Joshua 10:16-27
New Living Translation
Joshua Kills the Five Southern Kings
16 During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah. 17 When Joshua heard that they had been found, 18 he issued this command: “Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside. 19 The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don’t give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the Lord your God has given you victory over them.”
20 So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns. 21 Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, “Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me.” 23 So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24 When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, “Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.” And they did as they were told.
25 “Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the Lord is going to do this to all of your enemies.” 26 Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening.
27 As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.
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Joshua 10:16-27
New English Translation
16 The five Amorite kings[a] ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. 17 Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it.[b] 19 But don’t you delay! Chase your enemies and catch them.[c] Don’t allow them to retreat to[d] their cities, for the Lord your God is handing them over to you.”[e] 20 Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities.[f] 21 Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah.[g] No one[h] dared threaten the Israelites.[i] 22 Joshua said, “Open the cave’s mouth and bring the five kings[j] out of the cave to me.” 23 They did as ordered;[k] they brought the five kings[l] out of the cave to him—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24 When they brought the kings out to Joshua, he[m] summoned all the men of Israel and said to the commanders of the troops who accompanied him, “Come here[n] and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came up[o] and put their feet on their necks. 25 Then Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic![p] Be strong and brave, for the Lord will do the same thing to all your enemies you fight.” 26 Then Joshua executed them[q] and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. 27 At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take them down from the trees.[r] They threw them into the cave where they had hidden and piled large stones over the mouth of the cave. (They remain to this very day.)[s]
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- Joshua 10:16 tn Heb “these five kings.”
- Joshua 10:18 tn Heb “and appoint by it men to guard them.”
- Joshua 10:19 tn Heb “But [as for] you, don’t stand still, chase after your enemies and attack them from the rear.”
- Joshua 10:19 tn Or “enter into.”
- Joshua 10:19 tn Heb “has given them into your hand.” The verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of the action.
- Joshua 10:20 tn Heb “When Joshua and the sons of Israel finished defeating them with a very great defeat until they were destroyed (now the survivors escaped to the fortified cities).” In the Hebrew text the initial temporal clause (“when Joshua…finished”) is subordinated to v. 21 (“the whole army returned”).
- Joshua 10:21 tn Heb “all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua [at] Makkedah [in] peace.”
- Joshua 10:21 tc Heb “No man.” The lamed (ל) prefixed to אִישׁ (ʾish, “man”) is probably dittographic (note the immediately preceding יִשְׂרָאֵל [yisraʾel] which ends in lamed, ל); cf. the LXX.
- Joshua 10:21 tn Heb “no man sharpened [or perhaps, “pointed”] his tongue against the sons of Israel.” Cf. NEB “not a man of the Israelites suffered so much as a scratch on his tongue,” which understands “sharpened” as “scratched” (referring to a minor wound). Most modern translations understand the Hebrew expression “sharpened his tongue” figuratively for opposition or threats against the Israelites.
- Joshua 10:22 tn Heb “these five kings.”
- Joshua 10:23 tn Heb “they did so.”
- Joshua 10:23 tn Heb “these five kings.”
- Joshua 10:24 tn Heb “Joshua.” The translation has replaced the proper name with the pronoun (“he”) because a repetition of the proper name here would be redundant according to English style.
- Joshua 10:24 tn Or “Draw near.”
- Joshua 10:24 tn Or “drew near.”
- Joshua 10:25 tn Or perhaps “and don’t get discouraged!”
- Joshua 10:26 tn Heb “struck them down and killed them.”
- Joshua 10:27 sn For the legal background of the removal of the corpses before sundown, see Deut 21:22-23.
- Joshua 10:27 tn Heb “to this very day.” The words “They remain” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
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