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Joshua10:16–28

The Victory at Makkedah

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Joshua 10:16–28 — The Victory at Makkedah. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

16

Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

hā·’êl·leh ḥă·mê·šeṯ ham·mə·lā·ḵîm way·yā·nu·sū way·yê·ḥā·ḇə·’ū ḇam·mə·‘ā·rāh bə·maq·qê·ḏāh

Word by word7 · parsed
הָאֵ֑לֶּהhā·’êl·lehNow theH428
√ ʼêl-leh — these or thoseArticlePronouncommon plural
hā·’êl·leh — “these.” The narrative reaches back: these are the five named kings of the Amorite coalition (v. 3).
חֲמֵ֖שֶׁתḥă·mê·šeṯfiveH2568
√ châmêsh — fiveNumbermasculine singular construct
הַמְּלָכִ֣יםham·mə·lā·ḵîmkingsH4428
√ melek — a kingArticleNounmasculine plural
וַיָּנֻ֕סוּway·yā·nu·sūhad fledH5127
√ nûwç — to flit, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
way·yā·nu·sū, “and they fled” — the same flight that began at Gibeon (v. 10) ends in a hole in the ground. The conquerors of the south have become fugitives.
וַיֵּחָבְא֥וּway·yê·ḥā·ḇə·’ūand hiddenH2244
√ châbâʼ — to secreteConjunctive wawVerbNifalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
Niphal of châbâ’, “to secrete oneself.” Benson: “A place of the greatest secrecy; but there is no escaping the eye or hand of God, who here brought them into a net of their own making.”
בַמְּעָרָ֖הḇam·mə·‘ā·rāhin the caveH4631
√ mᵉʻârâh — a cavern (as dark)Preposition-b, ArticleNounfeminine singular
bam·mə·‘ā·rāh — “the cave.” The definite article hints at a landmark; the limestone caves of Judah sheltered Lot, David, and Obadiah’s hundred prophets (Genesis 19:30; 1 Samuel 22:1; 1 Kings 18:4).
בְּמַקֵּדָֽה׃bə·maq·qê·ḏāhat MakkedahH4719
√ Maqqêdâh — Makkedah, a place in PalestinePreposition-bNounproperfeminine singular
Makkedah, a rare place-name (8 occurrences in the canon), anchoring the whole episode geographically.
17

And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

lî·hō·wō·šu·a‘ way·yug·gaḏ lê·mōr ḥă·mê·šeṯ ham·mə·lā·ḵîm nim·ṣə·’ū neḥ·bə·’îm bam·mə·‘ā·rāh bə·maq·qê·ḏāh

Word by word9 · parsed
לִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַlî·hō·wō·šu·a‘And JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iPreposition-lNounpropermasculine singular
וַיֻּגַּ֖דway·yug·gaḏwas informedH5046
√ nâgad — properly, to front, iConjunctive wawVerbHofalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
Hophal of nâgad (“to make conspicuous, declare”). Gill suggests the finders were locals already in Israel’s interest, since they reported rather than seized.
לֵאמֹ֑רlê·mōr. . .H559
√ ʼâmar — to say (used with great latitude)Preposition-lVerbQalInfinitive construct
חֲמֵ֣שֶׁתḥă·mê·šeṯThe fiveH2568
√ châmêsh — fiveNumbermasculine singular construct
הַמְּלָכִ֔יםham·mə·lā·ḵîmkingsH4428
√ melek — a kingArticleNounmasculine plural
נִמְצְאוּ֙nim·ṣə·’ūhave been foundH4672
√ mâtsâʼ — properly, to come forth to, iVerbNifalPerfectthird person common plural
nim·ṣə·’ū — “found.” The root mâtsâ’ that elsewhere finds favor or treasure here finds doomed men.
נֶחְבְּאִ֥יםneḥ·bə·’îmthey are hidingH2244
√ châbâʼ — to secreteVerbNifalParticiplemasculine plural
Present participle of the verb used in v. 16; the report echoes the act, sealing their location.
בַּמְּעָרָ֖הbam·mə·‘ā·rāhin the caveH4631
√ mᵉʻârâh — a cavern (as dark)Preposition-b, ArticleNounfeminine singular
בְּמַקֵּדָֽה׃bə·maq·qê·ḏāhat MakkedahH4719
√ Maqqêdâh — Makkedah, a place in PalestinePreposition-bNounproperfeminine singular
18

So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ way·yō·mer gōl·lū gə·ḏō·lō·wṯ ’ă·ḇā·nîm ’el- pî ham·mə·‘ā·rāh wə·hap̄·qî·ḏū ’ă·nā·šîm ‘ā·le·hā lə·šā·mə·rām

Word by word12 · parsed
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַyə·hō·wō·šu·a‘So JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרway·yō·mersaidH559
√ ʼâmar — to say (used with great latitude)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
גֹּ֛לּוּgōl·lūRollH1556
√ gâlal — to roll (literally or figuratively)VerbQalImperativemasculine plural
gôl·lū — “roll.” Practical generalship: seal the kings without diverting the army. Cambridge: “The victory was not yet won.”
גְּדֹל֖וֹתgə·ḏō·lō·wṯlargeH1419
√ gâdôwl — great (in any sense)Adjectivefeminine plural
אֲבָנִ֥ים’ă·ḇā·nîmstonesH68
√ ʼeben — a stoneNounfeminine plural
אֶל־’el-againstH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
פִּ֣יpîthe mouthH6310
√ peh — the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech)Nounmasculine singular construct
pî ham·mə·‘ā·rāh — “the mouth of the cave.” The phrase frames the chapter: opened (v. 22), then sealed forever (v. 27).
הַמְּעָרָ֑הham·mə·‘ā·rāhof the caveH4631
√ mᵉʻârâh — a cavern (as dark)ArticleNounfeminine singular
וְהַפְקִ֧ידוּwə·hap̄·qî·ḏūand postH6485
√ pâqad — to visit (with friendly or hostile intent)Conjunctive wawVerbHifilImperativemasculine plural
Hiphil imperative; an act of delegation. The leader trusts subordinates with the holding action while he keeps the field.
אֲנָשִׁ֖ים’ă·nā·šîmmenH582
√ ʼĕnôwsh — a man in general (singly or collectively)Nounmasculine plural
עָלֶ֛יהָ‘ā·le·hāthereH5921
√ ʻal — above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsPrepositionthird person feminine singular
לְשָׁמְרָֽם׃lə·šā·mə·rāmto guard themH8104
√ shâmar — properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), iPreposition-lVerbQalInfinitive constructthird person masculine plural
19

