Five kings war against Gabaon. Josue defeateth them: many are slain with hailstones. At the prayer of Josue the sun and moon stand still the space of one day. The five kings are hanged. Divers cities are taken.
•iue kinges of the Amorrheites besieging Gabaon, because it is confederate with Israel, 6. Iosue with his armie defeateth theirs, killing and pursewing them. 11. manie also are slaine with haile stones. 12, At the prayer of Iosue the sunne and moone stand stil the space of one day. 22. The fiue kinges are hanged on gibbetes. 28. He taketh also and subdueth diuers cities. 40. and countries.
1When Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem, had heard these things, to wit, that Josue had taken Hai, and had destroyed it, (for as he had done to Jericho and the king thereof, so did he to Hai and its king) and that the Gabaonites were gone over to Israel, and were their confederates,Ma avendo inteso Adonisedec re di Gerusalemme, come Giosuè avea presa Hai, e l'avea distrutta (perocché come avea fatto a Gerico, e al suo re, così avea fatto ad Hai, e al suo re), e come i Gabaoniti si erano voltati dalla parte d'Israele, e si eran collegati con esso,VVHICH thinges when Adonisedec king of Ierusalem had heard, to witte, that Iosue had taken Hai, and had subuerted it (for as he had done to Iericho & the king therof, so did he to Hai, & their king) and that the Gabaonites were fled to Israel, and were their confederates,Quæ cum audisset Adonisedec rex Jerusalem, quod scilicet cepisset Josue Hai, et subvertisset eam (sicut enim fecerat Jericho et regi ejus, sic fecit Hai et regi illius), et quod transfugissent Gabaonitæ ad Israël, et essent fœderati eorum, 2He 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.Ebbe gran paura. Imperocché Gabaon era città grande, e una delle città reali, e più grande della città di Hai, e tutti i suoi guerrieri erano di sommo valore.he was sore afrayd. For Gabaon was a great cititie, and one of the kinglie cities, and greater then the towne of Hai, and al their men of warre most valiant.timuit valde. Urbs enim magna erat Gabaon, et una civitatum regalium, et major oppido Hai, omnesque bellatores ejus fortissimi. 3Therefore Adonisedec, 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:Per la qual cosa Adonisedec re di Gerusalemme mandò gente ad Oham re di Hebron, e a Pharam re di Jerimoth, e anche a Japhia re di Lachis, e a Dabir re di Eglon, che dicesse loro:Therfore Adonisedec king of Ierusalem sent to Oham king of Hebron, and to Pharam king of Ierimoth, to Iaphia also king of Lachis, and to Dabir king of Eglon, saying:Misit ergo Adonisedec rex Jerusalem ad Oham regem Hebron, et ad Pharam regem Jerimoth, ad Japhia quoque regem Lachis, et ad Dabir regem Eglon, dicens: 4Come up to me, and bring help, that we may take Gabaon, because it hath gone over to Josue, and to the children of Israel.Venite a me, e conducetemi soccorso, affinchè espugniamo Gabaon: per qual motivo lasceremo ch'ella siasi voltata dalla parte di Giosuè, e de' figliuoli d'Israele?Come vp to me, and bring ayde, that we may ouercome Gabaon, because it reuolted to Iosue, & to the children of Israel.Ad me ascendite, et ferte præsidium, ut expugnemus Gabaon, quare transfugerit ad Josue, et ad filios Israël.
5So the five kings of the Amorrhites being assembled 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, laying siege to it.Si adunarono adunque, e si mossero cinque re Amorrhei, il re di Gerusalemme, il re di Hebron, il re di Jerimoth, il re di Lachis, il re di Eglon coi loro eserciti, e posero il campo intorno a Gabaon, e l'assediarono.Therfore the fiue kinges of the Amorrheites being assembled went vp: the king of Ierusulem, the king of Hebron, the king of Ierimoth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon, together with their hostes, & camped about Gabaon, assaulting it.Congregati igitur ascenderunt quinque reges Amorrhæorum: rex Jerusalem, rex Hebron, rex Jerimoth, rex Lachis, rex Eglon, simul cum exercitibus suis: et castrametati sunt circa Gabaon, oppugnantes eam. 6But the inhabitants of the city of Gabaon, which was besieged, sent to Josue, who then 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 us succour: for all the kings of the Amorrhites, who dwell in the mountains, are gathered together against us.Ma gli abitatori dell'assediata città di Gabaon spediron gente a Giosuè, il quale era allora attendato in Galgala, e gli dissero: Non tirarti indietro dal recar aiuto a' tuoi servi: muoviti prestamente, e liberaci col tuo soccorso: perocché si sono collegati contro di noi tutti i re degli Amorrhei che abitan la montagna.But the inhabitantes of the citie Gabaon which was besieged, sent to Iosue, who then abode in the campe at Galgal, & said to him: withdraw not thy handes from the helpe of thy seruantes: come vp quickly and deliuer vs, and bring ayde: for there are assembled against vs al the kinges of the Ammorrheites, which dwel in the mountaines.Habitatores autem Gabaon urbis obsessæ miserunt ad Josue, qui tunc morabatur in castris apud Galgalam, et dixerunt ei: Ne retrahas manus tuas ab auxilio servorum tuorum: ascende cito, et libera nos, ferque præsidium: convenerunt enim adversum nos omnes reges Amorrhæorum, qui habitant in montanis. 7And Josue went up from Galgal, and all the army of the warriors with him, most valiant men.E Giosuè si mosse da Galgala, e con lui tutto l'esercito de' combattenti più valorosi.And Iosue went vp from Galgal, and al the hoste of the men of warre with him most valiant men.Ascenditque Josue de Galgalis, et omnis exercitus bellatorum cum eo, viri fortissimi. 8But 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.E il Signore disse a Giosuè: Non aver paura di coloro: perocché io gli ho dati in tuo potere: nissuno di loro potrà resistere a te.And our Lord said to Iosue: Feare them not: for I haue deliuered them into thy handes: none of them shal be able to resist thee.Dixitque Dominus ad Josue: Ne timeas eos: in manus enim tuas tradidi illos: nullus ex eis tibi resistere poterit.
9So Josue going up from Galgal all the night, came upon them suddenly.Giosuè adunque avendo camminato tutta la notte venendo da Galgala, improvvisamente gli assaltò.Iosue therfore came in vpon them sodenly, going vp al the night from GalgalIrruit itaque Josue super eos repente, tota nocte ascendens de Galgalis. 10And 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 Bethoron, and cut them off all the way to Azeca and Maceda.E il Signore li mise in iscompiglio alla vista d'Israele: e diede loro una grande sconfitta a Gabaon, e (Israele) gl'inseguì facendone scempio per la strada che sale a Beth-horon sino ad Azeca, e Maceda.And our Lord trubled them at the sight of Israel: and destroyed them with a greate slaugher in Gabaon, and pursewed them by the way of the ascent to Bethoron, and stroke them vnto Azeca and MacedaEt conturbavit eos Dominus a facie Israël: contrivitque plaga magna in Gabaon, ac persecutus est eos per viam ascensus Bethoron, et percussit usque Azeca et Maceda. 11And when they were fleeing from the children of Israel, and were in the descent of Bethoron, 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,E nel sottrarsi colla fuga a' figliuoli d'Israele, essendo quelli nella discesa di Beth-horon, il Signore piovve sopra di loro dal cielo delle grandi pietre fino ad Azeca: e molti più perirono per la grandinata dei sassi, che pe' colpi delle spade de' figliuoli d'Israele.And when they fled the children of Israel, and were in the descent of Bethhoron, our Lord sent vpon them greate stones from heauen as farre as Azeca: and there died farre more with the stones of haile, then they whom the children of Israel had strooken with the sword.Cumque fugerent filios Israël, et essent in descensu Bethoron, Dominus misit super eos lapides magnos de cælo usque ad Azeca: et mortui sunt multo plures lapidibus grandinis, quam quos gladio percusserant filii Israël. 12Then 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.Allora si fu che Giosuè parlò al Signore nel giorno, in cui egli abbandonò gli Amorrhei al potere de' figliuoli d'Israele, e disse alla loro presenza: Sole, non ti muovere di sopra Gabaon; Luna, non muoverti di sopra la valle di Ajalon.Then spake Iosue to our Lord in the day, that he deliuered the Amorreite in the sight of Israel, and said before them: Thou Sunne against Gabaon moue not, and thou Moone against the valley of Aialon.Tunc locutus est Josue Domino, in die qua tradidit Amorrhæum in conspectu filiorum Israël, dixitque coram eis: Sol, contra Gabaon ne movearis, / et luna contra vallem Ajalon.
