Bible Commentaries
Joshua 10

Verses 1-43

The Southern Campaign Joshua 10:1-43 records Israel’s southern campaign of the Promised Land, which contains the famous story of the sun standing still. In this country of quarrelling city-states, five kings from the southern region decided to lay aside their differences long enough to join together for a common cause. This battle would be more intense for Joshua than those of Jericho and Ai. Israel’s faith had been tested through smaller trials as God prepared them for greater battles.

Joshua 10:11 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 hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

Joshua 10:11 Comments - The Scriptures record a number of occasions in which God uses hailstones as a form of divine judgment. Joshua 10:11 records the event of the Conquest in which the Lord cast down great hailstones from heaven upon the Canaanites. In Ezekiel 13:11-13 God promises to use hailstones to judge the false prophets. We also read in the great battle between Gog and his allies and the nation of Israel that the Lord will destroy this great host with a number of divine interventions, one being a rain of hailstones (Ezekiel 38:22). We even read in Job 38:22-23 that God has reserved hailstones against the time of trouble and for the day of battle.

Ezekiel 38:22, “And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”

Job 38:22-23, “Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?”

Joshua 10:13 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 Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

Joshua 10:13 “Is not this written in the book of Jasher?” - Comments - The book of Jasher is mentioned one other time in the Scriptures (2 Samuel 1:18), testifying to fact that it did exist.

Joshua 10:26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

Joshua 10:26 Comments - Note that Moses commanded the bodies that were hanged to be removed so that they do not hang in a tree all night (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).

Deuteronomy 21:22-23, “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”