But you, do not stop there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Do not let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·’at·tem ’al- ta·‘ă·mō·ḏū riḏ·p̄ū ’a·ḥă·rê ’ō·yə·ḇê·ḵem wə·zin·naḇ·tem ’ō·w·ṯām ’al- tit·tə·nūm lā·ḇō·w ’el- ‘ā·rê·hem kî Yah·weh ’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem nə·ṯā·nām bə·yeḏ·ḵem

Word by word18 · parsed
וְאַתֶּם֙wə·’at·temBut youH859
√ ʼattâh — thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youConjunctive wawPronounsecond person masculine plural
wə·’at·tem — emphatic “you.” The army is not to rest on the news that the kings are bagged; the field matters more than the trophy.
אַֽל־’al-do notH408
√ ʼal — not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative)Adverb
תַּעֲמֹ֔דוּta·‘ă·mō·ḏūstop thereH5975
√ ʻâmad — to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)VerbQalImperfectsecond person masculine plural
רִדְפוּ֙riḏ·p̄ūPursueH7291
√ râdaph — to run after (usually with hostile intentVerbQalImperativemasculine plural
אַחֲרֵ֣י’a·ḥă·rê. . .H310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֔ם’ō·yə·ḇê·ḵemyour enemiesH341
√ ʼôyêb — hatingVerbQalParticiplemasculine plural constructsecond person masculine plural
וְזִנַּבְתֶּ֖םwə·zin·naḇ·temand attack them from behindH2179
√ zânab — to curtail, iConjunctive wawVerbPielConjunctive perfectsecond person masculine plural
“Tail them.” Ellicott: “the only other place where the same Hebrew verb occurs” is Deuteronomy 25:18, where Amalek “tailed” the weak of Israel. The cut-off-the-rear verb returns as judgment.
אוֹתָ֑ם’ō·w·ṯāmH853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object markerthird person masculine plural
אַֽל־’al-Do notH408
√ ʼal — not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative)Adverb
תִּתְּנ֗וּםtit·tə·nūmlet themH5414
√ nâthan — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etcVerbQalImperfectsecond person masculine pluralthird person masculine plural
לָבוֹא֙lā·ḇō·wreachH935
√ bôwʼ — to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)Preposition-lVerbQalInfinitive construct
אֶל־’el-. . .H413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
עָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם‘ā·rê·hemtheir citiesH5892
√ ʻîyr — a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Nounfeminine plural constructthird person masculine plural
כִּ֧יkîforH3588
√ kîy — (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below)Conjunction
יְהוָ֥הYah·wehthe LORDH3068
√ Yᵉhôvâh — Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodNounpropermasculine singular
Yah·weh — the covenant name; the ground of the command. The pursuit is duty because the LORD has already decided the outcome.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵemyour GodH430
√ ʼĕlôhîym — gods in the ordinary senseNounmasculine plural constructsecond person masculine plural
נְתָנָ֛םnə·ṯā·nāmhas delivered themH5414
√ nâthan — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etcVerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singularthird person masculine plural
Perfect of nâthan: the gift of the enemy “into your hand” is spoken as a completed fact, the engine of Israel’s courage.
בְּיֶדְכֶֽם׃bə·yeḏ·ḵeminto your handH3027
√ yâd — a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etcPreposition-bNounfeminine singular constructsecond person masculine plural
20

So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

way·hî yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ ū·ḇə·nê yiś·rā·’êl kə·ḵal·lō·wṯ lə·hak·kō·w·ṯām ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh- mə·’ōḏ mak·kāh ‘aḏ- tum·mām wə·haś·śə·rî·ḏîm śā·rə·ḏū mê·hem way·yā·ḇō·’ū ’el- ham·miḇ·ṣār ‘ā·rê

Word by word18 · parsed
וַיְהִי֩way·hîH1961
√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
“Joshua and the sons of Israel” — but Benson and Poole note the idiom: the people acted “by the command of Joshua; for Joshua himself went not with them.”
יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַyə·hō·wō·šu·a‘So JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
וּבְנֵ֣יū·ḇə·nêand the IsraelitesH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcConjunctive wawNounmasculine plural construct
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לyiś·rā·’êl. . .H3478
√ Yisrâʼêl — Jisrael, a symbolical name of JacobNounpropermasculine singular
כְּכַלּ֨וֹתkə·ḵal·lō·wṯcontinuedH3615
√ kâlâh — to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume)Preposition-kVerbPielInfinitive construct
“When (they) had finished” — the clause dates the survivors’ flight to after the slaughter was complete.
לְהַכּוֹתָ֛םlə·hak·kō·w·ṯāmto inflictH5221
√ nâkâh — to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)Preposition-lVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine plural
גְדוֹלָֽה־ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh-a terribleH1419
√ gâdôwl — great (in any sense)Adjectivefeminine singular
מְאֹ֖דmə·’ōḏ. . .H3966
√ mᵉʼôd — properly, vehemence, iAdverb
מַכָּ֥הmak·kāhslaughterH4347
√ makkâh — a woundNounfeminine singular
mak·kāh — “a blow, slaughter.” Paired with “very great” it measures the totality of the rout.
עַד־‘aḏ-untilH5704
√ ʻad — as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)Preposition
תֻּמָּ֑םtum·māmthey had finished them offH8552
√ tâmam — to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitiveVerbQalInfinitive constructthird person masculine plural
וְהַשְּׂרִידִים֙wə·haś·śə·rî·ḏîmand the remainingH8300
√ sârîyd — a survivorConjunctive waw, ArticleNounmasculine plural
שָׂרְד֣וּśā·rə·ḏūsurvivorsH8277
√ sârad — properly, to puncture, iVerbQalPerfectthird person common plural
מֵהֶ֔םmê·hem. . .
Preposition-mPronounthird person masculine plural
וַיָּבֹ֖אוּway·yā·ḇō·’ūretreatedH935
√ bôwʼ — to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
אֶל־’el-toH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
הַמִּבְצָֽר׃ham·miḇ·ṣārthe fortifiedH4013
√ mibtsâr — a fortification, castle, or fortified cityArticleNounmasculine singular
ham·miḇ·ṣār — “the fortified (city),” the walls that briefly shelter the remnant and will fall in turn (vv. 28–39).
עָרֵ֥י‘ā·rêcitiesH5892
√ ʻîyr — a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Nounfeminine plural construct
21

The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ḵāl hā·‘ām way·yā·šu·ḇū bə·šā·lō·wm ’el- yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ ’el- ham·ma·ḥă·neh maq·qê·ḏāh lō- ḥā·raṣ lə·šō·nōw lə·’îš ’eṯ- liḇ·nê yiś·rā·’êl