13And 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 still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down the space of one day.E si fermarono il sole e la luna, fintantoché il popolo facesse vendetta de' suoi nemici. Questa cosa non è ella scritta nel libro de' giusti? Stette adunque fermo il sole nel mezzo del cielo, e non si affrettò a tramontare per lo spazio di un giorno.And the Sunne and Moone stoode stil, til the people reuenged themselues of their enemies. Is not this writren in the booke of the iust? The Sunne therfore stood stil in the middes of heauen, and hastened not to goe downe the space of one day.Steteruntque sol et luna, / donec ulcisceretur se gens de inimicis suis. Nonne scriptum est hoc in libro justorum ? Stetit itaque sol in medio cæli, et non festinavit occumbere spatio unius diei. 14There was not before, nor after, so long a day, the Lord obeying the voice of a man, and fighting for Israel.Non fu mai nè prima, nè dopo giornata sì lunga, obbedendo il Signore alla voce di un uomo, e pugnando in favor d'Israele.There was not before nor after so long a day, our Lord obeying the voice of a man, and fighting for Israel.Non fuit antea nec postea tam longa dies, obediente Domino voci hominis, et pugnante pro Israël. 15And Josue returned, with all Israel, into the camp of Galgal.E se ne tornò Giosuè con tutto Israele agli alloggiamenti di Galgala.And Iosue returned with al Israel into the campe of Galgal.Reversusque est Josue cum omni Israël in castra Galgalæ. 16For the five kings were fled, and had hid themselves in a cave of the city of Maceda.Or i cinque re eran fuggiti, e si erano nascosti in una caverna della città di Maceda:For the fiue kinges were fled, and had hid themselues in a caue of the citie of Maceda.Fugerant enim quinque reges et se absconderant in spelunca urbis Maceda. 17And it was told Josue, that the five kings were found hid in a cave of the city of Maceda.E fu recato avviso a Giosuè come erano stati scoperti i cinque re appiattati nella caverna della città di Maceda.And it was told Iosue that the fiue kinges were found lying hid in a caue of the citie of Maceda.Nuntiatumque est Josue quod inventi essent quinque reges latentes in spelunca urbis Maceda. 18And he commanded them that were with him, saying: Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set careful men to keep them shut up:Ed egli ordinò, e disse a' compagni: Rotolate delle grandi pietre all'imboccatura della caverna, e mettetevi degli uomini diligenti a guardia di que' che son dentro.Who commanded them saying: Rowle great stones into the mouth of the caue, and sette industrious men, which may keepe them shut in:Qui præcepit sociis, et ait: Volvite saxa ingentia ad os speluncæ, et ponite viros industrios, qui clausos custodiant:
19And stay you not, but pursue after the enemies, and kill all the hindermost of them as they flee, and do not suffer them whom the Lord God hath delivered into your hands, to shelter themselves in their cities.Ma voi non istate oziosi, anzi inseguite il nemico, e uccidete i men lesti alla fuga: e non permettete che si rifuggano nelle loro città forti quelli che Dio ha dato nelle mani vostre.and stand not you stil, but pursew the enemies, and kil al the hindermost of them that flee, neither let them enter into the sortes of their cities, whom our Lord God hath deliuered into your handes.vos autem nolite stare, sed persequimini hostes, et extremos quosque fugientium cædite: nec dimittatis eos urbium suarum intrare præsidia, quos tradidit Dominus Deus in manus vestras. 20So the enemies being slain with a great slaughter, and almost utterly consumed, they that were able to escape from Israel, entered into fenced cities.Fu adunque fatto gran macello de' nemici, quasi fino all'ultimo loro esterminio; e quegli, a' quali riuscì di sottrarsi alle mani d'Israele, entrarono nelle città forti.The aduersaries therfore being slaine with a great slaughter, and almost consumed to vtter destruction, they that could escape from Israel, entered into fensed cities.Cæsis ergo adversariis plaga magna, et usque ad internecionem pene consumptis, hi qui Israël effugere potuerunt, ingressi sunt civitates munitas. 21And all the army returned to Josue, in Maceda, where the camp then was, in good health, and without the loss of any one: and no man durst move his tongue against the children of Israel.E tutto l'esercito se ne tornò salvo, e senza perdita di un uomo a trovar Giosuè in Maceda, dove allora era il campo: e non v'ebbe cane che abbaiasse contro i figliuoli d'Israele.And al the hoste returned to Iosue in Maceda, where then the campe was, safe and the ful number: and no man durst once mutter against the children of Israel?Reversusque est omnis exercitus ad Josue in Maceda, ubi tunc erant castra, sani et integro numero: nullusque contra filios Israël mutire ausus est. 22And Josue gave orders, saying: Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth to me the five kings that lie hid therein.E Giosuè ordinò, e disse: Aprite l'imboccatura della caverna, e menate fuora dinanzi a me i cinque re che vi sono appiattati.And Iosue commanded, saying: Open the mouth of the caue, and bring forth to me the fiue kinges, that lie hid therin.Præcepitque Josue, dicens: Aperite os speluncæ, et producite ad me quinque reges, qui in ea latitant.
23And the ministers did as they were commanded: and they brought out to him 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.E i ministri eseguirono il comando, e trasser fuora dalla caverna, e presentarono a lui i cinque re, il re di Gerusalemme, il re di Hebron, il re di Jerimoth, il re di Lachis, il re di Eglon.And the ministers did as it was commanded them: and they brought to him the fiue kinges out of the caue, the king of Ierusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Ierimoth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon.Feceruntque ministri ut sibi fuerat imperatum: et eduxerunt ad eum quinque reges de spelunca, regem Jerusalem, regem Hebron, regem Jerimoth, regem Lachis, regem Eglon. 24And 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 on the necks of these kings. And when they had gone, and put their feet upon the necks of them lying under them,E condotti che furono alla sua presenza, chiamò egli a sè tutti gli uomini d'Israele, e disse a' principi dell'esercito, che eran accanto a lui: Andate, e mettete i piedi sul collo di questi re. E quegli essendo andati, e avendo calpestati co' piedi i colli di que' re soggiogati,And when they were brought forth to him, he called al the men of Israel, and said to the princes of the hoste that were with him: Goe, and sette your feete vpon the neckes of these kinges. Who when they had gone, and troden with their feete the neckes of them lying vnder,Cumque educti essent ad eum, vocavit omnes viros Israël, et ait ad principes exercitus qui secum erant: Ite, et ponite pedes super colla regum istorum. Qui cum perrexissent, et subjectorum colla pedibus calcarent, 25He said again to them: Fear not, neither be ye dismayed, take courage, and be strong: for so will the Lord do to all your enemies, against whom you fight.Disse egli loro di nuovo: Non temete, non vi sbigottite, fatevi cuore, siate costanti: perocché così farà il Signore a tutti i nemici vostri, contro dei quali avete a combattere.againe he said to them: Feare ye not, neither dread, take courage and be strong: for so wil our Lord doe to al your enemies, against whom you fight.rursum ait ad eos: Nolite timere, nec paveatis: confortamini, et estote robusti: sic enim faciet Dominus cunctis hostibus vestris, adversum quos dimicatis. 26And Josue struck, and slew them, and hanged them upon five gibbets; and they hung until the evening.Indi Giosuè li fece battere, e uccidere, e li fece impiccare a cinque forche, e rimaser appiccati fino alla sera.And Iosue stroke, and slew them, and hanged them vpon fiue gibbettes: & they hung vntil euening.Percussitque Josue, et interfecit eos, atque suspendit super quinque stipites: fueruntque suspensi usque ad vesperum.
27And when the sun was down, he commanded the soldiers 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 day.E sul tramontar del sole ordinò a' compagni di levarli dai loro patiboli. E levatili, li gettarono nella caverna, in cui erano appiattati, e misero sull'entrata delle grosse pietre, le quali vi son rimase fino al dì d'oggi.And when the sunne was downe, he commanded the soldiars to take them downe from the gibbettes Who cast them being taken downe into the caue, wherin they had lyen hid, & put on the mouth therof great stones, which continew vntil this present.Cumque occumberet sol, præcepit sociis ut deponerent eos de patibulis. Qui depositos projecerunt in speluncam in qua latuerant, et posuerunt super os ejus saxa ingentia, quæ permanent usque in præsens. 28The 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.Lo stesso giorno prese ancor Giosuè per forza la città di Maceda, e mise a fil di spada il suo re, e tutti gli abitanti di essa: nè vi lasciò nemmen qualche piccolo avanzo. E fece al re di Maceda, come avea fatto al re di Gerico.The same day Iosue tooke Maceda and stroke it in the edge of the sword, & killed the king & al the inhabitantes therof: he left not in it so much as smale reliques. And he did to the king of Maceda, as he had done to the king of Iericho.Eodem quoque die, Macedam cepit Josue, et percussit eam in ore gladii, regemque illius interfecit, et omnes habitatores ejus: non dimisit in ea saltem parvas reliquias. Fecitque regi Maceda sicut fecerat regi Jericho. 29And he passed from Maceda with all Israel to Lebna, and fought against it:E da Maceda passò con tutto Israele a Lebna, e l'assediò:and he passed with al Israel from Maceda vnto Lebna, and fought against it:Transivit autem cum omni Israël de Maceda in Lebna, et pugnabat contra eam: 30And the Lord delivered it with the king thereof into the hands of Israel: and they destroyed the city with the edge of the sword, and all the inhabitants thereof. They left not in it any remains. And they did to the king of Lebna, as they had done to the king of Jericho.E il Signore la diede insieme col suo re nelle mani d'Israele; e misero a fil di spada quanti si trovarono abitatori nella città: e non vi lasciaron anima viva. E fecero al re di Lebna, come avean fatto al re di Gerico.which our Lord deliuered with the king therof into the handes of Israel: and they stroke the citie in the edge of the sword, and al the inhabitantes therof they left not in it anie remaines. And they did to the king of Lebna, as they had done to the king of Iericho.quam tradidit Dominus cum rege suo in manus Israël: percusseruntque urbem in ore gladii, et omnes habitatores ejus: non dimiserunt in ea ullas reliquias. Feceruntque regi Lebna sicut fecerant regi Jericho.
