Commentaria in Josue
Chapter 10. Synopsis of the Chapter
Five kings of the Chanaanites attack the Gabaonites as deserters; but Josue comes to their aid, puts the enemy to flight, and they are crushed by stones raining from heaven. Presently, verse 12, Josue stays the sun and the moon until he has routed all the enemies. Then, verse 22, he commands the five kings hiding in a cave to be trodden under foot and hanged. Finally, verse 28, he storms several cities, after which he returns to the camp at Galgal.
1. Now when Adonisedec king of Jerusalem had heard that Josue had taken Hai and had destroyed it (for as he had done to Jericho and to its king, so he did to Hai and its king), and that the Gabaonites were gone over to Israel and were their confederates, 2. he was exceedingly afraid. For Gabaon was a great city, and one of the royal cities, and greater than the town of Hai, and all its fighting men were most valiant. 3. Adonisedec therefore, king of Jerusalem, sent to Oham king of Hebron, and to Pharam king of Jerimoth, and to Japhia king of Lachis, and to Dabir king of Eglon, saying: 4. Come up to me, and bring aid, that we may take Gabaon, because it hath revolted to Josue and to the children of Israel. 5. So the five kings of the Amorrhites being gathered together went up, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jerimoth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon, they and their armies, and camped about Gabaon, besieging it. 6. But the inhabitants of the city of Gabaon, that was besieged, sent to Josue, who at that time abode in the camp at Galgal, and said to him: Withdraw not thy hands from helping thy servants: come up quickly and save us, and bring aid: for all the kings of the Amorrhites who dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us. 7. And Josue went up from Galgal, and all the army of the fighting men with him, most valiant men. 8. And the Lord said to Josue: Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands: none of them shall be able to stand against thee. 9. So Josue came upon them suddenly, going up all the night from Galgal. 10. And the Lord troubled them at the sight of Israel: and he slew them with a great slaughter in Gabaon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent to Beth-horon, and cut them off all the way to Azeca and Maceda. 11. And when they were flying from the children of Israel, and were in the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord cast down upon them great stones from heaven, as far as Azeca: and many more were killed with the hailstones than were slain by the swords of the children of Israel. 12. Then Josue spoke to the Lord, in the day that he delivered the Amorrhite in the sight of the children of Israel, and he said before them: Move not, O sun, toward Gabaon, nor thou, O moon, toward the valley of Ajalon. 13. And the sun and the moon stood still, till the people revenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of the just? So the sun stood in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down the space of one day. 14. There was not before, nor after, so long a day, the Lord obeying the voice of a man, and fighting for Israel. 15. And Josue returned, with all Israel, into the camp of Galgal. 16. For the five kings were fled, and had hid themselves in the cave of the city of Maceda. 17. And it was told Josue that the five kings were found hid in the cave of the city of Maceda. 18. And he commanded his companions, and said: Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set careful men to keep them shut in: 19. but stand not you still, but pursue after the enemy, and kill all the hindmost of them as they flee, and suffer them not to shelter themselves in their cities, whom the Lord your God hath delivered into your hands. 20. So the enemies being slain with a great slaughter, and almost utterly consumed, they that were able to escape from Israel entered into fenced cities. 21. And all the army returned to Josue in Maceda, where the camp then was, in good health, and without loss of any one: and no man durst move his tongue against the children of Israel. 22. And Josue gave orders, saying: Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out to me the five kings that lie hid therein. 23. And the ministers did as they were commanded them: and they brought out the five kings out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jerimoth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon. 24. And when they were brought out to him, he called all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the army that were with him: Go, and set your feet upon the necks of these kings. And when they went, and trod upon the necks of them lying under them, 25. he said again to them: Fear not, neither be ye faint-hearted: be strong and take courage: for so will the Lord do to all your enemies, against whom you fight. 26. And Josue struck, and slew them, and hanged them upon five gibbets: and they hung until the evening. 27. And when the sun was down, he commanded his companions to take them down from the gibbets. And after they were taken down, they cast them into the cave where they had lain hid, and put great stones at the mouth thereof, which remain until this present day. 28. The same day Josue took Maceda, and destroyed it with the edge of the sword, and killed the king and all the inhabitants thereof: he left not in it the least remains: and he did to the king of Maceda as he had done to the king of Jericho. 29. And from Maceda he passed with all Israel to Lebna, and fought against it: 30. and the Lord delivered it with its king into the hands of Israel: and they destroyed the city with the edge of the sword, and all the inhabitants thereof: they left not any remains in it. And they did to the king of Lebna as they had done to the king of Jericho. 31. From Lebna he passed to Lachis with all Israel: and besieging it with his army drawn round about, he began to fight against it. 32. And the Lord delivered Lachis into the hands of Israel: and he took it the next day, and put it to the sword, and every soul that was in it, as he had done to Lebna. 33. At that time Horam king of Gazer came up to succour Lachis: and Josue slew him with all his people, so as to leave none alive. 34. And he passed from Lachis to Eglon, and invested it, 35. and took it the same day: and he smote with the edge of the sword all the souls that were in it, according to all that he had done to Lachis. 36. And he went up with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron, and fought against it: 37. and took it, and destroyed it with the edge of the sword: the king also thereof and all the towns of that country, and all the souls that dwelt therein: he left not in it any remains; as he had done to Eglon, so did he also in Hebron, putting to the sword all that he found in it. 38. Returning from thence to Dabir, 39. he took it and laid it waste: the king also thereof, and all the towns round about, he smote with the edge of the sword: he left not in it any remains: as he had done to Hebron and Lebna and to their kings, so did he to Dabir, and to the king thereof. 40. So Josue conquered all the hill country, and the south, and the plain, and Asedoth, with their kings: he left not any remains in it, but put to death all that could breathe, as the Lord the God of Israel had commanded him: 41. from Cadesbarne even to Gaza. All the land of Gosen even to Gabaon, 42. and all their kings, and their lands he took and laid waste at one onset: for the Lord the God of Israel fought for him. 43. And he returned with all Israel to the place of the camp in Galgal.
1. WHEN ADONISEDEC KING OF JERUSALEM HAD HEARD,—Jerusalem was distant from Gabaon only two leagues or hours, and therefore its king attacked the Gabaonites, because they had gone over to the Hebrews, and because, being his neighbours, they opened a way to the Hebrews for storming his Jerusalem. Adonisedec seems to have taken this name from Melchisedech, who had reigned in the same city over a hundred years before, and by his just laws, morals and example had made it the seat of tsedek, that is, of justice, so that in it justice, the worship of God and true religion flourished. Hear Masius: In those ancient times all the kings of Jerusalem were called (as the Jews suppose) either Melchisedech or Adonisedec, of which the former signifies king of Justice, the latter lord of Justice. Whence it is conjectured that the city was first named tsedek, that is, justice (which its first just and holy king Melchisedech had planted in it); but afterwards Salem, that is, peace, because in it men dwelt securely and peacefully (for the name Jebus, which was sometimes given it by the common people, 1 Paralipomenon 11:4, was proper to the inhabitants, not to the city); and then Jerusalem, and this was done either by David, as Josephus hints, book 7 of the Antiquities, chapter 3, or by someone else, by the joining or combination of two words.