Verse 3

Wherefore a 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,

(a) That is, "Lord of justice", so tyrants take for themselves glorious names, when indeed they are the very enemies of God and all justice.

Verse 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 b war against it.

(b) So envious the wicked are, when any depart from their hand.

Verse 8

And the LORD said unto Joshua, c Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.

(c) Lest Joshua should have thought that God had sent this great power against him for his unlawful league with the Gibeonites, the Lord here strengthens him.

Verse 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 d hailstones than [they] whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

(d) So we see that all things serve to execute God's vengeance against the wicked.

Verse 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 e Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

(e) Some read, the book of the righteous, meaning Moses: the Chaldea text reads, in the book of the Law, but it is likely that it was a book thus named, which is now lost.

Verse 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 f fought for Israel.

(f) By taking away the enemies hearts and destroying them with the hail stones.

Verse 21

And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in g peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

(g) Or in safety, so that none gave them as much as an evil word.

Verse 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 h necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.

(h) Signifying what would become of the rest of God's enemies, seeing that kings themselves were not spared.

Verse 40

So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the i vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

(i) Some read, Ashedoth, which signifies the descents of the hills.

Verse 42

And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at k one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

(k) In one battle.

Verse 43

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to l Gilgal.

(l) Where the ark was, there to give thanks for their victories.