Joshua 10-11

Joshua 10-11: The southern conquest and another northern conquest

Joshua 10: The Sun Stands Still / Five Kings Defeated
Joshua 11.1-15: The United Kings of Northern Canaan Defeated

In today's reading, Israel conquers the promised land.

The Sun Stands Still: Joshua 10.1-15
This story builds on previous events in the Joshua narrative to emphasize the building reputation of the Israelites: not only has Israel utterly destroyed Ai and Jericho, but the Gibeonites, whose city was large and whose men were warriors, have made peace with the Israelites [the text does not mention here the Gibeonites' servitude as hewers of wood and drawers of water]. King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem knows this and is frightened. He sends a message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon, asking for unity between the five of them in attacking the Gibeonites.

When the Gibeonites are attacked they cry to Israel for help. Bound by their contract, the Israelites go to fight the five kings. The Lord informs them that the five kings have been handed over to Israel, making this battle a really convenient one i the conquest of the promised land. Israel stands to conquer five nations in one battle. Joshua and his army marches from Gilgal to Gibeon. There the Lord throws the opposing armies into a panic, and strikes them down as they flee from battle. God as divine warrior (YHWH Sabaoth) is in full force as he throws huge stones as the armies as they run down the slopes of Beth-horon: "There were more who died because of the hailstones than the Israelites killed with the sword."

What comes next is an interesting demonstration of biblical editing: an old poem within a prose framework that changes the meaning of the poem:

On the day when the Lord gave the Amoreites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord; and he said in the sight of Israel,
"Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon."
And the sun stodd still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies."
Is it not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in midheaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a human voice; for the Lord fought for Israel.
(Josh. 10.12-14)

Removed form the prose framework, the poetry has someone directly commanding the sun and moon to stop as a nation conquers its enemies. The prose framework, however, links the episode with God, so that Joshua actually speaks to the Lord to make the sun and moon stand still. This ensures that the sun and moon stop by the will of God; the biblical author uses this passage to emphasize God's power and reinterpret the passage from the Book of Jashar to emphasize God's agency over humans.

His enemies in disarray, Joshua returns with all Israel to Gilgal.

Five Kings Defeated: Joshua 10.16-43
Meanwhile, the five kings that have fled hide in the cave at Makkedah. Joshua has huge stones rolled over the mouths of the caves as the Israelties continue to slaughter their enemies [this contradicts the earlier statement that says Israel returned to Gilgal]. When all the people have been wiped out, the kings are taken out of the cave. Joshua has the chiefs of the warriors put their feet on the kings' necks - a sign of complete subjugation. Joshua then kills the kings and hangs their corpses from trees as warning. At sunset he takes them down and throws them into the cave they came from. The large stones at the cave's mouth remain to this day.

The death of the five kings sets off a battle spree.

That same day Joshua takes Makkedah and destroys every person within it. Then he does the same with Libnah, and then Lachish, along with King Horam of Gezer and his people who came to help Lachish. Joshua destorys Eglon and Hebron and Debir. Finally, the whole land is defeated: the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all of Goshen as far as Gibeon.

This completed, the Israelites return to camp at Gilgal.

The United Kings of Northern Canaan Defeated Joshua 11.1-15
Now Joshua heads North to conquer the kingdoms there.

When King Jabin of Hazor hears of Israel's success against the kingdoms in the south, he summons a number of kings representing a great number of people. They all come together to face they Israelites:

They came out, with all their troops, a great army, in number like the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. All these kings joined their forces, and came and camped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.
(Josh. 11.4-5)

I picture this as something like a scene out of Lord of the Rings, where the sheer number of adversaries boggles the mind.

We're really setting up an underdog story here. Just kidding. The power of God easily overpowers any adversary. The Lord therefore commands Joshua to command the ISraelites to hamstring the horses of their opponents, and burn their chariots.

Sure enough, the Lord hands over Israel's adversaries - and there is hamstringing and burning.

Joshua then takes down the king of Hazor (Jabin) - the head of all the kingdoms that attack Israel. The mightiest city is then burned, though the others are not.

The Israelites take the spoils and livestock of the towns, and kill everyone. The author is sure to point out twice that this act is done in fulfillment of God's command to Moses, which Moses then gave to Joshua.