31From Lebna he passed unto Lachis, with all Israel: and investing it with his army, besieged it.Da Lebna passò a Lachis con tutto Israele: e circondatala col suo esercito l'assediò.From Lebna he passed vnto Lachis with al Israel: and placing the hoste round about assaulted it.De Lebna transivit in Lachis cum omni Israël: et exercitu per gyrum disposito, oppugnabat eam. 32And the Lord delivered Lachis into the hands of Israel, and he took it the following day, and put it to the sword, and every soul that was in it, as he had done to Lebna.E il Signore diede Lachis nelle mani d'Israele, e la prese il secondo giorno, e mise a fil di spada tutta la gente che v'era dentro, come avea fatto a Lebna.And our Lord deliuered Lachis into the handes of Israel, and he tooke it the day folowing, and stroke it in the edge of the sword, and euerie soule, that was in it, as he had done to Lebna.Tradiditque Dominus Lachis in manus Israël, et cepit eam die altero, atque percussit in ore gladii, omnemque animam quæ fuerat in ea, sicut fecerat Lebna. 33At 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.In quel tempo si mosse Horam re di Gazer per recare soccorso a Lachis: e Giosuè lo sconfisse con tutta la sua gente fino all'ultimo sterminio.At that time went vp Horam the king of Gazer, to ayde Lachis: whom Iosue stroke with al his people to vtter destruction.Eo tempore ascendit Horam rex Gazer, ut auxiliaretur Lachis: quem percussit Josue cum omni populo ejus usque ad internecionem. 34And he passed from Lachis to Eglon, and surrounded it,E passò da Lachis ad Eglon, e vi pose assedio.And he passed from Lachis vnto Eglon, and compassed it,Transivitque de Lachis in Eglon, et circumdedit, 35And took it the same day: and put to the sword all the souls that were in it, according to all that he had done to Lachis.E la espugnò nel medesimo giorno: e mise a fil di spada tutta la gente che vi era dentro, appunto come avea fatto a Lachis.and wonne it the same day: & stroke in the edge of the sword al the soules, that were in it according to al thinges that he had done to Lachis.atque expugnavit eam eadem die: percussitque in ore gladii omnes animas quæ erant in ea, juxta omnia quæ fecerat Lachis. 36He went up also with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron, and fought against it:Andò parimente con tutto Israele da Eglon a Hebron, e le pose l'assedio:He went vp also with al Israel from Eglon vnto Hebron, and fought against it:Ascendit quoque cum omni Israël de Eglon in Hebron, et pugnavit contra eam: 37Took 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 in it: he left not therein any remains: as he had done to Eglon, so did he also to Hebron, putting to the sword all that he found in it.E la prese, e mise tutto a fil di spada, ucciso anche il suo re, e così fece a tutte le piccole città di quel paese, e a tutta la gente che vi abitava: non la perdonò a nissuno: come avea fatto ad Eglon, così fece anche ad Hebron, mettendo a fil di spada quanta gente vi ritrovò.tooke it, and stroke it in the edge of the sword, the king also therof, and al townes of that countrie, & al the soules, that remained in it: he left not therein anie remaynes: as he had done to Eglon, so did he also to Hebron, al thinges that he found in it consumning with the sword.cepit eam, et percussit in ore gladii, regem quoque ejus, et omnia oppida regionis illius, universasque animas quæ in ea fuerant commoratæ: non reliquit in ea ullas reliquias: sicut fecerat Eglon, sic fecit et Hebron, cuncta quæ in ea reperit consumens gladio.
38Returning from thence to Dabir,Indi tornò verso Dabir,Thence returning vnto Dabir,Inde reversus in Dabir, 39He took it, and destroyed it: the king also thereof, and all the towns round about, he destroyed 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.La prese, e la saccheggiò: e uccise il suo, re, e mise a fil di spada quanta gente si trovò anche per le città circonvicine: non vi lasciò anima viva: come avea fatto ad Hebron, e a Lebna, e a' loro re, così fece a Dabir, e al suo re.he tooke it, and wasted it: the king also therof and al the townes round about he stroke in the edge of the sword: he left not in it anie remaines: as he had done to Hebron and Lebna and to their kinges, so did he to Dabir and the king therof.cepit eam atque vastavit: regem quoque ejus atque omnia per circuitum oppida percussit in ore gladii: non dimisit in ea ullas reliquias: sicut fecerat Hebron et Lebna et regibus earum, sic fecit Dabir et regi illius. 40So Josue conquered all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the plain, and of Asedoth, with their kings: he left not any remains therein, but slew all that breathed, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.Giosuè adunque devastò tutto il paese montuoso, e di mezzodì, e il paese di pianura, e Asedoth co' loro re: non vi lasciò reliquia, ma uccise tutto quello che respirava, come gli aveva ordinato il Signore Dio d'Israele.Iosue therfore stroke al the hillie countrie and south and champaine, and Asedoth with their kinges: he left not in it anie reliques, but euerie thing that could breath he slew, as our Lord the God of Israel had commanded him,Percussit itaque Josue omnem terram montanam et meridianam atque campestrem, et Asedoth, cum regibus suis: non dimisit in ea ullas reliquias, sed omne quod spirare poterat interfecit, sicut præceperat ei Dominus Deus Israël, 41From Cadesbarne even to Gaza. All the land of Gosen even to Gabaon,Da Cadesbarne sino a Gaza, e tutta la terra di Gosen fino a Gabaon:from Cadesbarne vnto Gaza. Al the Land of Gosen vnto Gabaon,a Cadesbarne usque Gazam. Omnem terram Gosen usque Gabaon, 42And all their kings, and their lands he took and wasted at one onset: for the Lord the God of Israel fought for him.E in una scorsa prese tutti i re, e devastò i loro paesi: perocché il Signore Dio d'Israele combattè per lui.and al their kinges, and countries he tooke and wasted at one assault: for our Lord the God of Israel suoght for him.universosque reges, et regiones eorum uno impetu cepit atque vastavit: Dominus enim Deus Israël pugnavit pro eo.
43And he returned with all Israel to the place of the camp in Galgal.E se ne tornò con tutto Israele a Galgala, dove era l'accampamento.And he returned with al Israel to the place of the campe in Galgal.Reversusque est cum omni Israël ad locum castrorum in Galgala.
10:1
Year of the World 2553.
Masius
Adonisedec means, "Lord of justice," as Melchisedec denotes "the king of justice;" perhaps Salem was originally styled Zedec. (Masius)
Menochius
This king had probably some control over the neighbouring cities. (Menochius)
He was also in the greatest danger; and not daring to attack the Israelites, he resolves to fall upon the Gabaonites unawares, that other cities might be deterred from following their example.
Confederates. Hebrew, "and were among them," which may signify either that the Israelites were to dwell in the towns belonging to the Gabaonites, or that the latter should live along with them, as one and the same people, following the same religion, and bound together by the same interests.
10:2
Haydock
Septuagint, "It was like a royal metropolis." (Haydock)
Valiant. Prudence therefore, and not fear, had influenced them to take this step.
10:3
Hebron was about 24 miles south of Jerusalem, and Jerimoth 16. Lachis was a very famous city, (4 Kings xiv., and 18:14,) about nine miles south of Eleutheropolis, which was itself situated about 20,000 paces towards the south of Jerusalem; (Itin. Anton.) though some assert it was 22 or 32 miles distant. Eusebius and St. Jerome generally fix the situation of places by this city. Eglon was twelve miles to the eastward of it. The Septuagint read Odollam, (Calmet) which was either the same city, (Eusebius) or one probably near it, Josue 12:12-15.; and ver. 35, 39.
10:5
Haydock
Amorrhites is a generical term, as well as Chanaanite, to denote the people of the country. The other kings did not come to the assistance (Calmet) of these five, ver. 40. (Haydock)
Yet the people of Gabaon might suspect the worst, or exaggerate, in order to make Josue come with greater expedition. He was then at Galgal, above twenty miles distant, and set off the next night, coming unexpectedly upon the confederate kings early in the morning, ver. 9.
10:10
Troubled them. Septuagint, "filled them with consternation;" so that they knew not what to do, Exodus 23:17.
Haydock
Bethoron. There were two cities of this name in the tribe of Ephraim, rebuilt by Sara, 1 Paralipomenon vii.. 24. The lower was twelve miles from Jerusalem. Maceda was eight from Eleutheropolis to the east, as Azeca was about the same distance west of Jerusalem, and not far from Soco, 1 Kings 17:1. Thus Josue proceeded westward to Gabaon and Bethoron, where he defeated the confederates, and pursued them, as they fled to their respective cities in the south, on the road between Jerusalem and the country of the Philistines, as far as Maceda. (Haydock)
10:11
Azeca, for the space of twelve miles.
Hailstones, of an uncommon size, accompanied with thunder and lightning, Habacuc 3:11. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] 5:1.) (Calmet) (Ecclesiasticus 46:6.)
