Joshua protects Gibeon from the Amorites, stops the sun and moon, and conquers the land.
Joshua stops the sun: “Joshua addressed Yahweh; he said in the presence of the Israelites: ‘Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon, O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon!’ And the sun stood still And the moon halted.” (vv. 12-13)
III. Select Verses
5-7: The five Amorite kings — the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, with all their armies — joined forces and marched on Gibeon, and encamped against it and attacked it. The people of Gibeon thereupon sent this message to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not fail your servants; come up quickly and aid us and deliver us, for all the Amorite kings of the hill country have gathered against us.” So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his whole fighting force, all the trained warriors.
11: While they were fleeing before Israel down the descent from Beth-horon, the LORD hurled huge stones on them from the sky, all the way to Azekah, and they perished; more perished from the hailstones than were killed by the Israelite weapons.
12-14: On that occasion, when the LORD routed the Amorites before the Israelites, Joshua addressed the LORD; he said in the presence of the Israelites: “Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon, O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon!” And the sun stood still And the moon halted, While a nation wreaked judgment on its foes — as is written in the Book of Jashar. Thus the sun halted in midheaven, and did not press on to set, for a whole day; for the LORD fought for Israel. Neither before nor since has there ever been such a day, when the LORD acted on words spoken by a man.
24-27: And when the kings were brought out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and ordered the army officers who had accompanied him, “Come forward and place your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came forward and placed their feet on their necks. Joshua said to them, “Do not be frightened or dismayed; be firm and resolute. For this is what the LORD is going to do to all the enemies with whom you are at war.” After that, Joshua had them put to death and impaled on five stakes, and they remained impaled on the stakes until evening. At sunset Joshua ordered them taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Large stones were placed over the mouth of the cave, [and there they are] to this very day.
40-42: Thus Joshua conquered the whole country: the hill country, the Negeb, the Shephelah, and the slopes, with all their kings; he let none escape, but proscribed everything that breathed — as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. Joshua conquered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, all the land of Goshen, and up to Gibeon. All those kings and their lands were conquered by Joshua at a single stroke, for the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
1-27. The five amorite kings 1-4. Five Amorite kings conspire against Gibeon 5. The kings attack 6-7. The Gibeonites enlist Joshua’s protection 8. Yahweh’s encouragement 9-10. The Israelites are victorious 11. Yahweh kills the survivors with hail 12-14. Joshua stops the sun and moon at Gibeon 15. The Israelites return to Gilgal 16. The five Amorite kings hide in the cave of Makkedah 17-18. Joshua plugs the cave 19-21. The Israelites finish their attack (again) 22. The cave is opened 23-24. The necks of the kings are trampled 25. Lesson 26-27. Public display of the corpses 28-43. Conquering the land 28. The herem of Makkedah 29-30. The herem of Libnah 31-32. The herem of Lachish 33. The army of Gezer is defeated 34-35. The herem of Eglon 36-37. The herem of Hebron 38-39. The herem of Debir 40-42. Summary: Joshua conquered the land 43. The Israelites return to Gilgal (again)
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Photo copied from http://whiteglossyundergroundboard.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/istock_hand-blocking-sun-small1.jpg