Bible Commentaries

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.

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" (w), and in memory of this its ancient name, the Jews say (x), they do not put "jod" in Jerusalem between "lamed" and "mem"; though some make the signification of it, "they shall see peace" (y); 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 say (z), that these three acts respecting Jericho, Ai, and Gibeon, were all finished within three months.

(w) Reland, p. 833. (x) Gloss. in T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 16. 1.((y) Vid. Stockium, p. 480. (z) Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 31.

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 says (a); and in another place he says (b) but forty, which were but five miles; and if fifty, but little more than six miles; according to Bunting (c), 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.

(a) De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 19. sect. 1.((b) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. sect. 7. (c) Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 98.

Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron,.... Which, according to Jerom (d) 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 Jerom (e), it was four miles distant from Eleutheropolis; according to Procopius (f) fourteen, about the village Eshtaol, near to which Samson was buried, Judges 16:31; but Jerom (g) 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 says (h) 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 Bunting (i), 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 says (k) in his time was a very large village, twelve miles from Eleutheropolis to the east; and, according to Bunting (l) it was twelve miles from Jerusalem southward. To these four kings the king of Jerusalem sent:

saying; as follows.

(d) De loc. Heb. fol. 87. E. (e) lb. fol. 92. H. (f) Apud Reland. Palestin. Illustrat. l. 2. p. 505. (g) Ut supra, (De loc. Heb. fol. 92.) I.((h) Ib. M. (i) Travels, p. 99. (k) De loc. Heb. fol. 91. A. (l) Travels, p. 92.

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.

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.

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" (m), 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.

(m) "sed miserant", Piscator; so Pool and Patrick.

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.