Word by word16 · parsed
כָל־ḵālThe wholeH3605
√ kôl — properly, the wholeNounmasculine singular construct
הָעָ֨םhā·‘āmarmyH5971
√ ʻam — a people (as a congregated unit)ArticleNounmasculine singular
hā·‘ām — “the people,” here the army returning whole to the camp Joshua kept at Makkedah.
וַיָּשֻׁבוּ֩way·yā·šu·ḇūreturnedH7725
√ shûwb — to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
בְּשָׁל֑וֹםbə·šā·lō·wmsafelyH7965
√ shâlôwm — safe, iPreposition-bNounmasculine singular
“In peace / safety.” The Geneva note: “Or in safety, so that none gave them as much as an evil word.”
אֶל־’el-toH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַyə·hō·wō·šu·a‘JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
אֶל־’el-inH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
הַמַּחֲנֶ֧הham·ma·ḥă·nehthe campH4264
√ machăneh — an encampment (of travellers or troops)ArticleNouncommon singular
מַקֵּדָ֖הmaq·qê·ḏāhat MakkedahH4719
√ Maqqêdâh — Makkedah, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular
לֹֽא־lō-[and] no oneH3808
√ lôʼ — not (the simple or absAdverbNegative particle
חָרַ֞ץḥā·raṣdared to utterH2782
√ chârats — properly, to point sharply, iVerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular
“To point sharply.” The verb of decisive cutting becomes a figure for a sharp word; the enemy’s silence measures Israel’s awe-inspiring victory.
לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃lə·šō·nōwa wordH3956
√ lâshôwn — the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)Nouncommon singular constructthird person masculine singular
“His tongue.” The phrase echoes Exodus 11:7, where not even a dog moves its tongue against Israel on the night of the Passover deliverance.
לְאִ֖ישׁlə·’îšagainstH376
√ ʼîysh — a man as an individual or a male personPreposition-lNounmasculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
לִבְנֵ֧יliḇ·nêvvvH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcPreposition-lNounmasculine plural construct
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לyiś·rā·’êlthe IsraelitesH3478
√ Yisrâʼêl — Jisrael, a symbolical name of JacobNounpropermasculine singular
22

Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ way·yō·mer piṯ·ḥū ’eṯ- pî ham·mə·‘ā·rāh hā·’êl·leh ḥă·mê·šeṯ ham·mə·lā·ḵîm min- ham·mə·‘ā·rāh ’ê·lay ’eṯ- wə·hō·w·ṣî·’ū

Word by word14 · parsed
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַyə·hō·wō·šu·a‘Then JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרway·yō·mersaidH559
√ ʼâmar — to say (used with great latitude)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
פִּתְח֖וּpiṯ·ḥūOpenH6605
√ pâthach — to open wide (literally or figuratively)VerbQalImperativemasculine plural
piṯ·ḥū — “open.” The verb of opening; the cave that was a trap becomes a courtroom door.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
פִּ֣יpîthe mouthH6310
√ peh — the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech)Nounmasculine singular construct
הַמְּעָרָ֑הham·mə·‘ā·rāhof the caveH4631
√ mᵉʻârâh — a cavern (as dark)ArticleNounfeminine singular
הָאֵ֖לֶּהhā·’êl·leh[and bring] thoseH428
√ ʼêl-leh — these or thoseArticlePronouncommon plural
חֲמֵ֛שֶׁתḥă·mê·šeṯfiveH2568
√ châmêsh — fiveNumbermasculine singular construct
הַמְּלָכִ֥יםham·mə·lā·ḵîmkingsH4428
√ melek — a kingArticleNounmasculine plural
מִן־min-outH4480
√ min — properly, a part ofPreposition
הַמְּעָרָֽה׃ham·mə·‘ā·rāh. . .H4631
√ mᵉʻârâh — a cavern (as dark)ArticleNounfeminine singular
אֵלַ֗י’ê·laytoH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPrepositionfirst person common singular
“To me.” Gill: the kings are brought out “to receive their sentence in a public manner, for the encouragement of his troops and the terror of the Canaanites.”
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
וְהוֹצִ֣יאוּwə·hō·w·ṣî·’ūmeH3318
√ yâtsâʼ — to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proximConjunctive wawVerbHifilImperativemasculine plural
23

So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ḵên way·ya·‘ă·śū ’ê·lāw ’eṯ- way·yō·ṣî·’ū hā·’êl·leh ḥă·mê·šeṯ ham·mə·lā·ḵîm min- ham·mə·‘ā·rāh ’êṯ me·leḵ yə·rū·šā·lim ’eṯ- me·leḵ ḥeḇ·rō·wn ’eṯ- me·leḵ yar·mūṯ ’eṯ- me·leḵ lā·ḵîš ’eṯ- me·leḵ ‘eḡ·lō·wn

Word by word25 · parsed
כֵ֔ןḵênSoH3651
√ kên — properly, set uprightAdverb
ḵên — “so,” the marker of exact compliance: the men do precisely as Joshua said.
וַיַּ֣עֲשׂוּway·ya·‘ă·śū[they]H6213
√ ʻâsâh — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
אֵלָ֗יו’ê·lāwH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPrepositionthird person masculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
וַיֹּצִ֣יאוּway·yō·ṣî·’ūbroughtH3318
√ yâtsâʼ — to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proximConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
הָאֵ֖לֶּהhā·’êl·lehtheH428
√ ʼêl-leh — these or thoseArticlePronouncommon plural
חֲמֵ֛שֶׁתḥă·mê·šeṯfiveH2568
√ châmêsh — fiveNumbermasculine singular construct
הַמְּלָכִ֥יםham·mə·lā·ḵîmkingsH4428
√ melek — a kingArticleNounmasculine plural
מִן־min-out ofH4480
√ min — properly, a part ofPreposition
הַמְּעָרָ֑הham·mə·‘ā·rāhthe caveH4631
√ mᵉʻârâh — a cavern (as dark)ArticleNounfeminine singular
אֵ֣ת׀’êṯH853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
מֶ֣לֶךְme·leḵthe kingsH4428
√ melek — a kingNounmasculine singular construct
“King of Jerusalem,” Adoni-zedek (v. 1), who rallied the coalition. The capital of the later Davidic kingdom appears first as an enemy stronghold.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗םyə·rū·šā·limof JerusalemH3389
√ Yᵉrûwshâlaim — Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of PalestineNounproperfeminine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
מֶ֤לֶךְme·leḵH4428
√ melek — a kingNounmasculine singular construct
חֶבְרוֹן֙ḥeḇ·rō·wnHebronH2275
√ Chebrôwn — Chebron, a place in Palestine, also the name of two IsraelitesNounproperfeminine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
מֶ֣לֶךְme·leḵH4428
√ melek — a kingNounmasculine singular construct
יַרְמ֔וּתyar·mūṯJarmuthH3412
√ Yarmûwth — Jarmuth, the name of two places in PalestineNounpropermasculine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
מֶ֥לֶךְme·leḵH4428
√ melek — a kingNounmasculine singular construct
לָכִ֖ישׁlā·ḵîšLachishH3923
√ Lâkîysh — Lakish, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
מֶ֥לֶךְme·leḵH4428
√ melek — a kingNounmasculine singular construct
עֶגְלֽוֹן׃‘eḡ·lō·wnand EglonH5700
√ ʻEglôwn — Eglon, the name of a place in Palestine and of a Moabitish kingNounproperfeminine singular
Eglon, last of the five; the five cities (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon) match v. 3 exactly, a verbal seal on the unit.
24

