1
After Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured Ai and had utterly destroyed it — as he had done to Jericho and to its king, so he had done to Ai and to its king — and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made a treaty of friendship with the Israelites and were living among them,
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he was greatly afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, indeed larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
3
Therefore Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying:
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“Come up to me and help me, so that we may attack Gibeon, because it has made a treaty of friendship with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5
Then the five Amorite kings gathered and advanced: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, they and all their armies. They camped against Gibeon and fought against it.
6
Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, saying: “Do not withdraw your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us.”
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So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the troops with him, all mighty warriors.
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The LORD said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand. Not one of them shall be able to stand before you.”
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Then Joshua came upon them suddenly, after marching all night from Gilgal.
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And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, so that Joshua inflicted a great defeat on them at Gibeon, pursued them by the ascent of Beth-Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
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As they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth-Horon, the LORD hurled large stones from heaven upon them as far as Azekah, and they died. Those who died from the hailstones were more than those whom the Israelites killed with the sword.
12
Then Joshua spoke to the LORD on the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites; he said in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the valley of Aijalon!”
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So the sun stood still, and the moon did not move, until the nation had taken vengeance on its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun did not move in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting for about a full day.
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There had never been a day like that, either before or after it, when the LORD listened in such a way to the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.
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Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.
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The five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
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And it was reported to Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
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Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men there to guard them.
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But you, do not stay; pursue your enemies and strike their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand!”
20
After Joshua and the Israelites had finished inflicting a very great defeat among them, until they were utterly destroyed — though some of them escaped and entered the fortified cities —
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the whole people returned safely to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. No one dared to speak a threatening word against Israel.
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Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out from there to me.”
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So they did so: the five kings were brought out of the cave and brought to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24
When those kings had been brought out to Joshua, Joshua called all the men of Israel together and said to the commanders of the army who had gone with him in battle, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on the necks of those kings.
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Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”
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Afterward Joshua killed those kings, and hanged them on five poles, and they remained hanging on the poles until sunset.
27
At sunset, at Joshua’s command, their bodies were taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Then the mouth of the cave was covered with large stones, which remain there to this day.
28
On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and struck it with the edge of the sword, also its king; he utterly destroyed the city and all the living creatures that were in it. He left no one who escaped, and he treated the king of Makkedah as he had treated the king of Jericho.
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Then Joshua and all Israel went on from Makkedah to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.
30
And the LORD gave that city also into the hand of Israel, with its king. And Joshua struck the city and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword; he left none remaining in it. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31
Then Joshua and all Israel went on from Libnah to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it.
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And the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel. Joshua took it on the second day. And he struck the city and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
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Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him and his people, so that he left none remaining.
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Then Joshua and all Israel went on from Lachish to Eglon, and they encamped against it and fought against it.
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And they took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword. All the people who were in it he devoted to destruction that day, just as he had done to Lachish.
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Then Joshua and all Israel went up from Eglon to Hebron, and fought against it.
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And they took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, both its king and all its towns and all the people who were in it; he left none remaining, just as he had done to Eglon. And he devoted the city and all the people who were in it to destruction.
38
Then Joshua and all Israel turned back to Debir, and fought against it.
39
And he took it, with its king and all its towns, and struck them with the edge of the sword. All the people who were in it they devoted to destruction; he left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done to Libnah and its king.
40
So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the Negeb, the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
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And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
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And Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43
Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.
🌞⚔️⛰️ Summary of Joshua 10 – The Sun Stands Still, God Fights
Joshua 10 contains one of the most remarkable events in the Bible: the sun and moon stood still in the sky so that Israel could complete its victory. All this took place as Joshua led Israel in defense of the Gibeonites, who had earlier deceived them but had been bound by covenant. God fought for His people, and a great victory followed.
📌 1. The Coalition of Five Kings Against Gibeon (verses 1–5)
- After Gibeon made peace with Israel, five kings from southern Canaan (led by Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem) joined together to attack Gibeon.
- Gibeon asked Israel for help.
🎯 Those who side with the Lord will be attacked, but the Lord will not remain silent.
📌 2. Israel Helps and the Lord Fights (verses 6–15)
- Joshua led his troops to march through the night from Gilgal to Gibeon.
- The Lord said:
“Do not be afraid of them… I have given them into your hand.” (verse 8)
- Israel defeated the enemy and the Lord sent hailstones from the sky; more died from them than by the sword.
- Joshua prayed:
“O sun, stand still at Gibeon… and you, moon, in the Valley of Aijalon!”
And the sun truly stood still (verse 13).
🎯 The Lord can stop time to carry out His plan — a miracle that came through faith and a leader’s responsibility.
📌 3. The Capture and Punishment of the Five Kings (verses 16–27)
- The five kings fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah.
- After the battle, they were captured, put to death, and hung on five trees.
- Their bodies were then thrown into the cave where they had hidden.
🎯 God’s justice was carried out against the leaders who opposed His plan.
📌 4. The Conquest Continues (verses 28–43)
- Joshua and Israel conquered the southern cities: Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir.
- The repeated phrase:
“Joshua defeated them… as the LORD had commanded.”
🎯 Continual obedience brings continual victory.
📖 Main Lessons
- The Lord is faithful to the covenant He has made, even when people are not perfect.
- God can use great miracles to support His people.
- The role of spiritual leaders is important in guiding the people in the battle of faith.
- Victory comes not only by human strength, but by the direct intervention of God.
- Faith and courage produce a history remembered forever.
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
“Elijah… prayed so that the sky gave no rain; then he prayed again…”
→ A righteous person who prays earnestly can change nature.
- Ephesians 6:12
→ Our struggle is spiritual, not against flesh and blood — and God remains our Warrior.
🎯 The God who stopped the sun in Joshua’s day is the same God who reigns in your life today.
“There has never been a day like that before… the LORD fought for Israel.” – Joshua 10:14
“Do not be afraid, and do not be dismayed…” – Joshua 10:25
“Joshua conquered the whole land…” – Joshua 10:42
