1Cuando Adonisedec,[1] rey de Jerusalén,[2] oyó que Josué había tomado a Hai y la había asolado (como había hecho con Jericó y con su rey, así hizo con Hai y su rey), y que los habitantes de Gabaón habían hecho la paz con los israelitas y estaban entre ellos, 2tuvo gran temor, porque Gabaón era tan grande como una de las ciudades reales,[3] mayor que Hai, y todos sus hombres eran valientes. 3Por lo cual Adonisedec, rey de Jerusalén, mandó a decir a Hoham, rey de Hebrón,[4] a Piream, rey de Jarmut, a Jafía, rey de Laquis y a Debir, rey de Eglón: 4"Venid y ayudadme a combatir a Gabaón, pues ha hecho la paz con Josué y con los hijos de Israel". 5Y los cinco reyes amorreos, el rey de Jerusalén, el rey de Hebrón, el rey de Jarmut, el rey de Laquis y el rey de Eglón, se juntaron y subieron con todos sus ejércitos, acamparon cerca de Gabaón y pelearon contra ella. 6Entonces los habitantes de Gabaón enviaron a decir a Josué al campamento en Gilgal: "No niegues ayuda a tus siervos; sube rápidamente a defendernos y ayudarnos, porque todos los reyes amorreos que habitan en las montañas se han unido contra nosotros".[5] 7Josué subió desde Gilgal junto con toda la gente de guerra y con todos los hombres valientes, 8y Jehová le dijo: "No les tengas temor, porque yo los he entregado en tus manos y ninguno de ellos prevalecerá delante de ti". 9Josué cayó sobre ellos de repente, tras haber caminado toda la noche desde Gilgal. 10Y Jehová los llenó de pavor ante Israel y les causó una gran mortandad en Gabaón; los siguió por el camino que sube a Bet-horón,[6] y los hirió hasta Azeca y Maceda.[7] 11Mientras iban huyendo de los israelitas, a la bajada de Bet-horón, Jehová arrojó desde el cielo grandes piedras sobre ellos hasta Azeca, y murieron. Fueron más los que murieron por las piedras del granizo[8] que los que los hijos de Israel mataron a espada. 12Entonces Josué habló a Jehová, el día en que Jehová entregó al amorreo delante de los hijos de Israel, y dijo en presencia de los israelitas: "Sol, detente en Gabaón, y tú, luna, en el valle de Ajalón".[9] 13Y el sol se detuvo, y la luna se paró, hasta que la gente se vengóde sus enemigos. ¿No está escrito esto en el libro de Jaser?[10] El sol se paró en medio del cielo, y no se apresuró a ponerse casi un día entero. 14No hubo un día como aquel, ni antes ni después de él, en que Jehová haya obedecido a la voz de un hombre, porque Jehová peleaba por Israel. 15Josué volvió junto con todo Israel al campamento en Gilgal. 16Aquellos cinco reyes huyeron y se escondieron en una cueva en Maceda. 17Cuando se le avisó que los cinco reyes habían sido hallados escondidos en una cueva en Maceda, 18Josué dijo: "Rodad grandes piedras hasta la entrada de la cueva y poned hombres junto a ella para que los custodien. 19Y vosotros no os detengáis, sino seguid a vuestros enemigos y heridles la retaguardia, sin dejarlos entrar en sus ciudades, porque Jehová, vuestro Dios, los ha entregado en vuestras manos". 20Aconteció que cuando Josué y los hijos de Israel acabaron de causarles una gran mortandad, hasta exterminarlos, los que quedaron de ellos se metieron en las ciudades fortificadas. 21Todo el pueblo volvió sano y salvo al campamento de Josué en Maceda, y nadie se atrevió a mover su lengua contra ninguno de los hijos de Israel. 22Entonces dijo Josué: "Abrid la entrada de la cueva y sacad de ella a esos cinco reyes". 23Así lo hicieron; sacaron de la cueva a aquellos cinco reyes: al rey de Jerusalén, al rey de Hebrón, al rey de Jarmut, al rey de Laquis y al rey de Eglón. 24Cuando los llevaron ante Josué, llamó Josué a todos los hombres de Israel y dijo a los principales de la gente de guerra que habían venido con él: "Acercaos y poned vuestros pies sobre los cuellos de estos reyes".[11] Ellos se acercaron y pusieron sus pies sobre los cuellos de ellos. 25"No temáis, ni os atemoricéis --les dijo Josué--; sed fuertes y valientes, porque así hará Jehová con todos los enemigos contra los cuales peleáis". 26Después de esto, Josué los hirió, los mató y los hizo colgar en cinco maderos. Allí quedaron colgados hasta caer la noche. 27Cuando el sol se iba a poner, mandó Josué que los descolgaran de los maderos y los echaran en la cueva donde se habían escondido. Y pusieron grandes piedras a la entrada de la cueva, las cuales permanecen hasta hoy.