When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

way·hî kə·hō·w·ṣî·’ām ’eṯ- hā·’êl·leh ham·mə·lā·ḵîm ’el- yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ way·yiq·rā kāl- ’îš yiś·rā·’êl way·yō·mer ’el- ’el- ’an·šê ham·mil·ḥā·māh qə·ṣî·nê he·hā·lə·ḵū ’it·tōw qir·ḇū śî·mû ’eṯ- raḡ·lê·ḵem ‘al- ṣaw·wə·rê hā·’êl·leh ham·mə·lā·ḵîm way·yiq·rə·ḇū way·yā·śî·mū ’eṯ- raḡ·lê·hem ‘al- ṣaw·wə·rê·hem

Word by word34 · parsed
וַ֠יְהִיway·hîH1961
√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
כְּֽהוֹצִיאָ֞םkə·hō·w·ṣî·’āmWhen they had broughtH3318
√ yâtsâʼ — to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proximPreposition-kVerbHifilInfinitive constructthird person masculine plural
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
הָאֵלֶּה֮hā·’êl·lehtheH428
√ ʼêl-leh — these or thoseArticlePronouncommon plural
הַמְּלָכִ֣יםham·mə·lā·ḵîmkingsH4428
√ melek — a kingArticleNounmasculine plural
אֶל־’el-toH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ֒yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַyə·hō·wō·šu·a‘[he]H3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
וַיִּקְרָ֨אway·yiq·rāsummonedH7121
√ qârâʼ — to call out to (iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
כָּל־kāl-allH3605
√ kôl — properly, the wholeNounmasculine singular construct
אִ֣ישׁ’îšthe menH376
√ ʼîysh — a man as an individual or a male personNounmasculine singular construct
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לyiś·rā·’êlof IsraelH3478
√ Yisrâʼêl — Jisrael, a symbolical name of JacobNounpropermasculine singular
וַ֠יֹּאמֶרway·yō·merand saidH559
√ ʼâmar — to say (used with great latitude)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
אֶל־’el-. . .H413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
אֶל־’el-toH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
אַנְשֵׁ֤י’an·šêvvvH582
√ ʼĕnôwsh — a man in general (singly or collectively)Nounmasculine plural construct
הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ham·mil·ḥā·māhthe armyH4421
√ milchâmâh — a battle (iArticleNounfeminine singular
קְצִינֵ֞יqə·ṣî·nêcommandersH7101
√ qâtsîyn — a magistrate (as deciding) or other leaderNounmasculine plural construct
“The commanders.” Joshua delegates the symbolic act to his subordinate officers, a restraint the Pulpit Commentary calls his “very great moral superiority” over conquerors who claimed the gesture for themselves.
הֶהָלְכ֣וּאhe·hā·lə·ḵūwho had accompaniedH1980
√ hâlak — to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)ArticleVerbQalPerfectthird person common plural
אִתּ֔וֹ’it·tōwhimH854
√ ʼêth — properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), nearPrepositionthird person masculine singular
קִרְב֗וּqir·ḇūComeH7126
√ qârab — to approach (causatively, bring near) for whatever purposeVerbQalImperativemasculine plural
שִׂ֚ימוּśî·mûhere and putH7760
√ sûwm — to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)VerbQalImperativemasculine plural
śî·mū — “set, put.” The imperative that turns a military reality into a pedagogical rite, immediately interpreted in v. 25.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
רַגְלֵיכֶ֔םraḡ·lê·ḵemyour feetH7272
√ regel — a foot (as used in walking)Nounfeminine dual constructsecond person masculine plural
עַֽל־‘al-onH5921
√ ʻal — above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsPreposition
צַוְּארֵ֖יṣaw·wə·rêthe necksH6677
√ tsavvâʼr — the back of the neck (as that on which burdens are bound)Nounmasculine plural construct
“Necks.” The foot upon the neck reaches forward to Psalm 110:1, “till I make Your enemies a footstool,” and to 1 Corinthians 15:25, where all Christ’s foes are put under His feet.
הָאֵ֑לֶּהhā·’êl·lehof theseH428
√ ʼêl-leh — these or thoseArticlePronouncommon plural
הַמְּלָכִ֣יםham·mə·lā·ḵîmkingsH4428
√ melek — a kingArticleNounmasculine plural
וַֽיִּקְרְב֔וּway·yiq·rə·ḇūSo the commanders came forwardH7126
√ qârab — to approach (causatively, bring near) for whatever purposeConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּway·yā·śî·mūand putH7760
√ sûwm — to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
רַגְלֵיהֶ֖םraḡ·lê·hemtheir feetH7272
√ regel — a foot (as used in walking)Nounfeminine dual constructthird person masculine plural
עַל־‘al-onH5921
√ ʻal — above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsPreposition
צַוְּארֵיהֶֽם׃ṣaw·wə·rê·hemtheir necksH6677
√ tsavvâʼr — the back of the neck (as that on which burdens are bound)Nounmasculine plural constructthird person masculine plural
25

“Do not be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua said. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all the enemies you fight.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’al- tî·rə·’ū wə·’al- tê·ḥāt·tū yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ way·yō·mer ’ă·lê·hem ḥiz·qū wə·’im·ṣū kî Yah·weh ya·‘ă·śeh ḵā·ḵāh lə·ḵāl ’ō·yə·ḇê·ḵem ’ă·šer ’at·tem nil·ḥā·mîm ’ō·w·ṯām

