World English Bible
- Now when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem 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,
- they were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
- 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,
- “Come up to me and help me. Let’s strike Gibeon; for they have made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.”
- 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 themselves together and went up, they and all their armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it.
- The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.”
- So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and the whole army with him, including all the mighty men of valor.
- The LORD said to Joshua, “Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you.”
- Joshua therefore came to them suddenly. He marched from Gilgal all night.
- The LORD confused them before Israel. He killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah.
- As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, the LORD hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword.
- Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel. He said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still on Gibeon! You, moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon!”
- The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day.
- There was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.
- Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.
- These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
- Joshua was told, saying, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”
- Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them;
- but don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Don’t allow them to enter into their cities; for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”
- When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,
- all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
- Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.”
- They did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
- When they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came near, and put their feet on their necks.
- Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
- Afterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening.
- At the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and threw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.
- Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king. He utterly destroyed it and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
- Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
- The LORD delivered it also, with its king, into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining in it. He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
- Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it.
- The LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel. He took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls who were in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
- Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he had left him no one remaining.
- Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, to Eglon; and they encamped against it and fought against it.
- They took it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
- Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it.
- They took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king and all its cities, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls who were in it.
- Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it.
- He took it, with its king and all its cities. They struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king; as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king.
- So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the South, the lowland, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no one remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded.
- Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.
- Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
- Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.
Joshua 10 captures one of the most extraordinary events recorded in Scripture—Joshua’s prayer for the sun to stand still. As the Israelites faced a coalition of powerful Canaanite kings at Gibeon, Joshua boldly petitioned God:
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
(Joshua 10:12, New International Version)
The passage continues, recording incredibly:
“The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since…Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!”
(Joshua 10:13-14, New International Version)
This account has captivated generations of believers and skeptics alike. How should we comprehend such a remarkable narrative? First, we remember God’s sovereign authority over creation itself. This event echoes the theme of divine power over nature that we see throughout Scripture—from creation itself (Genesis 1), to Moses at the Red Sea (Exodus 14), to Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41). The Bible consistently presents God as Creator and Master of the created world, fully capable of intervening for His people’s sake.
For modern readers, such a dramatic miracle raises many questions. Over the centuries, Christian interpreters have grappled with how to best understand this event. Some, like Augustine and Calvin, believed God miraculously prolonged daylight itself. Others, including contemporary scholars, suggest poetic or phenomenological language emphasizing God’s intervention: meaning that God provided miraculous victory in the time needed. Regardless of the exact interpretation, the central theological truth remains clear—the Lord intervened decisively in Israel’s circumstances to secure their victory.
One significant element a western audience might easily overlook is how this text directly challenged the religious worldview of the Canaanites and surrounding nations. These groups worshiped sun and moon as powerful deities governing human destiny. Here Joshua’s prayer clearly demonstrates Israel’s God as superior to the pagan cosmic deities. The sun and moon must obey the God of Israel, highlighting Yahweh’s unmatched lordship over all creation.
Archaeological discoveries also shed valuable contextual insights into Joshua 10. The cities mentioned (Gibeon, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir) have been confirmed archaeologically as important strategic centers from Late Bronze Age Canaan, affirming the historic realism of the narrative. Ancient texts, such as letters found at Tell el-Amarna, confirm regional alliances and conflicts among Canaanite city-kings, much like those described in this chapter.
Joshua 10 reminds us of three powerful theological truths:
1. God fights for His people:
Repeatedly, the Scripture emphasizes this reassurance. Consider Exodus
14:14 (“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still,” New
International Version), and Romans 8:31 (“If God is for us, who can be
against us?” New International Version). Our primary task is faithful
obedience, trusting His deliverance completely.
2. The power of prayer:
Joshua’s audacity to ask such bold and sweeping petitions invites you
and me today into a deeper prayer life. The motivation of the prayer is
crucial—it wasn’t selfish but kingdom-centered, aligned with God’s
calling. Such prayers honor God and demonstrate reliance upon Him.
3. God’s covenant faithfulness:
In defending their new ally, the Gibeonites—though deceived into their
covenant (Joshua 9)—Israel experiences firsthand God’s faithfulness to
honor covenants. This underscores not only human integrity but also the
matchless integrity and trustworthiness of our covenant-keeping God.
Joshua 10:12-13 contains stylistic elements typical of Hebrew poetry, utilizing parallelism to enhance the power of the message. The Hebrew contains vivid commands, imperatives issued directly to sun and moon (“Shemesh, dom… Yareach, be’Emek Ayalon,” literally “Sun, be silent…Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon”). Such poetic language underlines the grandeur and urgency of God’s mighty acts.
Consider reflecting on the classic hymn “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise,” which poetically expresses the immeasurable power and wisdom of our God over creation.
Father, Creator of the heavens and earth, You alone hold sovereignty over all things. Teach us to trust You deeply, especially when circumstances overwhelm us. Fill us with faith like Joshua’s—bold, audacious, and rooted in Your promises. May our prayers reflect Your great purposes, and may our lives be marked with assurance that You fight on our behalf. To You alone is all honor, power, and praise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.