[12] 28[13] Aquel mismo día tomó Josué a Maceda, la pasó a filo de espada y mató a su rey; los destruyó por completo, con todo lo que en ella tenía vida, sin dejar nada, e hizo con el rey de Maceda como había hecho con el rey de Jericó. 29De Maceda pasó Josué, con todo Israel, a Libna, y la atacó. 30Y Jehová la entregó también, junto con su rey, en manos de Israel, que la pasó a filo de espada, con todo lo que en ella tenía vida, sin dejar nada, e hizo con su rey de la manera como había hecho con el rey de Jericó. 31Después Josué, con todo Israel, pasó de Libna a Laquis, acampó cerca de ella y la atacó. 32Jehová entregó también a Laquis en manos de Israel, quien la tomó al día siguiente y la pasó a filo de espada con todo lo que en ella tenía vida, tal como había hecho en Libna. 33Entonces Horam, rey de Gezer, subió en ayuda de Laquis; pero Josué lo derrotó a él y a su pueblo, hasta no dejar a ninguno de ellos. 34De Laquis pasó Josué, con todo Israel, a Eglón. Acamparon cerca de ella y la atacaron. 35Ese mismo día la tomaron y la pasaron a filo de espada. Aquel día mató a todo lo que en ella tenía vida, como había hecho en Laquis. 36Subió luego Josué, con todo Israel, de Eglón a Hebrón,[14] y la atacaron. 37La tomaron y la pasaron a filo de espada, con su rey, todas sus ciudades y todo lo que en ella tenía vida. No dejó nada, como había hecho con Eglón. La destruyeron con todo lo que en ella tenía vida. 38Después volvió Josué, con todo Israel, sobre Debir,[15] y la atacó. 39La tomó, junto con su rey y todas sus ciudades; las pasaron a filo de espada y destruyeron todo lo que allí dentro tenía vida, sin dejar nada. Como había hecho con Hebrón y con Libna y su rey, así hizo con Debir y su rey. 40Conquistó, pues, Josué toda la región de las montañas, el Neguev, los llanos y las laderas,[16] y a todos sus reyes, sin dejar nada; todo lo que tenía vida lo exterminó, como Jehová, Dios de Israel, se lo había mandado. 41Los batió Josué desde Cades-barnea[17] hasta Gaza,[18] y toda la tierra de Gosén[19] hasta Gabaón. 42Todos estos reyes y sus tierras los tomó Josué de una vez, porque Jehová, el Dios de Israel, peleaba por Israel. 43Después volvió Josué, con todo Israel, al campamento en Gilgal.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 FIVE KINGS WAR AGAINST GIBEON. (
Josh 10:1-
Josh 10:5)
Adoni-zedek--"lord of righteousness"--nearly synonymous with Melchizedek, "king of righteousness." These names were common titles of the Jebusite kings.
Jerusalem--The original name, "Salem" (
Gen 14:18;
Ps 76:2), was superseded by that here given, which signifies "a peaceful possession," or "a vision of peace," in allusion, as some think, to the strikingly symbolic scene (
Gen 22:14) represented on the mount whereon that city was afterwards built.
inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them--that is, the Israelites; had made an alliance with that people, and acknowledging their supremacy, were living on terms of friendly intercourse with them.
2 they feared greatly--The dread inspired by the rapid conquests of the Israelites had been immensely increased by the fact of a state so populous and so strong as Gibeon having found it expedient to submit to the power and the terms of the invaders.
as one of the royal cities--Although itself a republic (
Josh 9:3), it was large and well-fortified, like those places in which the chiefs of the country usually established their residence.
3 Wherefore Adoni-zedek . . . sent, . . . saying, Come up unto me, and help me--A combined attack was meditated on Gibeon, with a view not only to punish its people for their desertion of the native cause, but by its overthrow to interpose a barrier to the farther inroads of the Israelites. This confederacy among the mountaineers of Southern Palestine was formed and headed by the king of Jerusalem, because his territory was most exposed to danger, Gibeon being only six miles distant, and because he evidently possessed some degree of pre-eminence over his royal neighbors.
5 the five kings of the Amorites--The settlement of this powerful and warlike tribe lay within the confines of Moab; but having also acquired extensive possessions on the southwest of the Jordan, their name, as the ruling power, seems to have been given to the region generally (
2Sam 21:2), although Hebron was inhabited by Hittites or Hivites (
Josh 11:19), and Jerusalem by Jebusites (
Josh 15:63).