Word by word19 · parsed
אַל־’al-Do notH408
√ ʼal — not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative)Adverb
תִּֽירְא֖וּtî·rə·’ūbe afraidH3372
√ yârêʼ — to fearVerbQalImperfectsecond person masculine plural
“Fear.” The first of the four imperatives that quote God’s own charge to Joshua (Joshua 1:9); the leader becomes the mouthpiece of the LORD’s earlier word.
וְאַל־wə·’al-. . .H408
√ ʼal — not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative)Conjunctive wawAdverb
תֵּחָ֑תּוּtê·ḥāt·tūor discouragedH2865
√ châthath — properly, to prostrateVerbNifalImperfectsecond person masculine plural
“Be dismayed,” Niphal of châthath, “to be shattered.” Paired with “fear,” it forms the standard war-oracle formula of Deuteronomy and Joshua.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַyə·hō·wō·šu·a‘JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרway·yō·mersaidH559
√ ʼâmar — to say (used with great latitude)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
אֲלֵיהֶם֙’ă·lê·hemH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPrepositionthird person masculine plural
חִזְק֣וּḥiz·qūBe strongH2388
√ châzaq — to fasten uponVerbQalImperativemasculine plural
“Be strong and courageous,” the signature charge of the book; here re-issued to the army with the kings under their feet as living proof.
וְאִמְצ֔וּwə·’im·ṣūand courageousH553
√ ʼâmats — to be alert, physically (on foot) or mentally (in courage)Conjunctive wawVerbQalImperativemasculine plural
כִּ֣יkîforH3588
√ kîy — (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below)Conjunction
יְהוָה֙Yah·wehthe LORDH3068
√ Yᵉhôvâh — Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodNounpropermasculine singular
יַעֲשֶׂ֤הya·‘ă·śehwill doH6213
√ ʻâsâh — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationVerbQalImperfectthird person masculine singular
Imperfect “will do.” The grammar makes the promise open-ended: every future enemy is already as good as conquered.
כָ֗כָהḵā·ḵāhthisH3602
√ kâkâh — just so, referring to the previous or following contextAdverb
לְכָל־lə·ḵālto allH3605
√ kôl — properly, the wholePreposition-lNounmasculine singular construct
אֹ֣יְבֵיכֶ֔ם’ō·yə·ḇê·ḵemthe enemiesH341
√ ʼôyêb — hatingVerbQalParticiplemasculine plural constructsecond person masculine plural
אֲשֶׁ֥ר’ă·šerH834
√ ʼăsher — who, which, what, thatPronounrelative
אַתֶּ֖ם’at·temyouH859
√ ʼattâh — thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youPronounsecond person masculine plural
נִלְחָמִ֥יםnil·ḥā·mîmfightH3898
√ lâcham — to feed onVerbNifalParticiplemasculine plural
אוֹתָֽם׃’ō·w·ṯāmH853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object markerthird person masculine plural
26

After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there until evening.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’a·ḥă·rê- ḵên yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ way·yak·kêm way·mî·ṯêm way·yiṯ·lêm ‘al ḥă·miš·šāh ‘ê·ṣîm way·yih·yū tə·lū·yim ‘al- hā·‘ê·ṣîm ‘aḏ- hā·‘ā·reḇ

Word by word15 · parsed
אַֽחֲרֵי־’a·ḥă·rê-AfterH310
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
כֵן֙ḵênthisH3651
√ kên — properly, set uprightAdverb
יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַyə·hō·wō·šu·a‘JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
וַיַּכֵּ֨םway·yak·kêmstruck downH5221
√ nâkâh — to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)Conjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singularthird person masculine plural
“Struck them.” Cambridge: “The actual execution of the kings he reserved for his own hands” — the deathblow Joshua keeps, the symbolic foot-on-neck he gave to the captains.
וַיְמִיתֵ֔םway·mî·ṯêmand killed [the kings]H4191
√ mûwth — to die (literally or figuratively)Conjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singularthird person masculine plural
וַיִּתְלֵ֕םway·yiṯ·lêmand he hungH8518
√ tâlâh — to suspend (especially to gibbet)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singularthird person masculine plural
“Hung them,” the verb of public exposure. Joshua had done the same to the king of Ai (Joshua 8:29), in obedience to Deuteronomy 21:22–23.
עַ֖ל‘altheir bodies onH5921
√ ʻal — above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsPreposition
חֲמִשָּׁ֣הḥă·miš·šāhfiveH2568
√ châmêsh — fiveNumbermasculine singular
“Trees / stakes.” Ellicott reads the cross typologically: “Upon the cross of the true Joshua, the enemies of the Israel of God are exhibited” (Colossians 2:15).
עֵצִ֑ים‘ê·ṣîmtreesH6086
√ ʻêts — a tree (from its firmness)Nounmasculine plural
וַיִּֽהְי֛וּway·yih·yūand left themH1961
√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
תְּלוּיִ֥םtə·lū·yim. . .H8518
√ tâlâh — to suspend (especially to gibbet)VerbQalQalPassParticiplemasculine plural
עַל־‘al-thereH5921
√ ʻal — above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsPreposition
הָעֵצִ֖יםhā·‘ê·ṣîm. . .H6086
√ ʻêts — a tree (from its firmness)ArticleNounmasculine plural
עַד־‘aḏ-untilH5704
√ ʻad — as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)Preposition
הָעָֽרֶב׃hā·‘ā·reḇeveningH6153
√ ʻereb — duskArticleNounmasculine singular
27

At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

way·hî lə·‘êṯ bō·w haš·še·meš yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ ṣiw·wāh way·yō·rî·ḏūm mê·‘al hā·‘ê·ṣîm way·yaš·li·ḵum ’el- ham·mə·‘ā·rāh ’ă·šer neḥ·bə·’ū- šām gə·ḏō·lō·wṯ ’ă·ḇā·nîm way·yā·śi·mū ‘al- pî ham·mə·‘ā·rāh ‘aḏ- ‘e·ṣem haz·zeh hay·yō·wm

