Joshua 10:1-6. Confederacy of the Five Kings against Gibeon 1. _Now it came to pass_ The surrender of such a place as Gibeon would naturally fill the kings of southern Canaan with alarm. "It was, so to speak, treason within their own camp." The invaders had obtained a strong position in the very he... [ Continue Reading ]
_as one of the royal cities_ See above, Joshua 9:3. When Sennacherib invaded Judah, he attacked and took "the fenced cities," but Lachish appears to have foiled him, and he was constrained to raise the siege (2 Kings 19:8; 2 Chronicles 32:9).... [ Continue Reading ]
_king of Hebron_ Situated amongst the mountains, 20 Roman miles, about 7 hours, south of Jerusalem; one of the most ancient cities in the world, rivalling even Damascus, being a well-known town even when Abraham first entered Canaan (Genesis 13:18). Its original name was Kirjath-Arba (Judges 1:10),... [ Continue Reading ]
_for it hath made peace_ The enterprise was directed primarily not against Joshua, but against Gibeon which had made peace with him. Comp. Joshua 9:15. When in describing the assault on Lachish the writer of the Book of Joshua tells us it was _the second day_before it succeeded, he _undesignedly_le... [ Continue Reading ]
_the five kings_ The names of the kings are not given here a second time, but of the cities over which they held sway, and they are mentioned in the same order.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Slack not thy hand_ The climax in the message is very noticeable; (1) slack not thy hand; (2) come up to us quickly; (3) save us; (4) help us. Compare the prayer of the persecuted Christians (Acts 4:24-30). _Slack_= "slacken," "relax;" A. S. _slæcan_from the adjective _slæc_. It occurs in an intra... [ Continue Reading ]
_So Joshua ascended_ "Not a moment was to be lost. As in the battle of Marathon, everything depended on the suddenness of the blow which should break in pieces the hostile confederation." Stanley's _Sinai and Palestine_, p. 209.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fear them not_ Comp. Joshua 11:6; Judges 4:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
_came unto them suddenly_ He marched the whole night, and in the morning, "when the sun rose behind him, he was already in the open ground at the foot of the heights of Gibeon, where the kings were encamped.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the Lord discomfited them_ "As often before and after," so now, "not a man could stand before the awe and the panic of the sudden sound of the terrible shout, the sudden appearance of that undaunted host who came with the assurance not to fear, nor to be dismayed, but to be strong and of a good... [ Continue Reading ]
_were in the going down to Beth-horon_ This was the second stage in the flight. The Amorite host had gained the height before their pursuers, and were hurrying down the pass of nether Beth-horon, "a rough, rocky road, sometimes over the upturned edges of the limestone strata, sometimes over sheets o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then spake Joshua to the Lord_ The quotation probably commences with the 12th verse and extends to the end of the 15th. It begins as follows: "Then spake Joshua unto Jehovah, In the day Jehovah delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel." _Then_ The crisis of the battle had now arrived.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the sun stood still_ God hearkened to the voice of Joshua. Once more the sunlight burst forth, and the day was miraculously protracted till the end was gained. For expressions similar to those here used compare what is said in Judges 5:20, of the _stars_"fighting (not _in_but _out of_) their co... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there was no day_ This is still a quotation from the Book of Jashar, or "of riзtwise men," as Wyclif translates it. "And so stood the sunne in the mydil of heuene, And hyede not to goo doun the space of o day; There was not before ne afterward so loong a day; For the Lord obeide to the vois... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Joshua returned_ This is still apparently part of the quotation from the "Book of Jasher," for it is evident that Joshua did _not_return to Gilgal immediately after the battle of Gibeon. In the historical narrative this finds place in Joshua 10:43.... [ Continue Reading ]
Flight and Execution of the Five Kings 16. _But these five kings_ Here the regular historical narrative is resumed. The second stage in the flight was over. "In the lengthened day granted to Joshua's prayer" now commences the third stage. The tide of fugitives rolled on, hotly pursued by the Israel... [ Continue Reading ]
_in a cave_ "lurkinge in the spelunk," Wyclif; in one of the numerous limestone caves, with which the district abounds, though the article here, both in the Hebrew and the LXX., seems to intimate that it was a well-known cave, overshadowed probably by a grove of trees (comp. Joshua 10:26). Many such... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Joshua said_ The victory was not yet won. The conqueror would not be diverted from his object. The mouth of the cave was blocked with huge stones, and armed men were stationed to guard it, while the pursuit was still continued.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the rest_ i.e. broken remnants of the fugitives. _fenced cities_ "the strengthid citees," Wyclif, = the fortified towns of great strength and impregnable position. Comp. Numbers 32:17; Deuteronomy 3:5; Deuteronomy 9:1; Joshua 14:12; 1 Samuel 6:18, &c. The fortifications of the cities of Palestine r... [ Continue Reading ]