Menochius
Of the same nature was the seventh plague of Egypt, Exodus 9:23. (Menochius)
Calmet
Real stones may very probably have been hurled against the enemy, by means of some hurricane or vulcano, which God directed against the Chanaanites. Several instances of showers of stones are recorded in history. (Calmet, Dissert.)
Montfaucon
Even quantities of stone and earth, sufficient to form new islands, have been thus thrown up. (Montfaucon.)
The isle of Santorin, in the Archipelago, appeared in 1707.
10:12
Them. This may be considered as a canticle of victory, containing a fervent prayer, which was presently followed with the desired effect.
Calmet
Aialon. Hebrew, "Sun, in Gabaon, be silent; (move not) and thou, moon, in the valley of Aialon," or "of the wood," which was probably not far from Gabaon. Josue had pursued the enemy at mid-day, to the west of that city, when turning round, he addressed this wonderful command to the sun. It is supposed that the moon appeared at the same time. But the meaning may only be, that the sun and the course of the stars should be interrupted for a time. (Calmet)
Menochius
The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, Hebrews 3:11. (Menochius)
Many have called in question this miracle, with Maimonides, or have devised various means to explain it away, by having recourse to a parhelion or reflection of the sun by a cloud, or to a light which was reverberated by the mountains, after the sun was set, etc. (Proedam 4:6.; Spinosa; Grotius; Le Clerc)
Calmet
But if these authors believe the Scriptures, they may spare themselves the trouble of devising such improbable explanations, as this fact is constantly represented as a most striking miracle. If St. Paul (Hebrews 11:30,) make no mention of it, he did not engage to specify every miracle that had occurred. He does not so much as mention Josue, nor the passage of the Jordan, etc., so that it is a matter of surprise that Grotius should adduce this negative argument, to disprove the reality of the miracle. (Calmet)
Calmet
The pretended impossibility of it, or the inconvenience arising to the fatigued soldiers from the long continuance of the day, will make but small impression upon those who consider, that God was the chief agent; and that he who made all out of nothing, might easily stop the whole machinery of the world for a time, and afterwards put it in motion again, without causing any derangement in the different parts. (Calmet)
Haydock
It is not material whether the sun turn round the earth, or the contrary. (Haydock)
Calmet
The Hebrews generally supposed that the earth was immovable; and on this idea Josue addresses the sun. Philosophers have devised various intricate systems: but the Scripture is expressed in words suitable to the conceptions of the people. The exterior effect would be the same, whether the sun or the earth stood still. Pagan authors have not mentioned this miracle, because none of the works of that age have come down to us. We find, however, that they acknowledged a power in magic capable of effecting such a change. Cessavere vices rerum dilataque longa, Haesit nocte dies: legi non paruit aether, Torpuit et praeceps audito carmine mundus. (Lucan, Phars. vi.) See Homer, Odyssey 12:382., and 23:242. This miracle would not render Josue superior to Moses, as some have argued. For all miracles are equally impossible to man, and equally easy to God: the greatness of a miracle is not a proof of greater sanctity. (Calmet)
Haydock
Aialon lay to the south-west of Gabaon. (Haydock)
Worthington
Josue ordered the moon to stop, as a necessary consequence of the sun's standing still. God condescended to grant his request. (Worthington)
10:13
Challoner
The book of the just. In Hebrew Sepher hayashar; an ancient book long since lost. (Challoner)
Calmet
It was probably of the same nature with that of the wars of the Lord, (Numbers 21:4,) containing an account of the most memorable occurrences which concerned the people of Israel, the just, or Ischuron, Deuteronomy 33:5. Josephus ([Antiquities?] 5:2,) says, such "records were kept in the archives of the temple." They were drawn up by people of character. The quotations inserted are in a poetical style, as the book might contain various canticles, though the rest was written in prose. See 2 Kings 1:18. It might appear unnecessary for Josue to appeal to this work, as the fact in question was known to all. (Calmet)
Haydock
But too great precaution could not be taken to prevent the danger of people calling in question the reality of the miracle. If the book of the just was a more detailed history of facts, out of which this work of Josue has been compiled, as Theodoret supposes, the author might very well remit the more inquisitive reader to that authentic source. (Haydock)
Calmet
Midst. It was then almost noon. (Calmet)
Haydock
Josue was nevertheless afraid lest the day should not allow them time to destroy their fleeing enemies completely. (Haydock)
Calmet
If the evening had been at hand, he would have said, return sun towards Gabaon, as it would have been on the west of his army. The battle had begun early in the morning, and the pursuit had lasted perhaps four or five hours. (Calmet)
Haydock
Day. Hebrew, "about a whole day." Many think that a day here comprises 24 hours; and as the sun had been above the horizon six hours, and continued other six, it must have been visible for the space of 36 hours, as the Jews believe, and as it is specified in St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho. The author of Ecclesiasticus 46:5, says, Was not the sun stopped in his anger, and one day made as two? that is, 24 hour long, allowing 12 unequal ones to form a day, according to the reckoning of those times. Others suppose that the day of Josue might consist of 18 (Calmet) or of 48 hours. But how would the soldiers be able to support such a fatigue? They had been marching all the preceding night from Galgal. (Haydock)
Calmet
If they had stopped to take refreshment, their enemies would have escaped. Hence some of the Fathers imagine, that God enabled his people to pursue them without taking any food. (St. Jerome, contra Jov. ii.) They might, however, take some along with them, as it was then customary; and eat as they pursued, whenever they could find an opportunity. Josue had given no prohibition; and Jonathan observed that his father, Saul, had troubled Israel, by following a different plan, 1 Kings 14:24. (Calmet)
10:14
Haydock
Long. This word is not found in Hebrew, "and there was no day like that, before it, or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto," etc. But God had often wrought miracles before, at the prayer of his servants. The difference between this day and all others, must be therefore in the length, or in the stopping of the heavenly bodies. (Haydock)
Calmet
The long day which the prayer of Ezechias procured, (4 Kings xx., and Isaias xxxviii.) consisted of 32 hours; or, supposing that the retrograde motion of the sun was instantaneous on the dial, it might only be 22 hours in length. (Calmet)
Haydock
But if the day of Ezechias had been even longer, the words of this text may be verified, that neither in times past, nor while the author lived, had any such day been known. See Amama, p. 383. (Haydock)
Calmet
Obeying. God is ready to grant the requests of his servants, Isaias 58:9. "We remark something still stronger, in the power which he has given to priests, to consecrate the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the eucharist." (Calmet)
10:15
Calmet
Galgal. Masius supposes, that here the quotation from the book of the just terminates. The Roman and Alexandrian Septuagint place this verse at the end of the chapter. (Calmet)
Haydock
Grabe has it in both places with a star, to shew that it is taken from Theodotion. (Haydock)
In effect, Josue did not return to his camp till he had completed the business of the day, by destroying the five kings. After which, he proceeded to conquer that part of the country. He might have designed to return, (Calmet) and even have begun his march, (Du Hamel) when he was diverted from proceeding, by the news that the kings had been discovered. So we often say, that a person does what he is on the point of doing. See Genesis 37:21., and Numbers 34:25.
10:17
Calmet
City, or territory. (Calmet)
Haydock
The kings had sought their own safety in flight, leaving their people to make their escape as well as they could. But their cowardly behaviour only brought upon them a more dishonourable death. Josue and some of the forces stopped in the environs of Maceda, while the rest pursued after the fugitives, and slew all that had not strength to enter the fenced cities. (Haydock)
Calmet
Then all the army assembled round their leader, took Maceda, and completed the victory of that most memorable day, by the ignominious death of the five kings. (Calmet)
Worthington
God permitted some to escape, lest the land should be overrun with wild beasts; (Exodus 23:29,) and to instruct us that his children must suffer tribulation, to prevent the growth of vice. (Worthington)
10:21
Masius
No man, (nullus.) Some supply canis, "dog," alluding to the proverbial expression, Exodus 11:7. (Masius, etc.)
Calmet
Septuagint, "not one of the Israelites moved his tongue." (Calmet)
Haydock
All was profound silence, in expectation of what would be determined respecting the unfortunate kings. (Haydock)
10:24
Feet, as Moses had foretold, Deuteronomy 33:29. The conduct of Josue would appear cruel, if we did not reflect that he was only the executioner of the divine justice, which was pleased thus to punish these proud and impious princes, that others might not imitate their example.
10:27
Down. (Deuteronomy xxi.) The victorious army had returned some time before the evening, and had time to take the city of Maceda; though some, without reason, believe that this took place the day following.
10:28
Calmet
Remains of inhabitants. (Calmet)
Haydock
The king was gibbeted and stoned. (Haydock)
10:30
Calmet
Lebna, not far from Eleutheropolis. From before this city Sennacherib dispatched his menacing order to Ezechias, 4 Kings 19:8. (Calmet)
10:32
Lachis was still farther south. Josue took it the second day of the siege.
10:33
Calmet
Gazer, near Azotus, in the country of the Philistines. It is not said that Josue took this city. It was given long after to Solomon by the king of Egypt, 3 Kings 9:15., and Josue 16:10. (Calmet)
10:37
Challoner
The king, viz., the new king, who succeeded him that was slain, ver. 26. (Challoner)
Caleb afterwards took Hebron, which, it seems, the Chanaanites had seized again and fortified, while Josue was conquering other parts of the country. He could not leave garrisons in all the cities which he took, and hence he set many of them on fire. After the strength of the country was broken, he knew that the Israelites might easily subdue the few isolated cities which he was forced to leave behind. But they proved so negligent, that many places were left in the possession of the Chanaanites, which proved a stumbling block to God's people.