Word by word25 · parsed
וַיְהִ֞יway·hîH1961
√ hâyâh — to exist, iConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
לְעֵ֣ת׀lə·‘êṯH6256
√ ʻêth — time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etcPreposition-lNouncommon singular
בּ֣וֹאbō·wAt sunsetH935
√ bôwʼ — to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)VerbQalInfinitive construct
הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁhaš·še·meš. . .H8121
√ shemesh — the sunArticleNouncommon singular
יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
צִוָּ֤הṣiw·wāhorderedH6680
√ tsâvâh — (intensively) to constitute, enjoinVerbPielPerfectthird person masculine singular
“Commanded,” Piel. Joshua sets Israel “the example of a strict observance of the law” (Pulpit Commentary), taking the bodies down before nightfall per Deuteronomy 21:23.
וַיֹּֽרִידוּם֙way·yō·rî·ḏūmthat they be taken downH3381
√ yârad — to descend (literally, to go downwardsConjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine pluralthird person masculine plural
מֵעַ֣לmê·‘alfromH5921
√ ʻal — above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsPreposition-m
הָעֵצִ֔יםhā·‘ê·ṣîmthe treesH6086
√ ʻêts — a tree (from its firmness)ArticleNounmasculine plural
וַיַּ֨שְׁלִכֻ֔םway·yaš·li·ḵumand thrownH7993
√ shâlak — to throw out, down or away (literally or figuratively)Conjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine pluralthird person masculine plural
“Cast them.” The cave that hid them now holds their corpses; the stones that sealed living kings (v. 18) now seal dead ones.
אֶל־’el-intoH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
הַמְּעָרָ֖הham·mə·‘ā·rāhthe caveH4631
√ mᵉʻârâh — a cavern (as dark)ArticleNounfeminine singular
אֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerin whichH834
√ ʼăsher — who, which, what, thatPronounrelative
נֶחְבְּאוּ־neḥ·bə·’ū-they had hiddenH2244
√ châbâʼ — to secreteVerbNifalPerfectthird person common plural
שָׁ֑םšām. . .H8033
√ shâm — there (transferring to time) thenAdverb
גְּדֹלוֹת֙gə·ḏō·lō·wṯThen largeH1419
√ gâdôwl — great (in any sense)Adjectivefeminine plural
אֲבָנִ֤ים’ă·ḇā·nîmstonesH68
√ ʼeben — a stoneNounfeminine plural
וַיָּשִׂ֜מוּway·yā·śi·mūwere placedH7760
√ sûwm — to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine plural
עַל־‘al-againstH5921
√ ʻal — above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsPreposition
פִּ֣יpîthe mouthH6310
√ peh — the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech)Nounmasculine singular construct
הַמְּעָרָ֔הham·mə·‘ā·rāhof the caveH4631
√ mᵉʻârâh — a cavern (as dark)ArticleNounfeminine singular
עַד־‘aḏ-and the stonesH5704
√ ʻad — as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)Preposition
עֶ֖צֶם‘e·ṣem. . .H6106
√ ʻetsem — a bone (as strong)Nounfeminine singular construct
“The selfsame of this day.” A noted crux: Keil argues ‘etsem (“bone, very substance”) elsewhere means “that very day,” never the open-ended “to this day,” so the clause may reach back to v. 18 rather than to the writer’s own time.
הַזֶּֽה׃פhaz·zehare there to thisH2088
√ zeh — the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thatArticlePronounmasculine singular
הַיּ֥וֹםhay·yō·wmdayH3117
√ yôwm — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)ArticleNounmasculine singular
28

On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wə·’eṯ- ha·hū bay·yō·wm yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ lā·ḵaḏ maq·qê·ḏāh way·yak·ke·hā lə·p̄î- ḥe·reḇ wə·’eṯ- mal·kāh he·ḥĕ·rim ’ō·w·ṯām wə·’eṯ- kāl- han·ne·p̄eš ’ă·šer- bāh hiš·’îr lō śā·rîḏ way·ya·‘aś lə·me·leḵ maq·qê·ḏāh ka·’ă·šer ‘ā·śāh lə·me·leḵ yə·rî·ḥōw

Word by word28 · parsed
וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker
הַה֗וּאha·hūOn thatH1931
√ hûwʼ — he (she or it)ArticlePronounthird person masculine singular
בַּיּ֣וֹםbay·yō·wmdayH3117
√ yôwm — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)Preposition-b, ArticleNounmasculine singular
“On that day”; the southern campaign opens. Cambridge: “It inaugurated a campaign, which may have lasted some weeks or even months.”
יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַyə·hō·wō·šu·a‘JoshuaH3091
√ Yᵉhôwshûwaʻ — Jehoshua (iNounpropermasculine singular
לָכַ֨דlā·ḵaḏcapturedH3920
√ lâkad — to catch (in a net, trap or pit)VerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular
מַקֵּדָה֩maq·qê·ḏāhMakkedahH4719
√ Maqqêdâh — Makkedah, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular
וַיַּכֶּ֣הָway·yak·ke·hāand put itH5221
√ nâkâh — to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)Conjunctive wawVerbHifilConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singularthird person feminine singular
לְפִי־lə·p̄î-. . .H6310
√ peh — the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech)Preposition-lNounmasculine singular construct
חֶרֶב֮ḥe·reḇto the swordH2719
√ chereb — droughtNounfeminine singular
וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-along withH853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker
מַלְכָּהּ֒mal·kāhits kingH4428
√ melek — a kingNounmasculine singular constructthird person feminine singular
הֶחֱרִ֣םhe·ḥĕ·rimHe devoted to destructionH2763
√ châram — to secludeVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular
“Devoted to destruction.” The ḥērem marks Makkedah’s fall as an act of worship-judgment, not mere conquest; the city is given wholly to God.
אוֹתָ֗ם’ō·w·ṯāmvvvH853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object markerthird person masculine plural
וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-vvvH853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker
כָּל־kāl-everyoneH3605
√ kôl — properly, the wholeNounmasculine singular construct
הַנֶּ֙פֶשׁ֙han·ne·p̄eš. . .H5315
√ nephesh — properly, a breathing creature, iArticleNounfeminine singular
אֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-H834
√ ʼăsher — who, which, what, thatPronounrelative
בָּ֔הּbāhin [the city]
Prepositionthird person feminine singular
הִשְׁאִ֖ירhiš·’îrleavingH7604
√ shâʼar — properly, to swell up, iVerbHifilPerfectthird person masculine singular
לֹ֥אlōnoH3808
√ lôʼ — not (the simple or absAdverbNegative particle
שָׂרִ֑ידśā·rîḏsurvivorsH8300
√ sârîyd — a survivorNounmasculine singular
“Survivor,” negated. The formula “he let none remain” recurs four times in this campaign section (Cambridge), each a deliberate echo.
וַיַּ֙עַשׂ֙way·ya·‘aśSo he didH6213
√ ʻâsâh — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
לְמֶ֣לֶךְlə·me·leḵto the kingH4428
√ melek — a kingPreposition-lNounmasculine singular construct
מַקֵּדָ֔הmaq·qê·ḏāhof MakkedahH4719
√ Maqqêdâh — Makkedah, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka·’ă·šerasH834
√ ʼăsher — who, which, what, thatPreposition-kPronounrelative
עָשָׂ֖ה‘ā·śāhhe had doneH6213
√ ʻâsâh — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationVerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular
לְמֶ֥לֶךְlə·me·leḵto the kingH4428
√ melek — a kingPreposition-lNounmasculine singular construct
יְרִיחֽוֹ׃yə·rî·ḥōwof JerichoH3405
√ Yᵉrîychôw — Jericho or Jerecho, a place in PalestineNounproperfeminine singular
Jericho; the campaign’s last clause binds Makkedah to the conquest’s first great victory, framing the whole as one obedient pattern.

