Introduction: Not everybody was pleased to hear about Israel’s victories at Jericho and Ai! The first two verses of Joshua 9 mention several kings of several groups decided they were going to fight against Israel. Of course, they must have hoped that delaying, if not destroying, Israel would make things better for them. And imagine the shock when they discovered the whole four-city group of Hivites known as Gibeonites had surrendered unconditionally to Israel!
Apparently from that group, one king recruited four other kings so that they could join forces against Israel. Oddly enough, they chose to attack Gibeon! But Israel had made a covenant with Gibeon and they were going to defend their new allies. The text gives more information:
1 The Assault Against Gibeon
Text, Joshua 10:1-5, KJV: 1 Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem had 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; 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. 3 Wherefore Adonizedek 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, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel. 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 before Gibeon, and made war against it.
Somewhere I remember a saying that went something like this, “Peace is so precious because it is so rare!” That was certainly the case for the Gibeonites and others of these four nations who had completely surrendered to Israel. The details of this event are found in Joshua chapter 9.
Now, not only had the Gibeonites heard about the absolute destruction of Jericho and Ai, large and small cities respectively, other kings or leaders had heard about this, too! And even though Israel seemed to still be camping near Gilgal, near the Jordan River (see verse 6), the king of Jerusalem believed he was next on Israel’s list of targets. He decided, if you can’t beat them, join against them (to edit a popular maxim) and sent off a request for military assistance to four other kings of cities in Canaan.
We should pause for a moment and think how far Jerusalem had fallen in a relatively short time. During the days of Abraham, Melchizedek (meaning “King of Peace”) was king of Salem, another name for Jerusalem. Abraham (then, “Abram”) had met him when returning after the battle of the kings in Genesis 14. Melchizedek was not only king, but priest of The Most High God, Whom Abram equated with the LORD or Jehovah/Yahweh (Gen. 14:22). Bur from Abram’s day to Joshua’s day, the whole land of Canaan seemed to be full of idols and those who worshiped these things. The true faith, some have observed, is only one generation from becoming extinct and other events, such as what the Bible records, prove that statement.
At this time, Adonizedek (note the change, from “king” to “lord” of righteousness! in this king’s name), as mentioned, seemed to be furious that Gibeon and the other three cities had completely surrendered to Israel. Arthur W. Pink gives a detailed study of this series of events, available on-line at https://godrules.net/library/pink/43pink_d12.htm (this link covers parts of chapter 9 but there is a link to go to the next article). In brief, no matter how much Adonibezek had regarded Gibeon before, he hated them and the others now and decided to fight against them.
And Adonibezek reached out to city-states and their kings located a good distance away! Looking at the on-line Bible atlas (https://bibleatlas.org/full/gibeon.htm Jerusalem is called “Jebus” on this map), some of these places were one or two days’ march away from Gibeon. Besides this, there was a river or at least a river bed (wadi?) to cross before anybody could do much to Gibeon itself.
The other four kings were not bothered or troubled by either the distance or the water/river bed, They and their armies all joined together with Adonibezek’s forces and camped against Gibeon, making war against it. Dr. Pink, in the source cited, noted that usually warfare was not so much a direct attack against an enemy so much as it was a siege. This meant the attackers simply camped around the city until the ones inside either made a counter-attack, surrendered, or gave up due to starvation. Jerusalem itself, once under Israelite rule, suffered this very thing more than once. The strategy was cruel, but generally it worked. Hunger, after all, can be a powerful motivation.
We’re not told how many enemy soldiers had camped against Gibeon but those in the city knew they were in trouble. The next section details what the Gibeonites did once the enemy arrived.
2 The Avenging of Gibeon
Text, Joshua 10:6-11, KJV: 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 mountains are gathered together against us. 7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. 8 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. 9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. 10 And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. 11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
Joshua and Israel were camped at Gilgal (verse 6), about 10-15 miles (estimates vary) from Gibeon itself. That didn’t matter to some of the men of Gibeon who made haste to inform Joshua what was going on at Gibeon. The plea from this group of Gibeonites was simple: “We’re surrounded by the kings of the Amorites! We need your help!”
To Joshua’s, and Israel’s credit, they didn’t simply say, “Too bad, so sad, hurts to be you, folks; we have other things to do” or something similar. One wonders, even today, how serious any given nation’s “allies” are truly willing to help, let alone honor the commitments they made. No, Joshua, immediately it seems, along with the army, headed for Gibeon.
After all, these Gibeonites were allies of Israel and Israel, rightly, honored this plea of their new allies—we might even say countrymen. Even better, the LORD Himself was pleased with this response and resolve. He told Joshua “You don’t need to fear them: I have delivered them into your hand! None of them will be able to stand before you (verse 8, paraphrased)”.