_to the camp_ Which had been already formed round the royal hiding-place. _none moved his tongue_ "And no man aзens the sones of Yrael was _hardy to grucche_, ether to make priuy noise," Wyclif. Comp. Exodus 11:7, "But against any of the children of Israel shall not _a dog move his tongue_, against... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then said Joshua_ Probably this was on the morning after the victory.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the king of Jerusalem_ Observe the rhythmic roll of the enumeration of the kings and the cities over which they ruled.... [ Continue Reading ]
_put your feet upon the necks_ According to the usage portrayed on the monuments of Assyria and Egypt, which seems also to have been practised by the Byzantine emperors long after the Christian era. For this symbol of complete subjection comp. Psalms 110:1; 1 Corinthians 15:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fear not_ "Take зe coumfort (_con_and _fortis_), and be зe stronge," Wyclif. The proud foes they had so lately seen in all the pomp and circumstance of war lay prostrate at their feet. _for thus_ Even as, after the defeat of Sihon and Og, Moses had assured Joshua would be the case, saying, "Thine... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua smote them_ The actual execution of the kings he reserved for his own hands. _hanged them_ "Hongide upon fiue stokkis," Wyclif; or suspended their bodies after death. Comp. Deuteronomy 21:23; Joshua 8:29. In like manner Joshua had done to the king of Ai; Joshua 8:29. _on five trees_ Each b... [ Continue Reading ]
_at the time of the going down of the sun_ According to the strict command in Deuteronomy 21:23. _into the cave wherein they had been hid_ "Into the spelonk, in the which thei lorkiden," Wyclif, which then became a royal sepulchre, while the stones "which on the self-same day had cut them off from... [ Continue Reading ]
The Conquest of Southern Palestine 28. _And that day_ The victory of Beth-horon did not stand alone. It involved other consequences in its train. It inaugurated a campaign, which may have lasted some weeks or even months, during which the whole of southern Canaan was swept into the hands of Israel.... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto Libnah_ In a westerly direction. Libnah belonged to the district of the Shephelah, the maritime lowland of Judah, and we find it enumerated among the cities of this district (Joshua 15:42). With its suburbs it was appropriated to the priests (Joshua 21:13; 1 Chronicles 6:57), but revolted from... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto Lachish_ See above, Joshua 10:3. The Israelitish leader moved in a south-westerly direction.... [ Continue Reading ]
_which took it on the second day_ Observe: 1. All the other cities seem to have fallen before Joshua at once except Lachish. Of Lachish, and Lachish alone, is it said that he took it _on the second day_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Horam_ His city lay at no great distance from Lachish. _Gezer_ or, as it is called later, _Gazara_(2Ma 10:32), _Gadara_(Jos. _Ant_. 5:1:22), was an ancient city of Canaan. It was afterwards allotted with its suburbs to the Kohathite Levites (Joshua 21:21; 1 Chronicles 6:67); but the original i... [ Continue Reading ]
_Eglon_ See on Joshua 10:3. He now marches eastward from Lachish to Eglon on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza; invests, takes, and destroys it with all its inhabitants.... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto Hebron_ which lay next in a tolerably direct line. He is said to have "gone up" to it, for, in order to invest it, he had to march from the plain to the hill country.... [ Continue Reading ]
_and the king thereof_ The successor doubtless of the chief who fell at Makkedah. See above, Joshua 10:23. _all the cities thereof_ i.e. all the smaller towns dependent upon it; "alle the _burgh touns_of that region," Wyclif.... [ Continue Reading ]
_returned] or turned_. "Turnyde in," Wyclif. The words indicate a change in the direction of the march. Comp. Exodus 5:22, "and Moses _returned_unto the Lord," From Hebron he turned in to the south-west, and attacked Debir. _Debir_ The early name of this city was Kirjath-sepher = "_the town of the b... [ Continue Reading ]
Survey of the Results of the Campaign in Southern Canaan 40. _all the country_ Rather, ALL THE LAND, THE HILL COUNTRY, &c. The entire region is comprehensively surveyed, and then treated with special detail: (_a) The Hills;_(_b) The South_; (_c) The Vale_; (_d) The Springs_. (_a) The Hills_, i.e.... [ Continue Reading ]
_from Kadesh-barnea_ i.e. from the wilderness in which Kadesh-barnea lay. This place, the scene of Miriam's death, was the furthest point which the Israelites reached in their direct road to Canaan. From it also the spies were sent forth (Numbers 13:17; Numbers 13:26), and there also, on their retur... [ Continue Reading ]
_at one time_ i.e. in one campaign, or in one expedition, which doubtless lasted some days or even weeks.... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto the camp to Gilgal_ See note above on Joshua 10:15.... [ Continue Reading ]