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. The cave that became a prison and a grave — 10:16–18, 27

The unit turns on a single hollow in the limestone. Five kings who had marched out to crush Gibeon (v. 3) now flee and hide themselves — the Niphal putting the act on their own hands — “in the cave” (the article noted by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown and the Pulpit Commentary). Joseph Benson draws the whole irony: a cave is “A place of the greatest secrecy; but there is no escaping the eye or hand of God, who here brought them into a net of their own making.” Joshua orders the cave’s mouth sealed with great stones and guarded (v. 18), and Cambridge catches the generalship: “The victory was not yet won. The conqueror would not be diverted from his object.” By v. 27 the same stones seal the same kings inside the same cave — now dead. Benson presses it home: “that which they thought would have been their shelter was made their prison first, and then their grave.”

ii. "Tail them" — the relentless pursuit and the silenced enemy — 10:19–21

Joshua will not let the trophy stop the chase. The emphatic wə·’at·tem (“and as for you”) drives the army on; the rare verb “tail them,” cut off the rear, is, as Charles Ellicott observes, found in “the only other place where the same Hebrew verb occurs,” Deuteronomy 25:18 (the Verifier confirms zânab, H2179, in just two verses canon-wide). Matthew Poole hears the perfect tense of the promise: “God hath already done the work to your hands.” When the army returns whole — bə·šā·lôwm, “in peace” — the silence of the enemy is measured by a vivid idiom: not a man sharpened his tongue against Israel. Keil & Delitzsch and Cambridge both supply the implied subject from Exodus 11:7: “shall not a dog move his tongue.” The Passover-night peace of Egypt is reasserted in Canaan.

iii. The foot upon the neck — a sign, not a boast — 10:22–25

The cave is opened, the five kings led out by name in what Cambridge calls “the rhythmic roll of the enumeration” — Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, exactly the coalition of v. 3. Then comes the unit’s central image: Joshua bids his commanders set their feet on the kings’ necks. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown insist it is “not as a barbarous insult, but a symbolical action, expressive of a complete victory.” The Pulpit Commentary marks Joshua’s restraint as moral superiority: “the leader modestly disclaims any such superiority, and calls upon his subordinates to assume it.” And the act is immediately preached: “Fear not… be strong and of good courage” (v. 25) — which Ellicott identifies as “the very words spoken to Joshua by Jehovah” in Joshua 1:9. The commission given to the leader is handed down to the people, with the kings under their feet as living proof.

iv. The ban completed: Makkedah falls — 10:26–28

Joshua reserves the deathblow for his own hand (Cambridge), strikes and kills the kings, then hangs their bodies on five trees “as a token of disgrace after death” (Ellicott) — careful, with the going-in of the sun, to take them down per Deuteronomy 21:23, of which the Pulpit Commentary notes “this law is only to be found in Deuteronomy.” Keil & Delitzsch raises a genuine crux over the phrase rendered “to this day,” arguing it may mean “that very day.” The unit closes by sweeping into the southern campaign: Makkedah is taken, struck “to the mouth of the sword,” and devoted to destruction (the ḥērem), “as he had done to the king of Jericho” — binding the campaign’s end to its beginning.

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

Under Sola Scriptura, and offered as the tool’s own fallible reading to be tested: this passage is the Bible’s deliberate lesson in how a settled victory must be worked out. God had already given the kings into Israel’s hand (v. 19, perfect tense) — and precisely because the outcome was secured, Joshua refused to coast. He sealed the cave but pressed the pursuit; he claimed the trophy but commanded the chase; he set his officers’ feet on royal necks not to gloat but to teach, turning a single rout into a standing promise (“thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies,” v. 25). The cave the kings chose as refuge God made their tomb — every false shelter from God becomes, in the end, the grave we dug ourselves (Benson). And the man who speaks the charge “be strong and courageous” is the one who first received it (Joshua 1:9): the leader does not hoard the word of God’s encouragement but passes it down the line. This is fallible synthesis, not Scripture — but the text seems to press that assurance of victory is the reason to fight harder, never softer.

The cave they chose for refuge, God made their grave — and the charge once given to the leader is now spoken over the ranks. (A fallible reading, not a verse.)

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

"Tail them" — the rear-guard verb that judges Amalek verbal / quotation — confirmed

Joshua’s command “tail them / cut off their rear” (v. 19) uses a denominative verb from zānāḇ (“tail”) that occurs in only one other verse in the whole Hebrew canon: Deuteronomy 25:18, where Amalek “tailed” — picked off the faint and weary stragglers — of Israel. Charles Ellicott names the link directly: “the only other place where the same Hebrew verb occurs.” The same cruelty Amalek inflicted on Israel’s rear is now the lawful tactic by which Israel destroys the Amorite rear. The Verifier records the rare shared lexeme.

Joshua 10:19 · Deuteronomy 25:18

basis: shared rare lexeme H2179 zânab (in only 2 vv canon-wide), with H310 ʼachar; Verifier-confirmed verbal link, also named by Ellicott.

"Be strong and courageous" — the commission handed down verbal / quotation — confirmed

Joshua’s exhortation over the kings’ necks — “Do not be afraid or discouraged… Be strong and courageous” (v. 25) — quotes God’s own charge to Joshua at the start of the book (Joshua 1:9), reusing the verb pair châzaq / ’âmats and the formula “do not fear… be dismayed.” Ellicott: “The very words spoken to Joshua by Jehovah.” The word that made the leader now makes the people; the encouragement is not hoarded but passed down the ranks.

Joshua 10:25 · Joshua 1:9

basis: shared lexemes H553 ʼâmats, H2865 châthath, H2388 châzaq, H408 ʼal — the fixed war-charge formula; Verifier-confirmed, named by Ellicott and the Pulpit Commentary.

"Not a dog moved its tongue" — Passover peace re-asserted structural / thematic — confirmed

“No one dared to utter (literally, sharpen) a word against the Israelites” (v. 21) echoes the wording of Exodus 11:7, “against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue.” Keil & Delitzsch and Cambridge both read v. 21 as deliberately recalling the Passover-night promise of Egypt, here fulfilled in Canaan. The shared rare verb chârats (“to point / sharpen,” only 11 verses) and the tongue-idiom carry the link — but honestly tiered: chârats does not mean the same thing in the two places (Exodus has the dog “whet” or move its tongue, Joshua has a man “sharpen” his), so this is a recognized allusion and shared motif, not a quotation. We down-tier it to structural rather than overclaim a verbal citation.

Joshua 10:21 · Exodus 11:7

basis: shared rare lexeme H2782 chârats (in 11 vv) plus the tongue-idiom (H3956 lâshôwn, H376 ʼîysh); Verifier-confirmed shared lexemes, but the verb carries different senses in the two verses — an allusion/motif named by Keil and Cambridge, not a quotation. DOWNGRADED from the Verifier's automatic 'verbal' on the no-quotation-claim rule.