10:38
Dabir, which was formerly called Cariath sepher, "the city of the book," (chap. 15:15,) or of Senna, (chap. 15:45,) near Hebron. It was taken again by Othoniel and Caleb.
10:40
Hills of Judea.
South of the promised land.
Plain. Hebrew, Sephela, a flat country near Eleutheropolis. (St. Jerome in Abd. 1:19; 1 Machabees 12:38.)
Asedoth, "of the springs."
Challoner
Remains. God ordered these people to be utterly destroyed, in punishment of their manifold abominations; and that they might not draw the Israelites into the like sins. (Challoner)
10:41
Gaza. These cities were on the southern limits of the land of Chanaan, and of the Philistines.
Menochius
Gosen, or Gessen, where the Hebrews had formerly dwelt. It was then very fertile, Josue 13:3. The territory of Juda extended as far as the Nile; (Calmet) or this country may have resembled the country of Gessen, Genesis xlvi. (Menochius)
Haydock
It seems indeed rather wonderful, that if this was a part of the promised land, God should order his people to leave it, as it were, to the Egyptians; and after they had occupied another part of the country, should seize it again. But he might have secret reasons for this order. (Haydock)
10:13
The book of the just.... In Hebrew Jasher: an ancient book long since lost.
10:37
The king.... Viz., the new king, who succeeded him that was slain, ver. 26.
10:40
Any remains therein, but slew, etc.... God ordered these people to be utterly destroyed, in punishment of their manifold abomination; and that they might not draw the Israelites into the like sins.
10:12
Iosue did thinke if the moone moued the sunne also must necessarily moue so he obtained the stay of both.
10:14
Til after the time this booke was written.
God condescending to worke so great a miracle at the instance of his seruant.
10:20
God so disposed, that they should not cō quer al in one yeare: lest the land had benne brought into a vvildernes, and beastes increased against them Exod. 23. v. 29. Morally it signifieth, that the children of God must be exercised in tribulations and mortification lest vices grow in them. Procop. in Exod.
10:1
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 76.3
… Remind her that she must pass through snares innumerable to arrive at mount Nebo and the River Jordan, that she must receive circumcision anew at Gilgal, that Jericho must fall before her, overthrown by the blasts of priestly trumpets, that Adoni-zedec must be slain,
10:3
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 1.21
… “loose thy shoe, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” For if the armed host of the Lord was represented by the trumpets of the priests, we may see in Jericho a type of the overthrow of the world by the preaching of the Gospel. And to pass over endless details (for it is not my purpose now to unfold all the mysteries of the Old Testament),
10:12
Tertullian † AD 220 On Fasting 10
In Exodus, was not that position of Moses, battling against Amalek by prayers, maintained as it was perseveringly even till “sunset,” a “late Station?” Think we that Joshua the son of Nun, when warring down the Amorites, had breakfasted on that day on which he ordered the very elements to keep a Station?
St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Isaiah 1
… And again, when Joshua the son of Nun was fighting against the Amorites, when the sun was now inclining to its setting, and the battle was being pressed closely, Joshua, being anxious lest the heathen host should escape on the descent of night, cried out, saying, “Sun, stand thou still in Gibeon; and thou moon, in the valley of Ajalon,”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 29-2
… For although the Red Sea was divided before by Moses , yet it was not Moses who did it, for it came to pass, not because he spoke, but because God commanded. And if the sun stood still in Gibeon
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 1.40
… But how brave was Joshua the son of Nun, who in one battle laid low five kings together with their people! Again, when he fought against the Gibeonites and feared that night might stop him from gaining the victory, he called out with deep faith and high spirit:
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 2.20
… Wherefore it happens that he who had been his companion in this intercourse with God succeeded to his power. Worthy surely was he to stand forth as a man who might stay the course of the river, and who might say: “Sun, stand still,” and delay the night and lengthen the day, as though to witness his victory.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 27
Consider of how great value is the righteous man. Joshua the son of Nun said, “Let the sun stand still at Gibeon, the moon at the valley of Elom” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 108.8
… an action by which He dedicated the house of Cleopas as a church. Starting thence she made her way up lower and higher Beth-horon, cities founded by Solomon but subsequently destroyed by several devastating wars; seeing on her right Ajalon and Gibeon where Joshua the son of Nun when fighting against the five kings gave commandments to the sun and moon,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 11.23
… Let no man then tell me that the motions of the heavenly bodies are times, because, when at the prayer of one the sun stood still in order that he might achieve his victorious battle, the sun stood still, but time went on. For in such space of time as was sufficient was that battle fought and ended.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 91.2
… Who else save Joshua the son of Nun divided the stream of the Jordan for the people to pass over, and by the utterance of a prayer to God bridled and stopped the revolving sun?
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.42
… But, behold, the very elements are shaken. For their Lord was suffering. If, however, it was their enemy to whom all this injury was done, the heaven would have gleamed with light, the sun would have been even more radiant, and the day would have prolonged its course
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 1.16
… Also Joshua the son of Nun by faith cast down the walls of Jericho, and they fell without difficulty. Again by faith he destroyed thirty-one kings and made the children of Israel to inherit the land. Furthermore by his faith he spread out his hands towards heaven and stayed the sun in Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Ajalon.
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 45
… bread shall be rained down: the rock shall become a fountain; Amalek shall be conquered, not with arms alone, but with the hostile hand of the righteous forming both prayers and the invincible trophy of the Cross; the River shall be cut off; the sun shall stand still; and the moon be restrained; walls shall be overthrown even without engines;
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.10
… But the second writing of the tables could not be effected without fasting. What was lost by drunkenness was regained by abstinence, a proof that by fasting we can return to paradise, whence, though fulness, we have been expelled. In Exodus we read that the battle was fought against Amalek while Moses prayed, and the whole people fasted until the evening.
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St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 1.21
… I think it is clearly to be understood that before the Lord led his people from Egypt and circumcised them, sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch had the dominion, and that to these, as to five princes, everything was subject. And when they
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 2.24.4
… The altar of burnt-offering also was five cubits in breadth. Five priests were chosen in the wilderness,—namely, Aaron, Nadab, Abiud, Eleazar, Ithamar. The ephod and the breastplate, and other sacerdotal vestments, were formed out of five materials; for they combined in themselves gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And there were five
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St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose 41.24
… Did I not deliver up thee Sihon, King of the Amorites (that is, the proud one, the leader of them that provoked thee)? Did I not deliver up to thee alive the King of Ai, whom after the ancient curse thou didst condemn to be fastened to the wood and raised upon the cross? Why should I speak of the troops of the five kings which were slain
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1. WHEN ADONISEDEC KING OF JERUSALEM HEARD THESE THINGS, — which was distant from Gabaon by only two leagues or hours, and therefore its king invaded the Gabaonites, because they had gone over to the Hebrews, and as neighbors were opening the way to the Hebrews for the conquest of his Jerusalem. It appears that Adonisedec assumed this name from Melchisedech, who had reigned in the same place some 400 years before, and had made it by his just laws, customs and examples a seat of צדק tsedec, that is of justice, so that justice, the worship of God, and true religion might flourish in it. Hear Masius: In those ancient times all the kings of Jerusalem (as the Jews think) were called either Melchisedech or Adonisedec, of which the former signifies king of Justice, the latter lord of Justice. Whence it is conjectured that that city was first named tsedec, that is justice (which the first just and holy king thereof, Melchisedech, had planted in it): but afterwards salem, that is peace, because it was inhabited securely and peacefully therein (for the name Jebus, which was sometimes attributed to it by the common people, I Paralipomenon xi, 4, was proper to the inhabitants, not to the city), and then Jerusalem, and this was done either by David, as Josephus hints, lib. VII Antiq. cap. iii, or by some other, through the joining or combining of two words. For when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son in the same place, he gave the place the name אדני יראה Adonai iire, that is, the Lord will see or will provide himself a victim, from that iire, that is will provide, and the older name salem, the name Jerusalem was formed, that is, will provide, or will see peace, or vision of peace. Thus Masius. See the words at Genesis xxii, 14. Therefore Josephus, lib. VII Belli, cap. xviii, and Hegesippus, lib. III, cap. ix, are mistaken, saying that Melchisedech placed this name Jerusalem for the city, in that he himself added to the old name salem τò ἱερòν, that is sacred, on account of the temple built there by him, as if Jerusalem were the same as ἱερòν, that is, the sacred temple of the city Salem. Others with Eusebius, lib. IX Præpar. cap. iv, attribute this to Solomon, as if Jerusalem were the same as ἱερòν, that is, the sacred temple of Solomon. But neither Melchisedech nor Solomon spoke Greek, but Hebrew. Stephanus Byzantius likewise errs, lib. De Urbibus, asserting that from the Solymis mountains Solymos is said and Salem, which was afterwards called Ælia by Ælius Hadrian the Emperor, its restorer. But these names were divinely given to the city on account of the mystery of the economy of the passion, cross and death to be accomplished in it, in which mystery the justice, peace and happiness of the whole world was placed, according to that of Lamentations ii: "Is this the city of perfect beauty, the joy of all the earth?" And that of Psalm lxxiii: "But God is our king before the ages, he hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth." And that of Isaiah ii: "For out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem." And Apocalypse xxi, 2: "And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." See Tobias, cap. xiii, 11 and seq., exulting in the praises of Jerusalem. Hear Adrichomius in Descript. Jerusalem: "Jerusalem, the city of God chosen, holy and glorious, founded on holy mountains, and by the eminence of the place, the felicity of sky and soil surpassing all the cities of the world, situated in the midst of the whole world and of Judæa, as the center and navel of the earth; and like a royal city among all its inhabitants, it stands out like the head in the body, and shines with splendid buildings like the sun before the rest. And it is illustrated with such glory, that by a singular privilege it was once the only place chosen by God, and not only the figure of the faithful soul of each one, but also of the Church militant of Christ on earth, and finally of that blessed one triumphing in heaven. City of perfect beauty, joy and exultation of all the earth." Thus far Adrichomius. Finally St. Jerome, epistle 17 to Marcella, inviting her to migrate from Rome to Jerusalem: "In three names, he says, it demonstrates the faith of the Trinity: it is called Jebus, Salem and Jerusalem. The first name trodden down, the second peace, the third vision of peace. For we advance gradually to faith, and after trampling down we are raised to the vision of peace: from which Solomon, that is the peaceful one, was born in it, and his place was made in peace. And in the figure of Christ under the etymology of the city, the Lord of lords and King of kings received his name."
