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CHAP. X.

We have here an account of a confederacy formed against Gibeon by the neighbouring kings; their extraordinary_defeat by Joshua, while the sun and moon stood still, and finally their execution.

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OW it came to pass, when Adonizedec 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 3 Ai, and all the men thereof [were] mighty. Wherefore Adonizedec 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, four neigh4 bouring princes, saying, Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon, Chastise the Gibeonites for their treachery in going to Joshua, and giving him possession of their strong and royal city: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel, and thus at once adds to his strength, tempts others to revolt, and gives him full informa5 tion of the state of all the country. 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. And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants, who have put ourselves under thy protection; 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; he resolutely undertook their defence, but first consulted God.

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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. A sign that God was pleased with their sparing the Gibeonites; else he would not have prospered 9 them in fighting for their defence. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, [and] went up from Gilgal all night.

Adonizedec seems to have been the most active person, and the leader and commander of the expedition: his name signifies king of righteousness, the same as his predecessor Melchizedec, and he was king of Salem,

The distance was about twenty miles, and coming upon them un10 expectedly, he threw them all into confusion. 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 at Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And to make this victory the more remarkable, 11 God wrought two miracles. 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.*

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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. Joshua saw the confusion his enemies were in; and he thought many would escape before they could be destroyed, or at least that they would reach the fenced cities; and he felt a strong impulse upon his mind that God would work an extraordinary miracle in favour of Israel; and therefore, in the presence of all the people, and at the head of his army, he said, Sun, stand thou still, &c. This was 13 probably uttered about noon. 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, or, the upright ? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, 14 and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, in that climate, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel, and did all this in answer to Joshua's prayer,

An ingenious author has attempted to prove that these were real stones; but whether they were such, or only great hailstones, it was a very extraordinary providence that they should do such execution, and not hurt one of the Israelites, who might be mingled with the enemy, or at least very near them; more especially when we consider that some fled to the north, and others to the south, according to the situation of the places to which they fled. But that related in e. 12. was a still greater miracle.

+ Some suppose that this was no miracle at all, and that it is only a poetical phrase, to intimate that Joshua and the people did two days' work in one. Some Jewish writers say, there was an extraordinary twilight only, occasioned by a reflection from the hailstones; or that a luminous meteor was raised on this occasion. But these opinions are not worth a serious answer. The words themselves evidently declare it to be a real miracle, and that daylight continued, the sun appearing in the midst of heaven, as it did when Joshua uttered these words, see, Hab. iii. 11. To this there have been two objections made. 1. That the sun standing still, is directly contrary to the truest system of philosophy. To this it is sufficient to answer, that the historian wrote not philosophically, (had he done so he would not have been understood till a few centuries ago) but according to common appearances, and vulgar apprehensions: when the motion of the earth ceased, the sun and moon would appear to stand still. It is objected, 2. Why do we not read of this in heathen writers? To this it is answered, there is no mention of any history before the Trojan war, which was long after Joshua's time. But there are ancient traces of this among the heathen. Herodo tus mentions such a tradition among the Egyptians. Some of the pagan fables have an evident allusion to this. Phaeton's guiding the chariot of the sun, and lengthening the day, and who is supposed to have lived about Joshua's time, is a plain allusion to this. Above all, the records of China mention such a thing having happened in the reign of one of their emperors, who lived about the time of Joshua; a plain proof it was not a vapour or meteor, for then it could not have been seen in China.

A chronicle containing the memorable acts of God's people in those times. See 2 Sam. i. 18.

15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal; when he had performed all things related to the end of this chapter, where this verse should have been inserted.

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But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at, or 17 near to Makkedah. And it was told Joshua, saying, The five 18 kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah. And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by 19 it for to keep them till the pursuit is over. 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 20 your God hath delivered them into your hand. 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 in21 to fenced cities. 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; so it was when they came out of Egypt. See on Exodus xi. 17.

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Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring 23 out those five kings unto me out of the cave. 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 24 Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, [and] the king of Eglon. 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. This was not done out of pride and contempt of their dignity, much less with a design to insult them; but to prove that God had fulfilled his promise in bringing them and their country into subjection to them, and as an encouragement to them and the 25 people to proceed in attacking the other kings and cities. 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 26 enemies against whom ye fight. And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. 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.

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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.

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Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with 30 him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah: And the LORD 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 let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.

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And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it: 32 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which 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 33 that he had done to Libnah. Then Horam king of Gezer, came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

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And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against 35 it: And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that [were] therein he ut. terly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to

Lachish.

36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, 37 unto Hebron; and they fought against it: 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 destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that [were] therein.

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And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; 39 and fought against it: 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 her king.

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So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that 41 breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded. And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all 42 the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon. And all these

kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because 43 the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal, to their families, to share the spoil, and return thanks to God in his tabernacle, which was placed there,

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REFLECTIONS.

ERE is an instance of the strange malignity sinners have against those who were once their companions, but are now joined to the Israel of God. Satan and his agents stir up their rage against those that make peace with God. Angels welcome their conversion with songs, devils with fury, and their old companions with scorn. Let young converts expect this, and not think it strange, nor be discouraged; if God be for them, none can be against them; none rationally will, none successfully can.

2. How glorious does God appear in his dealings with his people, and how awful in his judgments upon his enemies! Rather than the Canaanites should escape from Israel, storms of hailstones overtook and destroyed them, and did not hurt Israel. There is no fleeing from God; he can easily shoot out of his treasure hailstones, which he reserves against the day of battle and of war, Job xxxviii. 23. What a fearful thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God! and how vain is it to attempt escaping his indignation! What a wonderful miracle was the stopping of the sun! God kindled it up at first; and it is he who directs the motions of the earth, the moon, and the sun. He can stop them without causing any confusion, and set them all in motion again. All, as the psalmist says, are his servants. Let us adore the wisdom of this miracle. Some have strangely objected against it, that it was unworthy of God to work such a miracle, to give one inconsiderable nation an advantage over another. But shall man be wiser than God? He saw it fit; and there are good reasons which we also can see. Joshua was obliged to support his friends and guard his people; it was necessary to rescue the proselytes. But it was chiefly designed to display the being and perfections of God to the whole world; not only to give them an high idea of Israel, as God's people, but high and just ideas of the God of Israel. Almost all the heathen, especially the Canaanites, worshipped the hosts of heaven; the sun and moon, as the king and queen of heaven. This miracle demonstrated the power of JEHOVAH, as superior to their gods; and showed their impotency, when he could make even them contribute to the ruin of their worshippers. There was nothing extraordinary in Joshua's success. Hailstones they might think proceeded from natural causes; but the other was a plain, evident, and indisputable miracle. It had a tendency to prevent the Israelites from falling into this wretched idolatry, and to engage the Canaanites to submit, and become subjects to JEHOVAH; and to induce other nations, who could not but see and own this miracle, to adore almighty God, who does according to his will among the armies of heaven, and the

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