The five kings of the coalition — named, then doomed structural / thematic — confirmed

The roll-call of v. 23 (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon) reproduces exactly the coalition of kings assembled in Joshua 10:3. The recurrence of the rare royal place-names — Yarmûwth (7 vv), ‘Eglôwn (12 vv), Lâkîysh (22 vv), with Chebrôwn (66 vv) — seals the capture to the conspiracy, so that those who plotted Gibeon’s ruin are the very ones led out of the cave. Tiered honestly: though the shared toponyms are rare canon-wide, both verses sit inside one campaign narrative, so the repetition is deliberate inclusio / recapitulation, not a cross-context quotation — structural, not verbal, by the same principle stated in the apparatus.

Joshua 10:23 · Joshua 10:3

basis: shared rare onomastic lexemes H3412 Yarmûwth (7 vv), H5700 ʻEglôwn (12 vv), H3923 Lâkîysh (22 vv), H2275 Chebrôwn (66 vv); Verifier-confirmed, the same named kings of v. 3 — but an intra-narrative roll-call (inclusio), so DOWNGRADED from the Verifier's automatic 'verbal': a recurring toponym within one campaign is continuity, not quotation.

The ban on Makkedah, as on Jericho structural / thematic — confirmed

Makkedah is struck “to the mouth of the sword” and devoted to destruction (the ḥērem), “as he had done to the king of Jericho” (v. 28) — the text’s own cross-reference. The shared vocabulary of châram (the ban, 48 vv), chereb (sword), and peh (“mouth of the sword”) ties the southern campaign’s opening to the conquest’s first great victory at Jericho (Joshua 6:21). This is a structural, not a quotation, link.

Joshua 10:28 · Joshua 6:21

basis: shared lexemes H2763 châram (the ḥērem, in 48 vv), H2719 chereb, H6310 peh; Verifier-confirmed pattern link, with the text's own 'as... to the king of Jericho.'

Caves of refuge in Israel's story structural / thematic — confirmed

“The cave” (with the definite article) at Makkedah joins a chain of Judah’s limestone caves that recur as places of hiding and refuge: Lot after Sodom (Genesis 19:30), David at Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1), Israel cowering before the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:6), Obadiah’s hundred prophets (1 Kings 18:4) — the last noted by the Pulpit Commentary and Cambridge at this verse. The link is the shared noun mə‘ârâh (cave, 36 vv), reinforced at 1 Samuel 13:6 and 1 Kings 18:4 by the very verb of v. 16, châbâ’ (“hide oneself,” 33 vv) — but the connection is thematic and pointedly inverted: for the Amorite kings the cave is a death-trap and a grave, while for the faithful elsewhere the same dark hollow is a shelter the LORD provides.

Joshua 10:16 · 1 Samuel 13:6 · 1 Kings 18:4

basis: shared lexeme H4631 mᵉʻârâh (cave, in 36 vv), with H2244 châbâʼ (hide oneself, in 33 vv) at 1 Samuel 13:6 and 1 Kings 18:4 — Verifier-confirmed shared lexemes, but a recurring motif across unrelated contexts, not a quotation; parallels cited by the Pulpit Commentary and Cambridge.

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

Joshua (Yēshûaʻ) and the foot upon the enemy's neck ancient/widely-held

The savior-named leader (Joshua = Greek Ἰησοῦς, Jesus; Acts 7:45, Hebrews 4:8) sets the feet of his people on the necks of conquered kings (v. 24) and promises, “thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies” (v. 25). The ancient and apostolic reading sees here the messianic enthronement of Psalm 110:1, “till I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet,” which Paul applies to the risen Christ: “He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). Jamieson, Fausset & Brown and Cambridge both cite Psalm 110 and 1 Corinthians 15:25 at this very verse. This is a cross-Testament link: because Hebrew and Greek share no Strong’s numbers, it is offered as typological, not verbal — the figure of total subjugation, not a quotation.

Joshua 10:24 · Joshua 10:25 · Psalm 110:1 · 1 Corinthians 15:25

The kings hung on the tree — a triumph displayed ancient/widely-held

The five kings are killed and then hung on five trees until evening (v. 26), exposed under the curse-law of Deuteronomy 21:22–23 (“cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree,” applied to the cross in Galatians 3:13). Charles Ellicott reads it figurally at the verse: “Upon the cross of the true Joshua, the enemies of the Israel of God are exhibited. ‘He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it’ (Colossians 2:15).” The defeated powers publicly displayed on the tree become, in Paul’s image, the disarmed principalities exhibited in Christ’s cross. Cross-Testament and figural: tiered typological, with ancient warrant in Origen and Ellicott, never claimed as a verbal quotation.

Joshua 10:26 · Colossians 2:15 · Galatians 3:13

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (1834)
  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory (1871)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
  • Keil & Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1860s)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1685)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

This unit (Joshua 10:16–28) is Hebrew throughout; all parses are sourced from Berean/Strong’s and not contradicted here. Four honesty notes specific to this passage. (1) The “until this day” crux (v. 27). The phrase is genuinely disputed: Keil & Delitzsch argues ‘etsem (“bone, very substance”) elsewhere means “that very day,” not the open-ended “to this day,” and so reads the stones as set “until that very day” the kings were executed (referring back to v. 18), against the conventional rendering. We record both readings rather than resolve them. (2) The Verifier rates several intra-narrative links “verbal — confirmed” that we have down-tiered to structural. The Makkedah place-name links (e.g. Joshua 10:28 ↔ 10:29, 15:41, 12:16) score “verbal” only because Maqqêdâh (H4719) is rare (8 verses), and the five-kings roll-call (v. 23 ↔ v. 3) scores “verbal” on the rare toponyms Yarmuth, Eglon, Lachish — but in both cases the verses sit within one campaign narrative, so the recurrence is geographical continuity and inclusio, not cross-context quotation. We down-tier these to structural and keep only the richest, text-warranted cross-references as threads. (3) The Exodus 11:7 echo (v. 21) is an allusion, not a quotation. The Verifier flags it “verbal” on the rare verb chârats (11 vv), but the verb carries different senses in the two verses (a dog moving its tongue vs. a man sharpening his), and there is no quotation claim — so we tier it structural, an idiom-echo named by Keil and Cambridge. (4) The cross-Testament Christ links (Psalm 110:1, 1 Corinthians 15:25, Colossians 2:15, Galatians 3:13) cannot rest on shared Strong’s numbers — Hebrew and Greek do not share a lexicon — so they are tiered typological, not verbal, and rest on figural reading attested by Origen, Ellicott, and the standard commentaries, not on a citation claim. We under-claim by design: where the basis is a common word, an intra-narrative recurrence, or a figure, the badge says so.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)