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2. FOR GABAON WAS A GREAT CITY, AND ONE OF THE ROYAL CITIES. — In Hebrew, as one of the cities of the kingdom, that is to say Gabaon was one of the principal cities of the kingdom of the Chanaanites. The Septuagint: one of the principal cities of the kings; Masius: as great as any of the cities of the kingdom; the Chaldee: of the kingdoms.
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4. WHY THEY WENT OVER, — that is to say with impunity "to Josue," that is to say Why shall we permit unpunished this defection of the Gabaonites from us to the Hebrews? that is to say Let us punish this their apostasy from us, and destroy them, lest anyone dare to imitate them, and go over to the Hebrews, "because he made peace with Josue."
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9. THEREFORE JOSHUA RUSHED UPON THEM SUDDENLY, ASCENDING ALL NIGHT FROM GILGAL, — that is to say, Joshua, setting out all night from Gilgal, arrived at Gabaon at early dawn, and suddenly and unexpectedly rushed upon the camp of the enemies besieging it, and thus overwhelmed them, drowsy with sleep, confused and terrified. Note here a new stratagem of Joshua, by which he disturbed and overcame the enemy camp through speed and a morning attack. For Themistocles, the great leader of the Greeks in battles, wisely said, "Friends are to be overcome by patience, enemies by speed." And Julius Caesar: "I came, I saw, I conquered," which Charles V imitated more piously, saying: "I came, I saw, Christ conquered." Swift and ever-watchful were Hannibal, as also the Emperor Vespasian. See the sayings in Apocalypse, chapter iii, verse 3. Thus Troy was captured by the Greeks, who, as Virgil says, Aeneid II: They invade the city buried in sleep and wine. Therefore at night one must be most vigilant against enemies both of body and soul. For at night demons walk about to stir up shameful, wicked and unspeakable things. Wherefore against them at night, that we may implore the aid of God and His angels, we recite Psalm xc: "He that dwelleth in the aid of the Most High, shall abide in the protection of the God of heaven, etc. Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night, etc. From the business walking about in darkness." The Chaldean: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of demons, who walk in the night, from death walking about in darkness.
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10. IN GABAON, — in the field of Gabaon; for they were besieging Gabaon. See a similar passage in chapter v, verse 3. HE PURSUED THEM, — namely Israel pursued the Amorites, or God pursued them through Israel as His soldier. For the Hebrews often omit the subject of the verb and leave it to be understood and supplied from the context, as if obvious to the reader.
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11. THE LORD SENT UPON THEM GREAT STONES FROM HEAVEN. — Understand stones of hail. Josephus adds, in book V of the Antiquities, chapter ii, thunders and lightnings; wherefore this tempest was terrible not only with hail of unusual magnitude, but also with thunders and lightnings, just as was that Egyptian one, Exodus ix, 23. Similar aid of lightnings was sent by God to the Christian legion (which was therefore called the Thundering Legion) under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, as Eusebius relates, in book V of the History, chapter v; and to the Emperor Theodosius fighting against Eugenius, Claudian relates, while he thus sings: O too much beloved of God, for whom Aeolus pours forth armed storms from his caves, for whom the sky fights, and the winds conspiring come to the trumpet call. Thus at the prayers of Samuel, God struck the Philistines with thunders and cast them down for the Hebrews to strike, I Kings vii, 10.
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12. THEN JOSHUA SPOKE TO THE LORD. — The Chaldean [paraphrase says]: then Joshua praised the Lord, and praising him he asked with full confidence that he would stop the sun, until he obtained complete victory over the slain enemies; with this prayer sent beforehand to God, Joshua, trusting entirely in divine power and aid, commanded the sun to stand still and to stop. Ecclesiasticus, chapter 46, verse 4, teaches that Joshua did this from zeal and just anger against the enemies of the people of God, certainly impelled by the Holy Spirit. See here how powerful great faith in God is; but God himself ought to suggest and inspire this faith in us, as he inspired it in Joshua: otherwise indeed it would have been rash to command the sun to stand still. This is what Christ promised in Matthew 21, verse 22, saying: "All things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." Therefore, as much as you believe and hope, so much shall you receive from God. Who therefore would not hope for the greatest things from God, so as to receive the greatest things? SUN, AGAINST GIBEON DO NOT MOVE, AND MOON AGAINST THE VALLEY OF AJALON. — In Hebrew it is, sun, be silent. Which Rabbi Solomon understands of the Pythagorean harmony of the heavens, as if to say: Sun, do not sing as you are accustomed, but be silent and hear my voice and command, and stop your course. But this is ridiculous and futile: Sun, be silent, therefore is the same as, Sun, be still, do not move from your place. The Septuagint [says]: Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon at the valley of Ajalon. The sense therefore is, as if to say: To you, O sun, in the power of almighty God I command and order that you do not move, but remain motionless and fixed opposite the cities of Gibeon and Ajalon, so that you may provide us light, until we pursue our enemies and destroy them all utterly. For the city of Ajalon was near the city of Gibeon, and between them was a valley in the middle, in which this battle was waged. Whence it appears that on that day it was about the new moon, and the moon was conjoined with the sun. But that Joshua names the moon, he does this, not as if it were necessary to provide his men with light (for the sun alone provided this from another source), but because he plays with poetic abundance in the sun and moon, just as in Gibeon and Ajalon; for this verse, as well as the two following, are Hebrew rhythms, drawn apparently from the Book of the Just. Secondly, he names the moon, so as to indicate that not only the sun, but also the moon, and all the spheres of heaven were commanded to stop their course: for the sun and moon, which are the noblest stars and preside over day and night, signify all the other celestial stars and bodies; otherwise indeed the standing still of the moon would not be required here for light and for victory; God therefore signifies from this that he restrained all the spheres of heaven, namely lest the perpetual order, course and harmony established by him from the creation of the world among these spheres be disturbed by the unequal progress of one or two, as Abulensis and Masius teach at length. A similar thing happened to Isaiah in chapter 38, verse 8, where Isaiah at the prayers of King Hezekiah commanded the sun to go back ten degrees. Therefore on Joshua's day this was not time, whose measure is the motion of the first movable sphere (for that motion ceased on that day), but it was duration which naturally accompanies whatever thing existing and enduring, and whose measure could be the duration of the first movable sphere, even while it itself is at rest. And this duration could be measured by timepieces not solar, but sand or iron, which run their course in their own times balanced in a fixed period, and indicate each hour by their index or sound or striking. In a similar way, the motion of the sun and moon ceasing, the reciprocation or flux and reflux of the sea ceased; for this is caused by the motion of the moon.
