Joshua 10:1-11

Jos 10:1

Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to 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;

 

The name “Adoni-zedek” means “justice of the LORD.”  Jerusalem was located about 5 miles (8 KM) southeast of Gibeon.  He was king of Jerusalem which in ancient times was called Jebus.  No doubt he was a Jebusite.  The name Jerusalem is used here in anticipation of the great role it will play in the future of Israel for the next 1450 years.  Well this king was concerned because he had heard about the destruction which Israel unleashed upon Ai and Jericho and how the people of Gibeon made peace with Joshua and he allowed them to live as neighbors to them under covenant.  He no doubt should have been concerned because of the short distance between them and Joshua’s army.

 

Jos 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.

 

Just as the hearts melted of the people in the other cities, there was great fear among them because they knew that something just as ominous waited for them.   Gibeon was a chief city like New York City or London and Joshua’s army had overtaken it.  Since it was a greater city than Ai with all its mighty men, the king of Jerusalem rightly feared for the future of Jerusalem and his own rule.  Then they realized that Gibeon also had mighty men and yet they surrendered so easily.

 

Jos 10:3

Wherefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

 

Then Adoni-zedek knew that he needed some help and some strategy so he began to reach out to the other kings in the area.  Hoham was king of Hebron which was about 20 miles (32 KM) south of Jerusalem.  Jarmuth was about 15 miles (24 KM) southwest of Jerusalem.  Lachish was about 28 miles (45 KM) southwest of Jerusalem.  Eglon was about 35 miles (56 KM) southwest of Jerusalem. 

 

Jos 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.

 

Adoni-zedek sent word to these kings that he wanted help in smiting Gibeon, not Joshua because in his estimation, they had compromised by making a league with Joshua and the people of Israel.  He probably saw it as a coward’s way out instead of fighting the Israelites to protect their land from invasion, instead they surrendered by making a treaty with Joshua.

 

Jos 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.

 

Once the alliance was consolidated and the armies came together, they had now begun to attack Gibeon but Gibeon was in trouble because with Joshua making them servants, he would have taken away all their instruments of war and now they could not defend themselves against the onslaught of the five armies.  At this point they probably attacked outposts and not the main town yet.

 

Jos 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.

 

There must have been some ways out of the city as they were not totally surrounded by the five armies.  So they sent a message to Joshua to come and help them since they did not have the weapons to defend themselves.  The Gibeonites now had expected Joshua to help them according to the covenant they made.  However, the covenant was to allow them to live and did not include a clause whereby they would be offered protection.  The covenant was first made by deceit but still honored after they disclosed the truth.  They were hoping that Joshua would come and help them as a master helps his servants.  Slack not thy hands was a saying that when a person drops their hands to their sides it represents losing courage and that is why the Gibeonites said that to him.

 

Jos 10:7

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

 

So heeding their request Joshua immediately rose up and left Gilgal and all the people of war in his army came with him.  The mighty men of valour would have been those men within the ranks that had superior fighting skills. 

 

Jos 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.

 

Then Joshua is given a reassurance by the LORD that even though there are five armies facing him, they will be given into his hands, that is, they will be as nothing before him and will be defeated.   He is not to fear them as the LORD states that they already have been delivered into his hand even before the battle began.

 

Jos 10:9

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

 

Then Joshua attacks them in a blitzkrieg surprising them from the east from Gilgal.  They would not have expected Joshua’s army to attack so suddenly.

 

Jos 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 Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

 

Then the Lord discomfited them before Israel, that is, they were thrown into great confusion, fright and destruction.  The LORD himself had slew them greatly at the city of Gibeon.  It seems they saw they were being destroyed so they tried to escape to Beth-horon which was about 5 miles (8 KM) northwest of Gibeon.  Azekah was 14 miles (22 KM) southwest of Gibeon and Makkedah was close to Azekah and was about the same distance and direction.  They were so frightened that they scattered in all directions to escape the wrath of the LORD.

 

Jos 10:11

And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, 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.

 

As they continued to flee and probably thought they were a safe distance from Gibeon, the LORD rained down large hailstones from Heaven and even still they tried to flee to  Azekah from Beth-horon, the hailstones came down and killed more of them than what Joshua’s army had killed by the sword.  The same type of Judgment was done upon Egypt.  And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. (Exodus 9:25)

Back