deuteronomy 21:23;
and this Joshua was the more careful of, as they were just entered into it, and
were taking possession of it:
and they cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid; so that what
had been their hiding place now became their grave; and according to the
Samaritan ChronicleF17Apud Hottinger. Smegma. p. 511. , the trees
also on which they were hanged were cast in with them:
and laid great stones in the cave's mouth: not as a
monumental pile, as in the instances of Achan and the king of Ai, Joshua 7:26; but to
prevent their carcasses being dragged out, and eaten by wild beasts, as some
think; or that they might not be taken out, and buried in a more honourable
manner:
which remain until this
very day; when Joshua was grown old, the writer of this book.
Joshua 10:28 28 On that day Joshua took
Makkedah, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He utterly
destroyed them[a]—all the
people who were in it. He let none remain. He also did to the king of
Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
YLT
28And Makkedah hath Joshua
captured on that day, and he smiteth it by the mouth of the sword, and its king
he hath devoted, them and every person who [is] in it -- he hath not left a
remnant; and he doth to the king of Makkedah as he did to the king of Jericho.
And that day Joshua took Makkedah,.... Some say it was the
day on which the sun stood still; but it seems to mean the day in which the
five kings were hanged:
and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof; slew the
inhabitants of it and their king, after having entered and taken it:
he utterly destroyed them and all the souls that were
therein, he let none remain; that is, all human souls or persons; for
the cattle were taken for a prey:
and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of
Jericho; slew him with the sword, along with the inhabitants, but did not
hang him up, as he did the king of Ai and the five kings.
Joshua 10:29 29 Then Joshua passed from
Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah; and they fought against Libnah.
YLT
29And Joshua passeth over,
and all Israel with him, from Makkedah [to] Libnah, and fighteth with Libnah;
And Joshua passed from Makkedah,.... After he had taken
it, and destroyed its inhabitants, and its king:
and all Israel with him; that is, all the men of
war he took with him from the camp at Gilgal, from whence he went to the relief
of Gibeon:
unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah; a city that
fell to the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:42. JeromF18De
loc. Heb. fol. 92. M. says, in his time it was a village, in the region of
Eleutheropolis, and was called Libnah; according to BuntingF19Travels
of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 96. it was but two miles from Makkedah.
Joshua 10:30 30 And the Lord also delivered
it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were
in it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king
as he had done to the king of Jericho.
YLT
30and Jehovah giveth also it
into the hand of Israel, and its king, and it smiteth it by the mouth of the
sword, and every person who [is] in it -- it left not in it a remnant; and it
doth to its king as it did to the king of Jericho.
And the Lord delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the
hand of Israel,.... At once, no opposition being made that we read of:
and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that
were therein, he let none remain in it; that is, Israel smote
it, or Joshua, and indeed both; and this was according to the orders given them
to be observed with respect to all the cities and nations of Canaan; and that
because of their abominable sins and wickedness, and to make way and room for
the people of Israel, Deuteronomy 7:1,
but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho: slew him with
the inhabitants.
Joshua 10:31 31 Then Joshua passed from
Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish; and they encamped against it and
fought against it.
YLT
31And Joshua passeth over,
and all Israel with him, from Libnah to Lachish, and encampeth against it, and
fighteth against it;
And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto
Lachish,.... Which, according to BuntingF4Travels of the
Patriarchs, &c. p. 96. , was eight miles from Libnah, and twenty miles from
Jerusalem to the southwest of this city; see Joshua 10:5,
and encamped against it, and fought against it; for it seems
this city stood out, and would not surrender at once, which obliged Joshua to
encamp about it, and besiege it.
Joshua 10:32 32 And the Lord delivered
Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it
and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according
to all that he had done to Libnah.
YLT
32And Jehovah giveth Lachish
into the hand of Israel, and it captureth it on the second day, and smiteth it
by the mouth of the sword, and every person who [is] in it, according to all
that it did to Libnah.
And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which he
took on the second day,.... Either the second day from the slaughter of the kings, or
rather the second day of the encampment or siege; so Kimchi: 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; no mention is
made of its king, because he was one of the five kings that had been hanged up;
so that at the taking of this city there was no king.
Joshua 10:33 33 Then Horam king of Gezer
came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left
him none remaining.
YLT
33Than hath Horam king of
Gezer come up to help Lachish, and Joshua smiteth him and his people, till he
hath not left to him a remnant.
Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish,.... Perhaps
the rather induced to it, because it had no king to defend it. In Jerom'sF5De
loc. Heb. fol. 92. A. time it was a village called Gazera, four miles from
Nicopolis, or Emmaus, to the north: if this king came before the city was
taken, he was not able to raise the siege; and if he came after, and so too
late, he fell into the hands of Joshua:
and Joshua smote him, and his people, until he had left him none
remaining; destroyed him and all his army, so that there were none left to
return and relate their unhappy case.
Joshua 10:34 34 From Lachish Joshua passed
to Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it and fought
against it.
YLT
34And Joshua passeth over,
and all Israel with him, from Lachish to Eglon, and they encamp against it, and
fight against it,
And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon,.... Which,
according to BuntingF6Ut supra. (Travels of the Patriarchs, &c.
p. 96.) , was eight miles from Lachish, and twelve from Jerusalem southward, of
which see Joshua 10:5,
and all Israel with him, and they encamped against it, and fought
against it; it not surrendering at once, but attempted to hold out a siege.
Joshua 10:35 35 They took it on that day
and struck it with the edge of the sword; all the people who were in it
he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
YLT
35and capture it on that day,
and smite it by the mouth of the sword, and every person who [is] in it on that
day he hath devoted, according to all that he did to Lachish.
And they took it on that day,.... The same day they
encamped about it and besieged it; the besieged finding they were not able to
keep it:
and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were
therein he utterly destroyed that day; made an utter
devastation of all its inhabitants:
according to all that he had done to Lachish; the last city
he took; this having no king as that had not, its king being one of the five
that had been hanged, Joshua 10:26.
Joshua 10:36 36 So Joshua went up from
Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it.
YLT
36And Joshua goeth up, and
all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron, and they fight against it,
And Joshua went up from
Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron,.... Which lay in the
hill country, and therefore they are said to go up to it from Eglon, which lay
lower; and, according to BuntingF7Ibid. (Travels of the Patriarchs,
&c. p. 96.) , it was sixteen miles from it:
and they fought against it; it making some
resistance at first, and did not surrender at once, as demanded.
Joshua 10:37 37 And they took it and
struck it with the edge of the sword—its king, all its cities, and all the
people who were in it; he left none remaining, according to all that he
had done to Eglon, but utterly destroyed it and all the people who were
in it.
YLT
37and capture it, and smite
it by the mouth of the sword, and its king, and all its cities, and every
person who [is] in it -- he hath not left a remnant -- according to all that he
did to Eglon -- and doth devote it, and every person who [is] in it.
And they took it, and
smote it with the edge of the sword,
and the king thereof,.... For though the king
of Hebron was one of the kings that were taken in the cave of Makkedah, and
hanged; yet before Joshua came up to it, they had set up another king over them:
and all the cities thereof; for Hebron was a
metropolitan city, and had other cities dependent on it, and subject to it:
and all the souls that were therein; both in
Hebron, and in the cities subject to it:
he left none remaining; in any of them:
according to all that he had done to Eglon; the last
place he came from:
but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were
therein; but it seems that afterwards some that made their escape before
the taking of the city, and other Canaanites driven out of their habitations,
repeopled it; so that after Joshua's death it was recovered again by the tribe
of Judah, Judges 1:10; unless
there is given in that place a more particular account of the taking of this
city, with others at this time; but the former seems most likely.
Joshua 10:38 38 Then Joshua returned, and
all Israel with him, to Debir; and they fought against it.
YLT
38And Joshua turneth back,
and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fighteth against it,
And Joshua returned, and
all Israel with him, to Debir,.... A city, according to Kimchi, which he
passed by when he went to Hebron, and did not fight against it; but, when he
had taken Hebron, returned and took it; and which BuntingF8Travels
of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 96. says was but a mile from it, and twenty two
miles from Jerusalem, towards the south; it is the same with Kirjathsepher and
Kirjathsannah, Joshua 15:15; the
city of a book or books; and the Rabbins sayF9T. Bab. Avodah Zarah,
fol. 24. 2. , that with the Persians Debir signifies the same, and had its name
from a library which was here kept, or from the archives in which the most
memorable things since the flood were recorded; or from the making of paper or
parchment, or whatsoever was made use of for writing, and of which volumes of
books were made:
and fought against it; it refusing to submit to
him upon his summons.
Joshua 10:39 39 And he took it and its
king and all its cities; they struck them with the edge of the sword and
utterly destroyed all the people who were in it. He left none remaining;
as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done also
to Libnah and its king.