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13. IS IT NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE JUST? — This book was as it were a catalogue of the saints, in which the deeds of men illustrious in faith and religion were described. Who and what sort it was is not known, for it has plainly perished. Thus Theodoret and others. See Sixtus Senensis in the Catalogue of Sacred Books, who reports various opinions of men concerning this book. THE SUN THEREFORE STOOD IN THE MIDST OF HEAVEN, — that is, in the very great and vast heaven itself: this is a frequent Hebraism; or in our hemisphere, which is half with respect to the other hemisphere, which faces the antipodes. AND MADE NO HASTE TO GO DOWN FOR THE SPACE OF ONE DAY. — Hence it appears that Josue commanded the sun to stand still in the evening, when it was setting, and therefore Josue feared lest the enemies might escape through the approaching darkness. Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue Against Trypho, holds the opinion that this day of Josue was of thirty-six hours. For besides the twelve natural hours, he adds to it twenty-four supernatural hours, during which he thinks the sun stood still; for it is said here that the sun stood still for the space of one day, which he himself takes to mean a natural day of twenty-four hours. More truly you should take this of an artificial day; for this alone provides light, and this is what Ecclesiasticus hints at, cap. xlvi, 5, saying: "One day was made as two," that is to say, A day which is wont to be of twelve or fourteen hours was made of twenty-four or twenty-eight hours. The sun therefore stood still here for twelve or rather fourteen hours. For this battle occurred at the summer solstice, when in Judea the day is of fourteen hours. I have said more concerning this standing of the sun, both literal and mystical, at Ecclesiast. xlvi, 3, to which add tropologically: In the moon consider the knowledge of the intellect, which in this life is always less clear, and in the sun the ardor of affection. These sometimes subsist in the contemplation of one supreme good and its love without variety, until man avenges himself upon his enemies. For nothing so tames and consumes our imperfections as this most perfect gift of contemplation, by which man through the benefit of the Lord knows how to emulate the angelic spirits. Physically and militarily, the Emperor Leo in his Tactics, in the Epilogue, no. 51: "In drawing up a battle line," he says, "have the sun at your back and the wind, and place both in the eyes of the enemy." You would say the same of dust, so that you place it at your back and in front of the enemy, so that it flies into their eyes and blinds them, so that they cannot fight; namely, dust follows the wind. Anagogically, Rupert: In this standing of the sun, he says, there is a figure of the last judgment; for when Christ shall come to judge, then with the sun standing still the day will be long until he avenges himself upon his enemies. "Near is," says Sophonias, cap. i, "the great day of the Lord, a day of wrath, a day of tribulation and anguish, a day of calamity and misery." Indeed, after the day of judgment all motion of the heavens will cease, and the sun, moon and stars will remain in the same place forever, as the Theologians teach. Allegorically, Josue here was a type of Jesus Christ. "For just as when the Prophet (Josue) fought the sun stood still, so when our Savior by his death dissolved death, the sun at midday continued its rays, and filled the earth with darkness," says Theodoret, Quest. xv. Finally, the Hebrews, on account of this standing of the sun obtained by Josue, inscribed upon his tomb the sun for perpetual memory of so great a miracle, because he himself was the stayer of the sun, and like the sun was vigilant night and day; for "battles stand by a vigilant master," concerning which matter I shall speak again at cap. ult. vers. 30.
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14. THERE WAS NOT BEFORE NOR AFTER SO LONG A DAY. — For the day of Hezekiah prolonged by Isaiah was extended only by fifteen hours. For Isaiah added ten hours to the day, five hours; but here the day of Joshua was of twenty-eight hours. For Joshua added fourteen hours to the day, another fourteen hours. See the sayings at Ecclesiasticus xlvi, 5, and Isaiah xxxviii, 8. THE LORD OBEYING THE VOICE OF A MAN, AND FIGHTING FOR ISRAEL. — It is a portent that God obeys a man, just as God obeyed Joshua asking that He stop the sun, because Joshua obeyed God in all things. Do you wish God to hear you? Hear you God, and obey Him; thus He will make all things created by Him obey you, and will communicate His omnipotence to you as it were. For it is written: "He will do the will of those who fear Him." Thus St. Dominic said he obtained from God whatever he asked of Him. The same thing is still experienced by holy men. "From which it is understood that God obeys the prayers of His servants, and governs His creatures opportunely for their necessity," says the Author of On the Marvels of Holy Scripture, in St. Augustine, vol. III, lib. II, cap. iv. St. Bernard marvels that God born of a Virgin obeyed her as it were as a son; but more marvelous is that God obeyed Joshua. For Christ obeyed His mother, not as God, but as man and as son; here however God as God obeyed Joshua. O prodigy, O wonder, O condescension never heard of in the heavens or on earth, that the Creator obeys the creature, God obeys man! St. Bernard exclaims: Blush, ashes: God humbles Himself, and you exalt yourself. Blush, dust: God obeys man, and you obey neither man nor God! Saint Joshua therefore commands the heavens, and as it were as a king fixes laws for them, and the sun and moon in the midst of their course by his voice and command alone, as it were by reins, He marvelously holds back and restrains. Thus the saints command life and death, heaven and hell, while they raise the dead, and by converting souls devoted to hell transfer them to heaven. For to whom the Creator obeys, to him also Angels, and demons, and men and all creatures ought to obey. See here how great is the power of prayer, which makes God obey us. Whence Jacob wrestling in prayer with God, and willing to overcome Him, was called "Israel," that is, "ruling God," Genesis xxxii, 28. Therefore he who prays becomes Israel, and prevails over God. See the sayings at Jacob v, 16 and seq.
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15. AND JOSHUA RETURNED WITH ALL ISRAEL INTO THE CAMP AT GALGALA. — "He returned," namely with the war completely finished, in which God fought miraculously for Israel by stopping the sun, until all enemies were slain, as was said before. This verse is placed here by anticipation and as it were inserted by way of parenthesis; for it ought to be placed in its proper location in the last verse of the chapter. Thus Masius; or more plainly and more connected with the following verse, as if to say "He returned," that is, Joshua was beginning to return, because the five kings, the leaders of the enemy, had fled, and seemed to have escaped; for they had hidden themselves in the cave of Makkedah: when Joshua heard this, he turned back his course, and ordered the cave to be guarded, until his men pursued and slew the rest of their followers, as follows. Whence Vatablus translates, and Joshua was preparing his return.
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16. FOR THEY HAD FLED, — according to the sense already given. Masius and others translate, for they had fled, so that this verse is connected with verse 13, and verse 14 is inserted by way of parenthesis.
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19. PURSUE THE ENEMIES. — Hear what the Emperor Leo sanctions concerning pursuing fleeing enemies in the Tactics, cap. xx, num. 202: "Victory being granted to you by God, do not immediately pursue them turbulently and confusedly, but while pursuing take care lest they turn back and attack you again: for uncontrolled and intemperate pursuit makes those who pursue vulnerable to attack." And Vegetius, lib. III, cap. ult.: "He who," he says, "inconsiderately pursues his scattered enemy, wishes to give to his adversary the victory he had received." Whence Joshua here orders that the whole Hebrew force pursue the enemies.
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21. IN MAKKEDAH WHERE THEIR CAMP THEN WAS. — For Joshua had ordered his men to guard the five kings hidden in Makkedah, and to pitch camp there, until one part of the army pursued and slew the fleeing enemy, which, having accomplished this, returned to the rest in Makkedah. Camp is therefore called here the more important and fortified portion of the army. From Makkedah then, with the five kings slain, they returned to the former and full camps situated in Galgala, as is evident from the last verse. AND NO ONE DARED TO MURMUR AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. — In Hebrew, no one sharpened his tongue against the children of Israel. Masius, nor would even a dog have sharpened his tongue against any of the children of Israel, as if to say Israel suffered no harm, and was formidable to all the nations round about; wherefore no one dared to bark at it, not even a dog, an animal otherwise most easily irritated, but to be feared for its teeth, not its tongue; for dogs barking much with their tongues scarcely bite with their teeth. It is a proverb.
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24. PUT YOUR FEET UPON THE NECKS OF THESE KINGS. — This was not the act of an arrogant mind, or of one exalted by victory. For Joshua understood very well that saying of Aristides, vol. II, oration 2 On Peace: "The honorable use of victory brings no less praise than victory itself." He therefore commanded his men to tread upon the necks of the kings, first, that he might give his men confidence and courage for subduing the remaining kings of the Canaanites, and might show that God was fulfilling the promises made through Moses, Deuteronomy xxxiii, last verse, where it is said: "Thy enemies shall deny thee, and thou shalt tread upon their necks." Secondly, that he might exact deserved punishment from these most impious tyrants. Thirdly, that he might remove his men far from their abominable crimes and communion with the wicked Canaanites, inasmuch as they saw these men trodden upon, slain, and their slain bodies hung upon crosses and displayed both by God's vengeance and by Joshua's sentence. Allegorically: "This was not cruelty, but humanity," says Origen, homily 11, "designating the sacrament of Christ, which the Lord Jesus, first foreshadowed by the son of Nave through individual cities, now fulfills in truth through individual souls of believers: so that those which were possessed by the most wicked kings, according to the prince of this world, being expelled and destroyed, He may deign to make them a dwelling place of faith and a temple of the Holy Spirit." Symbolically, St. Jerome, book I Against Jovinian, understands by the five kings the five senses, which reign in man, but are overcome by Jesus fighting. "It is signified," he says, "that before the Lord led His people out of Egypt and circumcised them, sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch reigned, and all things were subject to these as to princes, whom Jesus, fleeing to the cave of the body and entering that dark place, that is, the body itself, slew, so that by that very thing through which they formerly reigned, they were killed."
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31. FROM LEBNA HE PASSED ON TO LACHIS. — See how wisely Joshua uses his victory, and, with the kings slain, takes all the cities thrown into consternation and sweeps through them like a thunderbolt. Hannibal erred in this respect; for if, after defeating the Romans at the lake Trasimene, he had proceeded to Rome, he would have taken it. Whence it was said of him: "Hannibal knows how to win, but knows not how to use victory."