6 JOSHUA RESCUES IT. (
Josh 10:6-
Josh 10:9)
the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua--Their appeal was urgent and their claim to protection irresistible, on the ground, not only of kindness and sympathy, but of justice. In attacking the Canaanites, Joshua had received from God a general assurance of success (
Josh 1:5). But the intelligence of so formidable a combination among the native princes seems to have depressed his mind with the anxious and dispiriting idea that it was a chastisement for the hasty and inconsiderate alliance entered into with the Gibeonites. It was evidently to be a struggle of life and death, not only to Gibeon, but to the Israelites. And in this view the divine communication that was made to him was seasonable and animating. He seems to have asked the counsel of God and received an answer, before setting out on the expedition.
9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly--This is explained in the following clause, where he is described as having accomplished, by a forced march of picked men, in one night, a distance of twenty-six miles, which, according to the slow pace of Eastern armies and caravans, had formerly been a three days' journey (
Josh 9:17).
10 GOD FIGHTS AGAINST THEM WITH HAILSTONES. (
Josh 10:10-
Josh 10:11)
the Lord discomfited them--Hebrew, "terrified," confounded the Amorite allies, probably by a fearful storm of lightning and thunder. So the word is usually employed (
1Sam 7:10;
Ps 18:13;
Ps 144:6).
and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon--This refers to the attack of the Israelites upon the besiegers. It is evident that there had been much hard fighting around the heights of Gibeon, for the day was far spent before the enemy took to flight.
chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon--that is, "the House of Caves," of which there are still traces existing. There were two contiguous villages of that name, upper and nether. Upper Beth-horon was nearest Gibeon--about ten miles distant, and approached by a gradual ascent through a long and precipitous ravine. This was the first stage of the flight. The fugitives had crossed the high ridge of Upper Beth-horon, and were in full flight down the descent to Beth-horon the Nether. The road between the two places is so rocky and rugged that there is a path made by means of steps cut in the rock [ROBINSON]. Down this pass Joshua continued his victorious rout. Here it was that the Lord interposed, assisting His people by means of a storm, which, having been probably gathering all day, burst with such irresistible fury, that "they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword." The Oriental hailstorm is a terrific agent; the hailstones are masses of ice, large as walnuts, and sometimes as two fists; their prodigious size, and the violence with which they fall, make them always very injurious to property, and often fatal to life. The miraculous feature of this tempest, which fell on the Amorite army, was the entire preservation of the Israelites from its destructive ravages.
12 THE SUN AND MOON STAND STILL AT THE WORD OF JOSHUA. (
Josh 10:12-
Josh 10:15)
Then spake Joshua to the Lord . . . and . . . he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still . . . and thou, Moon--The inspired author here breaks off the thread of his history of this miraculous victory to introduce a quotation from an ancient poem, in which the mighty acts of that day were commemorated. The passage, which is parenthetical, contains a poetical description of the victory which was miraculously gained by the help of God, and forms an extract from "the book of Jasher," that is, "the upright"--an anthology, or collection of national songs, in honor of renowned and eminently pious heroes. The language of a poem is not to be literally interpreted; and therefore, when the sun and moon are personified, addressed as intelligent beings, and represented as standing still, the explanation is that the light of the sun and moon was supernaturally prolonged by the same laws of refraction and reflection that ordinarily cause the sun to appear above the horizon, when it is in reality below it [KEIL, BUSH]. Gibeon ("a hill") was now at the back of the Israelites, and the height would soon have intercepted the rays of the setting sun. The valley of Ajalon ("stags") was before them, and so near that it was sometimes called "the valley of Gibeon" (
Isa 28:21). It would seem, from
Josh 10:14, that the command of Joshua was in reality a prayer to God for the performance of this miracle; and that, although the prayers of eminently good men like Moses often prevailed with God, never was there on any other occasion so astonishing a display of divine power made in behalf of His people, as in answer to the prayer of Joshua.
Josh 10:15 is the end of the quotation from Jasher; and it is necessary to notice this, as the fact described in it is recorded in due course, and the same words, by the sacred historian (
Josh 10:43).
16 THE FIVE KINGS HANGED. (
Josh 10:16-
Josh 10:27)
these five kings . . . hid themselves in a cave--Hebrew, "the cave."
at Makkedah--The pursuit was continued, without interruption, to Makkedah at the foot of the western mountains, where Joshua seems to have halted with the main body of his troops while a detachment was sent forward to scour the country in pursuit of the remaining stragglers, a few of whom succeeded in reaching the neighboring cities. The last act, probably the next day, was the disposal of the prisoners, among whom the five kings were consigned to the infamous doom of being slain (
Deut 20:16-
Deut 20:17); and then their corpses were suspended on five trees till the evening.
24 put your feet upon the necks of these kings--not as a barbarous insult, but a symbolical action, expressive of a complete victory (
Deut 33:29;
Ps 110:5;
Mal 4:3).
28 SEVEN MORE KINGS CONQUERED. (
Josh 10:28-
Josh 10:42)
that day Joshua took Makkedah--In this and the following verses is described the rapid succession of victory and extermination which swept the whole of southern Palestine into the hands of Israel. "All these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal."