Joshua 10
1 Now it came to pass, 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;
(Israel’s fame continued to spread. Jerusalem had yet to belong to Israel. The king of Jerusalem at the time was named Adoni-zedek which meant "Lord of Righteousness." We will see that he was far from righteous and many scholars actually believe this was deception and that this man actually was representative of the Anti-Christ.)
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.
(King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem and his people were afraid of the Israelites because of the battles they won and even because of the peace they made with Gibeon. If Gibeon, a great city, wanted peace with the Israelites, smaller cities would definitely want peace. God had turned Joshua's sin to good.)
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,
4 Come up unto me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon; for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
(King Adoni-zedek asked four other kings to come with him to smite Gibeon because they made peace with Israel. How would this help him and his people?)
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 against Gibeon, and made war against it.
(The other four kings joined Adoni-zedek and made war against Gibeon. Adoni-zedek successfully seduced these other kings into his plan.)
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 hill-country are gathered together against us.
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
(After the men of Gibeon asked for help, Joshua and his soldiers went to fight the other five nations.)
8 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
(God was with them in this battle. Although the Gibeonites were deceptive in receiving favor from the Israelites, God Himself still honored the covenant the Gibeonites made with Israel. God would protect and fight for these people.)
9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly; for he went up from Gilgal all the night.
10 And Jehovah discomfited them before Israel, and he slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
(They fled from Israel but God cast down great stones on them. More of them died by the hailstones than by the sword. God was responsible for the victory.)
12 Then spake Joshua to Jehovah in the day when Jehovah delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.
(Joshua told the sun and moon to stand still. Joshua stated, in response to a need that he didn't cause, a will for something that did not have a will.)
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
(The sun and moon did not move, the earth stopped! This was done so they could finish the battle.)
(The Book of Jasher? This was a work known in the original Hebrew as Sefer haYashar. It was the best-known of several lost books of the Old Testament of which no copies are known to exist. The original Hebrew translated it as "Book of the Upright.")
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of a man: for Jehovah fought for Israel.
(There was no day before or after this day that the Lord listened to the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel. The battles here were the Lord's but in this case He listened to the voice of a man: Joshua.)
15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
(Verses 16-27: the battle is finished and judgment on the five kings.)
16 And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them:
19 but stay not ye; pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for Jehovah your God hath delivered them into your hand.
(The kings were trapped in the cave.)
20 And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,
21 that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
22 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings unto me out of the cave.
(Joshua called for the five kings.)
23 And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
24 And it came to pass, when they brought forth those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the chiefs of the men of war that went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
25 And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus shall Jehovah do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
(Joshua hanged the five kings on five different trees.)
27 And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, unto this very day.
(Verses 28-43: the conquest continued.)
28 And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof: he utterly destroyed them and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
(Makkedah was taken.)
29 And Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:
30 and Jehovah delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining in it; and he did unto the king thereof as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
(Libnah was taken.)
31 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:
32 and Jehovah delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel; and he took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
(Lachish was taken.)
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.
34 And Joshua passed from Lachish, and all Israel with him, unto Eglon; and they encamped against it, and fought against it;
35 and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword; and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
(Eglon was taken.)
36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:
37 and they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls that were therein.
(Hebron was taken.)
38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it:
39 and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to the king thereof.
(Debir was taken.)
40 So Joshua smote all the land, the hill-country, and the South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, commanded.
(The conquest of the South was successful. Joshua and the Israelites destroyed everything that God had commanded.)
41 And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.
42 And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because Jehovah, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
Joshua 11
(This chapter covered more of Israel's conquest of the land of Canaan, especially against the Northern Armies.)
1 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard thereof, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
2 and to the kings that were on the north, in the hill-country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west,
3 to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the hill-country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.
4 And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea-shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
5 And all these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.
(Many kings came together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.)
6 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them; for to-morrow at this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hock their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
(God exhorted Joshua. God continued to build their faith upon conquering the Promised Land.)
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly, and fell upon them.
8 And Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they smote them, and chased them unto great Sidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.
(God delivered those cities into Israel’s hand, just as God had told Joshua He would.)
9 And Joshua did unto them as Jehovah bade him: he hocked their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
10 And Joshua turned back at that time, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
(To "hock" a horse was also referred to as "hamstringing" a horse. This would have happened by severing the hamstring of the animal, rendering it unfit for use.)
(Hazor was taken.)
11 And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was none left that breathed: and he burnt Hazor with fire.
12 And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and he smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded.
13 But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.
14 And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any that breathed.
15 As Jehovah commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua: and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that Jehovah commanded Moses.
(God commanded Moses and Moses commanded Joshua and Joshua did all that was commanded. This was proof that Moses had replicated himself successfully.)
16 So Joshua took all that land, the hill-country, and all the South, and all the land of Goshen, and the lowland, and the Arabah, and the hill-country of Israel, and the lowland of the same;
17 from mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and put them to death.
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
(Joshua spent a lot of time at war.)
19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: they took all in battle.
20 For it was of Jehovah to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
(We have seen these people must have already had a hard heart and God hardened it from the outside. For more support of this, check out the story about Moses, Pharaoh, and God starting in the beginning of the Book of Exodus.)
21 And Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill-country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill-country of Judah, and from all the hill-country of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
22 There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Jehovah spake unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land had rest from war.
(Joshua took the whole land according to God’s Words to Moses and the land rested from war.)
Joshua 12
(This chapter covered the kings that were conquered.)
(Verses 1-6: kings that were defeated under Moses.)
1 Now these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising, from the valley of the Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the Arabah eastward:
(Verses 2-3: the defeat of Sihon.)
2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, the border of the children of Ammon;
3 and the Arabah unto the sea of Chinneroth, eastward, and unto the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and on the south, under the slopes of Pisgah:
(Verse 4-5: the defeat of Og.)
4 and the border of Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,
5 and ruled in mount Hermon, and in Salecah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
(Verse 6: the eastern lands that were given to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.)
6 Moses the servant of Jehovah and the children of Israel smote them: and Moses the servant of Jehovah gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
(Verses 7-8: a general explanation of the lands and nations that were conquered under Joshua.)
7 And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel smote beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even unto mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; and Joshua gave it unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;
8 in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the South; the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
(Verses 9-24: a specific counting of the thirty-one kings conquered by Joshua.)
9 the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;
11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
12 the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;
13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;
14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;
18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lassharon, one;
19 the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;
20 the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;
21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;
(Megiddo, where the battle of Armageddon mentioned in the Book of Revelation will take place.)
22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;
23 the king of Dor in the height of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;
24 the king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.
(This post covered the nations and kings that Moses and Joshua led the Israelites to victory over.)
Day 66
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