The Sun Stands Still · The Land Taken

In context

The people of Gibeon tricked Israel with worn-out sacks, patched sandals and moldy bread: “We have come from a far country” (Joshua 9:3–6). Israel “didn’t ask counsel from Yahweh’s mouth,” and the leaders swore to let them live (9:14–15). When the truth came out three days later, they kept the oath, and the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers (9:16–27). The oath still mattered in David’s day (2 Samuel 21:1–2).

Five Amorite kings, led by Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem, attacked Gibeon, and Joshua marched all night from Gilgal to help (10:1–9). Hailstones fell on the fleeing armies, and Joshua told the sun to stand still over Gibeon and the moon over the valley of Aijalon: “The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day,” as the lost book of Jashar also told (10:11–13; 2 Samuel 1:18). “Yahweh fought for Israel” (10:14).

This is a hard reading: Joshua put the five kings to death, and in city after city, south and then north, Israel left no one alive (10:26–40; 11:10–14). In the north, Joshua defeated Jabin, king of Hazor, and his allies at the waters of Merom, and burned Hazor, “the head of all those kingdoms” (11:1–13). Chapter 12 lists the kings defeated: two east of the Jordan and thirty-one west (12:1–24).