The Day the Sun Stood Still
Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction 1—doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king—and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living near them. Gen 14:18Heb 7:1Jos 11:19-20Jos 6:21Jos 8:2Jos 8:22-29Jos 9:15-27 So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty. Deu 11:25Exo 15:14-16Jos 2:241Sa 27:52Sa 12:26Deu 28:10Heb 10:27Heb 10:31
Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, 2Ch 11:9Mic 1:132Ki 18:142Ki 18:172Sa 2:11Gen 23:2Gen 37:14Jos 10:1 “Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” Jos 9:15Jos 10:11Pe 4:42Ti 3:12Act 21:28Act 9:23-27Isa 41:5-7Isa 8:9-10
So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it. Gen 15:16Isa 8:9-10Jos 10:6Jos 9:1-2Num 13:29
Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites from the hill country have joined forces against us.” Jos 5:10Jos 9:62Ki 4:24Deu 1:15Isa 33:22Jos 21:11Jos 9:15Jos 9:24-25
So Joshua and his whole army, including all the mighty men of valor, came from Gilgal. Jos 8:1Isa 8:12Isa 8:14
The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you.” Rom 8:31Deu 3:2Isa 41:10-15Jos 11:6Psa 27:1-2Jdg 4:14-15Jos 1:5-9Jos 8:1
After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise. 2Ti 2:3Ecc 9:10Pro 22:29Pro 24:11-121Sa 11:9-112Ti 4:2 And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. Psa 18:14Jos 16:3Jos 16:51Sa 7:10-12Isa 28:21Jdg 4:15Jos 10:11Jos 15:35 As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites. Isa 28:2Exo 9:22-26Jdg 5:20Psa 18:12-14Ezk 13:11Gen 19:24Isa 30:30Psa 11:6
On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: Hab 3:11Isa 38:8Isa 60:20Isa 28:21Jos 10:13Deu 4:19Job 9:7Job 31:26-27
“O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” 2
So the sun stood still Hab 3:11Isa 38:8Jos 10:14Jdg 16:282Sa 1:18Est 8:13Jol 2:10Jol 3:15
and the moon stopped
until the nation took vengeance
upon its enemies. 3
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? 4
“So the sun stopped
in the middle of the sky
and delayed going down
about a full day.” 5
There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel. Deu 1:30Exo 14:14Jos 10:42Jos 23:3Isa 38:8Luk 17:6Mrk 11:22-24Zec 4:6-7
Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. Jos 10:43Jos 10:6
The Victory at Makkedah
Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 1Sa 13:61Sa 24:31Sa 24:8Amo 9:2Isa 2:10-12Isa 2:19-22Isa 24:21-22Jdg 6:2 And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them. Mat 27:66Amo 5:19Amo 9:1Job 21:30Jos 10:22Jdg 9:46-49 But you, do not stop there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Do not let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.” Psa 18:37-412Sa 17:132Sa 20:6Isa 9:14-15Jer 48:10Jer 8:14Jos 10:20
So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities. Jos 8:242Ch 13:172Sa 20:6Deu 20:16Jer 8:14Jos 10:10 The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites. Exo 11:7Isa 54:17Isa 57:4
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” 1Sa 15:32 So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. Jos 10:1Jos 10:3Jos 10:5
When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Mal 4:3Rev 2:26-27Rom 16:20Deu 33:29Psa 107:40Psa 110:1Psa 110:5Psa 149:8-9
So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks.
“Do not be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua said. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all the enemies you fight.” 2Co 1:10Jos 1:9Eph 6:101Sa 17:37Deu 31:6-8Deu 7:19Rom 8:372Ti 4:17-18
After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees 6and left them there until evening. Jos 8:291Sa 15:332Sa 21:62Sa 21:9Deu 21:22-23Est 2:23Est 7:9-10Gal 3:13 At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day. Jos 8:292Sa 18:17Deu 21:22-23Jos 7:26Jos 4:9
On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. Jos 6:211Co 15:25Deu 20:16-17Deu 7:16Deu 7:2Jos 10:30Jos 10:32Jos 10:35
Conquest of the Southern Cities
Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. Jos 21:13Jos 15:422Ki 19:82Ki 8:22Jer 52:1Jos 10:28Jos 12:15Jos 6:21 And the LORD also delivered that city and its king into the hand of Israel, and Joshua put all the people to the sword, leaving no survivors. And he did to the king of Libnah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it and fought against it. Jos 10:32Ch 11:92Ki 19:8Isa 37:8Jos 10:5Jos 12:11Jos 15:39Mic 1:13 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He put all the people to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors. Jdg 1:29Jos 16:10Jos 16:31Ch 20:41Ch 6:671Ki 9:15-17Jos 12:12Jos 21:21
So Joshua moved on from Lachish to Eglon, and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it and fought against it. Jos 10:3Jos 12:12Jos 15:39 That day they captured Eglon and put it to the sword, and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city, just as he had done to Lachish. Job 19:10Jos 10:37Lev 26:44
Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it. Jdg 1:10Jos 15:13Jos 14:13-14Num 13:221Ch 12:231Ch 12:282Sa 15:9-102Sa 5:1-5 They captured it and put to the sword its king, all its villages, and all the people. Joshua left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon; he devoted to destruction Hebron and everyone in it.
Finally Joshua and all Israel with him turned toward Debir and fought against it. Jos 15:15Jdg 1:11-15Jos 12:13Jos 15:49Jos 21:15 And they captured Debir, its king, and all its villages. They put them to the sword and devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. Joshua did to Debir and its king as he had done to Hebron and as he had done to Libnah and its king. 2Ki 10:11Deu 3:3Jos 10:33Jos 10:37Jos 11:8Oba 1:18Jos 10:40
So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, 7 and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. Deu 7:2-161Ki 15:292Th 1:7-9Deu 20:16-17Deu 7:24Exo 23:31-33Jos 10:35Jos 10:37 Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon. Jos 11:16Jos 15:51Deu 9:23Gen 10:191Ki 3:51Sa 6:17Act 8:26Jdg 16:1
And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign. Jos 10:14Psa 46:7Psa 80:3Deu 20:4Exo 14:14Exo 14:25Isa 43:4Isa 8:9-10 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal. Jos 10:151Sa 11:14Jos 4:19