Joshua
Chapter 10
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Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.
A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.
1When Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. it, that as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were in their midst,
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Adoni-zedek is the king’s name, “my lord is right.” Adoni here is not the divine name YHWH.
2they were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
3Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.
5The five kings of the Amorite gathered and went up, 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 camps, and they camped against Gibeon and fought against it.
6The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, saying, Do not relax your hands from your servants. Come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us, for all the kings of the Amorite who live in the hill country have gathered against us.
7Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of the war with him, and all the warriors of worth.
8God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. said to Joshua, Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand. Not a man of them shall stand before you.
9Joshua came upon them suddenly. He had gone up from Gilgal all night.
10God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. threw them into confusion before Israel, and he struck them with a great blow at Gibeon, and he chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and he struck them as far as Azekah and as far as Makkedah.
11As they fled from before Israel, and were on the descent of Beth-horon, God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. threw great stones on them from the sky, as far as Azekah, and they died. More died by the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12Then Joshua spoke to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., on the day God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. gave the Amorite over before the sons of Israel, and he said before the eyes of Israel, Sun, be still in Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.
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Dom is “be still,” the same verb as being silent. The line does not add a later account of how the sky moved. No Dead Sea reading was substituted here.
13The sun was still, and the moon stood, until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Is it not written on the scroll of the Upright? The sun stood in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to go in, for about a full day.
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Sefer ha-yashar is the scroll of the Upright. The sun “did not hurry to go in” is lo atz lavo.
14There has not been a day like that day, before it or after it, for God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. to listen to the voice of a man, for God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. fought for Israel.
15Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
16Those five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah.
17It was told to Joshua, saying, The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
18Joshua said, Roll great stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard them.
19You, do not stand still. Chase after your enemies and cut off their rear. Do not let them go into their cities, for God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. your God has given them into your hand.
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Zinnabtem is to strike the tail, the rear of a fleeing group.
20When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a very great blow, until they were finished, the survivors who survived among them went into the fortified cities.
21All the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace. No one sharpened his tongue against any of the sons of Israel.
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Lo charatz et leshono is “he did not sharpen his tongue.” No one spoke a threat against them.
22Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.
23They did so, and they brought those five kings out to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24When they had brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua called all the men of Israel and said to the captains of the men of war who had gone with him, Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings. They came near and put their feet on their necks.
25Joshua said to them, Do not fear, and do not be shattered. Be strong and be firm, for thus God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.
26Joshua struck them after that and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees, and they were hanging on the trees until evening.
27At the time the sun went in, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden, and they set great stones over the mouth of the cave, until this very day.
28Joshua captured Makkedah on that day and struck it by the mouth of the sword, and its king. He Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. them and every person who was in it. He left no survivor, and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29Joshua passed on, and all Israel with him, from Makkedah to Libnah, and he fought with Libnah.
30God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. gave it also, and its king, into the hand of Israel, and he struck it by the mouth of the sword, and every person who was in it. He left no survivor in it, and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31Joshua passed on, and all Israel with him, from Libnah to Lachish, and he camped against it and fought against it.
32God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it by the mouth of the sword, and every person who was in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua struck him and his people until he had left him no survivor.
34Joshua passed on, and all Israel with him, from Lachish to Eglon, and they camped against it and fought against it.
35They captured it on that day and struck it by the mouth of the sword, and every person who was in it he Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. on that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36Joshua went up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it.
37They captured it and struck it by the mouth of the sword, and its king, and all its cities, and every person who was in it. He left no survivor, according to all that he had done to Eglon. He Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. it and every person who was in it.
38Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and he fought against it.
39He captured it, and its king, and all its cities, and they struck them by the mouth of the sword and Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed. every person who was in it. He left no survivor. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, and as he had done to Libnah and its king.
40Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country, the The dry country in the south., the Shephelah, and the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivor, and every breathing thing he Set apart for God. In this book it is often marked to be destroyed., as God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., the God of Israel, had commanded.
41Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, as far as Gibeon.
42All these kings and their land Joshua captured at one time, because God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
43Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.