YLT
39and captureth it, and its
king, and all its cities, and they smite them by the mouth of the sword, and
devote every person who [is] in it -- he hath not left a remnant; as he did to
Hebron so he did to Debir, and to its king, and as he did to Libnah, and to its
king.
And he took it, and the
king thereof, and all the cities thereof,.... For this also was a
royal city, and had others dependent on it; and therefore must lie further from
Hebron than before suggested; and indeed BurchardF11Apud Masium in
loc. says it was five or six miles from it, and another writerF12Fuller's
Pisgah Sight of Palestine, B. 2. c. 13. p. 276. says ten miles:
and they smote them with the edge of the sword; the inhabitants
of Debir, and the other cities adjacent to it:
and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein, he
left none remaining; and yet it seems this city recovered again, and was reinhabited,
and after the death of Joshua was taken by Othniel, Judges 1:11;
unless, as before observed, with respect to Hebron, there is there a more
particular account of the taking of it at this time:
as he had done to Hebron, so did he to Debir, and to the king
thereof,
as he had done also to Libnah and her king; that is, slew
them.
Joshua 10:40 40 So Joshua conquered all
the land: the mountain country and the South[b] and the
lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining,
but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel
had commanded.
YLT
40And Joshua smiteth all the
land of the hill-country, and of the south, and of the low-country, and of the
springs, and all their kings -- he hath not left a remnant, and all that doth
breathe he hath devoted, as Jehovah, God of Israel, commanded.
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,.... That part of the land of Canaan which lay southward, and
consisted of hills and vales; which abounded with springs, and was a well
watered country, and agrees with the description Moses gives of it, though he
never saw it, Deuteronomy 8:7,
he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed; that is, all
human creatures; for as for the cattle, they were spared as a prey:
as the Lord God of Israel commanded; this law is extant, Deuteronomy 20:16;
and which is here observed to clear the Israelites from the charge of cruelty
and inhumanity; since what they did was not of themselves, nor from a private
spirit of revenge, nor a greedy desire after the substance of the inhabitants;
but in obedience to the command of God, and who ordered this as a righteous
punishment of those people for their gross abominations of idolatry, incest,
&c. see Leviticus 18:1.
Joshua 10:41 41 And Joshua conquered them
from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even as far
as Gibeon.
YLT
41And Joshua smiteth them
from Kadesh-Barnea, even unto Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, even unto
Gibeon;
And Joshua smote them,
from Kadeshbarnea,.... Which lay to the south of the land of Canaan, Numbers 13:17,
even unto Gaza, which lay to the southwest, and was one of
the five principalities of the Philistines; of which city See Gill on Amos 1:7; and See
Gill on Acts 8:26,
and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon; to which he
returned back in his way to his camp at Gilgal, having conquered all the
southern part of the country. This country of Goshen is not that in the land of
Egypt, as Kimchi rightly remarks. Bishop CumberlandF13Remarks on the
History of Sanchoniatho, p. 380, 381. is of opinion, that the Phoenician or
Canaanitish pastors, who were driven out of Egypt before their expulsion,
inhabited that part of Egypt called Goshen, which the Israelites some years
after dwelt in; and when those shepherds were driven out, they came into this
part of the land of Canaan, and called it after the name of the country they
left in Egypt; and might perhaps the rather choose to give it this name, because
of the goodness and fruitfulness of it, in which it resembled the country they
had formerly dwelt in.
Joshua 10:42 42 All these kings and their
land Joshua took at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for
Israel.
YLT
42and all these kings and
their land hath Joshua captured [at] one time, for Jehovah, God of Israel, is
fighting for Israel.
And all these kings, and
their land, did Joshua take at one time,.... Not in one day, but
in a very short time, in a few days, as the history clearly shows:
because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel; which is the
true reason of such quick dispatch being made, otherwise in all probability
much longer time must have been consumed in subduing them. The Targum
is,"because the Lord God of Israel fought by his Word for Israel.'
Joshua 10:43 43 Then Joshua returned, and
all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
YLT
43and Joshua turneth back,
and all Israel with him, unto the camp at Gilgal.
And Joshua returned,.... After all
these kings and their cities had been taken by him, and not before; though the
same is said, Joshua 10:15,
before the history of those facts; See Gill on Joshua 10:15,
and all Israel with him to the camp in Gilgal; where the
body of the people were left, and where was the tabernacle of the Lord; and no
doubt he and Israel with him gave public praise and thanksgiving there for the
signal victories they had obtained over the Canaanites.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)