With this confirmation, Joshua led the Israelite soldiers on another all-night march from Gilgal to Gibeon. When Joshua and his troops got there, they found an unexpected Ally—the LORD Himself fought with the Amorites. Verse 10 says He “discomfited them (the Amorites, the enemy) and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon. And not only that, the LORD chased them all the way to Azekah (maybe 20 miles to the south-west) and even as far as Makkedah, maybe 10 miles nearly due south of Azekah (https://bibleatlas.org/full/gibeon.htm). It’s almost as though the Amorites were being chased back to Lachish, Eglon, or even Hebron!
But the avenging of Gibeon wasn’t yet complete. Not only had Israel’s soldiers done their part, the LORD had done His part too. Now the LORD used another weapon in His arsenal, namely, natural resources. While the Amorite survivors were fleeing for dear life, the LORD threw down hailstones from Heaven. There were other Amorites, perhaps, heading for Beth-horon which was north and west of Gibeon. Benson’s commentary has this solemn reminder: “There is no fleeing out of the hands of God (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/joshua/10.htm)!
Gibeon had now been avenged, the Amorites were fleeing wherever they could go—but dying, no matter which direction they went—but it seems the day may have been drawing to a close. Joshua showed some of the greatest faith of any believer when he made this next request!
3 The Appearance of the Sky near Gibeon
Text, Joshua 10:12-15, KJV: 12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD 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 Ajalon. 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. 15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
This passage contains one of the most hotly contested and debated topics in the Bible. Some teachers and commentators deny anything like this could ever take place; others agree what happened but not on the how. What is recorded is that after the falling of the stones from heaven, Joshua asked the LORD for a miracle.
And the LORD did just that! The LORD did something to keep the light of day going for almost an entire day. All of us need to keep in mind that the Bible records scientific events without necessarily using scientific language. The Bible is a Book from God, provided for people to read in the ordinary language of people, and heed, as several have observed. Thomas Coke’s commentary, written in the mid-to late-1700’s, has a very thorough discussion about this event (online edition at https://bibleportal.com/commentary/section/thomas-coke-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/111177).
Joshua took advantage of this extra daylight and Israel “avenged themselves upon their enemies (verse 13). When all was said and done, night eventually fell, and Joshua plus all Israel returned to their camp at Gilgal.
This part of the battle was over, but the whole campaign was not quite finished. The next section explains why.
4 The Aftermath of the Battle
Text, Joshua 10:16-28, KJV: 16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. 17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah. 18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: 19 And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand. 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, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities. 21 And 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 out those five kings unto me out of the cave. 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, and the king of Eglon. 24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which 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 the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. 26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. 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 been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.
28 And that day Joshua took Makkedah, 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 let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.
There is an almost universal truth about warfare, that when the battle seems to go badly, the leaders do what they can to protect themselves regardless of what happens to the other soldiers. That’s what happened here, it seems: the kings probably marched with the troops against Gibeon but knew where to hide should anything go wrong. And when things did go wrong, these five kings banded together and hid in a cave near Makkedah, about half-way between Hebron and Lachish (https://bibleatlas.org/full/makkedah.htm).
Their plan (to hide? And raise more armies and attack Gibeon again?) didn’t work, though, as word got to Joshua where these five kings had gone to hide. Joshua didn’t take any chances: he gave a command to roll great stones on the mouth of the cave and then set a guard. Once that was done, Joshua instructed the soldiers to continue the fight (the incident of the long, long day must have happened during that part of the battle). Once the fight was over, all of Israel’s soldiers met with Joshua at Makkedah.
And these men were about to get the surprise of their lives. Joshua had ordered the cave to be blocked with large stones; now, he commands the stones to be rolled away! Once the cave was opened, Joshua sent some men to bring out the kings. One wonders what kind of thoughts were going through the minds of these men, but they were about to meet their fates very shortly.
Joshua commanded the “captains”, probably those of high rank, to put their feet on the necks of these five kings. This treatment may seem strange to some, but this was not unusual in the days of Joshua. Daniel Whedon’s commentary has some very helpful insights, available online at https://bibleportal.com/commentary/section/whedon-s-commentary-on-the-bible/478844
Once this was done, Joshua took the final step in proving the LORD would be with Israel. He killed each of these five kings and had their bodies “hanged” or displayed on five trees. This was a sign of triumph for Israel and, as several others observed, a sign of warning for the other tribes or city-states in the area.
The kings’ bodies remained on the trees until evening when Joshua had the bodies taken down. This was in accordance with the Law of Moses (Deut. 21:23) and Joshua honored that part of the Law. Once the bodies were taken down, Joshua commanded the bodies be taken to the cave—the same one that had been a hiding place—and place inside that cave, sealing the mouth of that cave with the same stones as before. Now it’s a burial place; the cave of hiding becoming a grave.
And to finish the job, Joshua and Israel took Makkedah that same day and did to it just as they had done to Jericho. Now, much of south Canaan was in Israel’s hands but there was still more to do. The next section covers more of these conquests.
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)