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37. HE TOOK IT. — Joshua therefore took Hebron, but in passing through. Whence some giants again occupied it, whom Caleb afterwards destroyed in the same place, as appears in chapter xv, 14, concerning which in the following chapter, verse 21. AND SMOTE IT WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD, — that is, with the edge of the sword in battle; which the French call, au fil de l'épée. By this phrase it is signified that all were slain by the sword; for what the mouth is to a man, the edge is to a sword. For just as a man devours the food which he touches with his mouth, so the sword consumes whatever it strikes with its edge. AND THE KING THEREOF ALSO, — namely, he had already struck him with the sword before, and had hung the slain man upon a gallows, as he said in verse 26. For he repeats the slaying of the king, because he recounts the common slaughter inflicted upon his city Hebron, since the king was slain not in Hebron, but in Makkedah.
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40. HE SMOTE, ETC. ASEDOTH. — Thus it should be read with the Romans, not Aseoth. So also the Septuagint retained the Hebrew name as a proper name of the region, both here and in chapter xii, 8, and chapter xiii, 20; and Eusebius also in the Hebrew Places asserts that Asedoth is the proper name of a city. Masius, however, and others take this name not as a proper name, but as an appellative, and translate it as effusions, or remote places and valleys, where namely mountains or hills extend and spread themselves out into valleys and plains. Our translator, in Deuteronomy chapter iv, verse 27, translates it as roots of the mountain, and in Numbers chapter xxi, verse 45, translates it as rocks which extend and spread themselves out in the river. ALL THAT COULD BREATHE, HE SLEW. — In Hebrew, every soul, that is, every man, who enjoyed breath and the breath of life, "he slew:" for that the cattle were not slain, but carried off as spoil, is evident from the following chapter, verse 14. For nowhere did God command that cattle be killed except in Jericho, chapter vi, 21, because it itself was appointed as an anathema. Thus Abulensis, Question xcviii.
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41. FROM CADESBARNE EVEN TO GAZA. — See here the fortitude, good fortune, swiftness, and victories of Joshua, by which, like a thunderbolt sweeping through, he laid waste and subdued all things, although they were most strongly fortified, such as Gaza was, the city of the most mighty Philistines, so much so that Alexander the Great besieged it for the space of two months before he took it, as Diodorus testifies, book xvii. Hence it also received its name from strength. For Gaza in Hebrew is עז Azza, or Gaza (for the letter ain they often pronounce as g). Yet this name was confirmed to it afterwards for another reason by Cambyses, son of Cyrus, which Pomponius Mela recounts, book I, chapter xi: "In Palestine," he says, "there is a great and very strongly fortified Gaza. Thus the Persians call a treasury. And from this it has its name, because when Cambyses was making war with arms against Egypt, he brought hither the resources and money of war," so that it in Gaza, being most strongly fortified, would be most safe. Hence also shortly after Joshua's passage, giants took possession of Gaza and made it more strongly fortified, as is narrated in the following chapter, verse 22.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
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Adonisedec (Hebrew «My Lord is Justice»; Septuagint: Adonibezec)
… The five corpses were hung on five gallows until evening, then buried in the cave (Josh. 10:1-27).
10:2
… Gibh'ôn). - A fortified city of the land of Canaan (Josh. 10:2), the chief city of the Hivite confederation (Josh. 9:2). It was spared, through a stratagem of its leaders, from the extermination during the Israelite invasion (Josh. 9). Joshua …
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2. Canaanite city of the Shephelah (Josh. 12:12), whose king Debir (Josh. 10:3) joined the coalition sponsored by Adoni-zedek (v.), king of Jerusalem, against the Gibeonites, allies of the Israelites. …
… The flourishing of this Canaanite era came to an end with the burning of the city in the 13th century B.C.; this is perhaps to be connected with the Israelite invasion (cf. Josh. 10:3, 31 ff.). …
The Hebrew Malki-sedeq, transcribed by St. Jerome as Melchisedec (A. Vaccari [v. bibl.], p. 208), is explained by W. Gesenius and E. Kautzsch as "king of righteousness" (cf. Heb. 7, 2); by many moderns as: "my king is Sedeq," the name of a Canaanite deity, otherwise unknown (cf. 'adoni-sedeq, Josh. 10, 3; P. Heinisch, Das Buch Genesis, Bonn 1930, p. 221).
10:5
… 21, 13, 31; Deut. 3, 8; 4, 47 ff.; 31, 4; Ios. 2, 10; 9, 10; 12, 2; 13, 10; Iudc. 10, 8), but also a part of the inhabitants of Palestine proper, that is, those dwelling in the mountain (Deut. 1, 7.19.20.44: people dwelling in the south of Palestine; Ios. 10, 5 ff.), while to the Canaanites are attributed the plain and the valley of the Jordan (Num. 13, 29; Ios. 11, 3). Not rarely the Bible calls the whole pre-Israelite population Amorites (cf. …
10:6
… (5:1) thus distinguishes them from the Canaanites "of the regions by the great sea" (cf. Deut. 1:44; Josh. 10:6; 11:3); hence the "mountain of the A." was the southern Palestinian massif (Deut. 1:7, 19, 20; cf. Num. 13:30). At Israel's entry, the Transjordanian kingdoms of Heshbon and Bashan …
GIOSUÈ - The messengers of Gibeon present themselves to J. and the Battle for the liberation of Gibeon (Josh. 10:6-14). Miniature from the Joshua Roll, cod. Vat. Palat. gr. 431 (10th-century copy of a 6th-century codex).
Tabernacle (Tent) of Meeting (Hebrew 'Ohel, usually followed by Me'eth: "Tabernacle of Convene")
… the Exodus the T. was erected and consecrated by Moses: the cloud-glory of Jahweh enveloped it, taking possession of it (Ex. 40). The T. followed the Israelites in their vicissitudes from the desert to the Holy Land: at Gilgal (Josh. 4:19; 5:10; 9:6; 10:6 ff. 9:15, 43; 14:6); at Shiloh (ibid. 18:1; 19:51; Judg. 18:31; 21:19; 1 Sam. 1-4; 14:3; Ps. 78:60); at Nob (1 Sam. 21:1); at Gibeon (1 Chron. 16:39; 21:29; 2 Chron. 1:3); on Zion (1 Kings …
10:10
… Being on one of the ancient roads that linked Jerusalem to the coast, the two cities had great strategic importance, which explains the care taken at all times to fortify them (I Kings 9:17; I Macc. 9:50). Near B. Joshua won the famous victory over the confederate Canaanite kings (Josh. 10:10). The two B. were identified by Clarke in 1801: the first, upper B. (Bejt 'Ur el-Föq), is today a village of about 170 inhabitants; the second, lower B. (Bejt 'Ur et-Taht), 4 km from …
10:12
Aijalon (Hebrew, from root 'Ajjāl "Deer", nearly "Place of Deer")
… First mentioned in connection with the miracle of the sun (Josh. 10:12), it was assigned first to the tribe of Dan (Josh. 19:42), then to the Levites (Josh. 21:24). Fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chron. 11:10), it was taken by the Philistines under Ahaz …
10:23
… Joshua defeated them in the famous battle of Gibeon and conquered six Canaanite cities, among them Lachish and E. (Josh. 10:23, 34, 36 ff.), which he assigned to the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15:29). Its identification is uncertain: Hirbet 'Ağlān preserves the name; but more probably it should be identified with …
… the mountainous region (Num. 13:30), but their center was the slope of the hill (kheteph ha-Jēbhūti) of the city of Jerusalem, which they designated, according to an ancient usage, Jēbhūs (Judg. 19:10; I Chron. 11:4). Their king was killed by Joshua (Josh. 10:23-26), but the J. resisted all the attacks of the tribe of Benjamin, to which the city had been assigned (Josh. 18:28), as well as those of the neighboring tribe of Judah (Josh. 15:63; …
10:26
… Although defeated and put to death by Joshua (Jos. 10, 26), he left the capital strong enough to confront (Jos. 15, 8.63) and to keep the conquerors at a respectful distance (Judg. 19, 12) until the year 1000.
10:29
Lebna (Heb. Libhná; Gr. Lechna, Lochna)
… Libhná; Gr. Lechna, Lochna). - A city of Palestine situated between Maceda and Lachish (Josh. 10:29-31). Taken by Joshua (Josh. 10:30, 39; 12:15), it was assigned to the Levites (Josh. 21:13; 1 Chron. 6:57). It made itself independent by revolting against Judah under Jehoram (2 Kings …
10:30
Lebna (Heb. Libhná; Gr. Lechna, Lochna)
… Libhná; Gr. Lechna, Lochna). - A city of Palestine situated between Maceda and Lachish (Josh. 10:29-31). Taken by Joshua (Josh. 10:30, 39; 12:15), it was assigned to the Levites (Josh. 21:13; 1 Chron. 6:57). It made itself independent by revolting against Judah under Jehoram (2 Kings 8:22; 2 Chron. 21:10). It seems to …
10:33
… Joshua (Jos. 10, 33) defeated King Horam from G., an ally of the king of the city of Lachish. …
10:40
In the distribution of the Promised Land, the N. fell by lot to the tribes of Judah and Simeon (Ios. 10, 40; 12, 8); but the boundaries, especially in the southern part, do not appear well delimited. …
10:41
… along the line of the Dead Sea and the lower course of the Jordan; he then invaded the center of the country, whence individual groups of Israelites began to spread south, reaching the southern line of Palestine, as far as Gaza, on the Mediterranean (Ios. 10, 41) and to the north, extending as far as Lebanon near Kadesh (Ios. 11, 17). The occupation took place probably in
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.