The Sun Stands Still

Joshua 10

1 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, 1 m doing to Ai and its king n as he had done to Jericho and its king, and o how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 p he 2 feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 "Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For q it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel." 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, r gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.

6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua s at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us." 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and t all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, u "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. v Not a man of them shall stand before you." 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 w And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who 3 struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of x the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were x going down the ascent of Beth-horon, y the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
z "Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."

13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 a There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for b the Lord fought for Israel.

15 So c Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

  1. Cross References
    Joshua 8:22
    And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And Israel struck them down, until there was left none that survived or escaped.
    Joshua 8:26 - 29
    But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction.
  2. Cross References
    Joshua 6:21
    Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.
    Joshua 6:24
    And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 9:15
    And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
  4. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 11:25
    No one shall be able to stand against you. The Lord your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.
  5. Cross References
    Joshua 10:1
    As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them.
    Joshua 9:15
    And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
  6. Cross References
    Joshua 9:2
    They gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.
  7. Cross References
    Joshua 5:10
    While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.
    Joshua 9:6
    And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.
  8. Cross References
    Joshua 8:1
    And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.
    Joshua 8:3
    So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night.
  9. Cross References
    Joshua 11:6
    And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.
    Judges 4:14
    And Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.
  10. Cross References
    Joshua 1:5
    No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
  11. Cross References
    Judges 4:15
    And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot.
    1 Samuel 7:10
    As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel.
    Psalms 18:14
    And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
    Isaiah 28:21
    For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed - strange is his deed! and to work his work - alien is his work!
  12. Cross References
    Joshua 16:3
    Then it goes down westward to the territory of ...
    Joshua 16:5
    The territory of the people of Ephraim by their...
    Joshua 18:13 - 14
    From there the boundary passes along southward ...
    1 Kings 9:17
    So Solomon rebuilt Gezer) and Lower Beth-horon
    1 Chronicles 7:24
    His daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower ...
    2 Chronicles 8:5
    He also built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-h...
  13. Cross References
    Joshua 10:10
    And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 18:12 - 14
    Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
    Isaiah 30:30
    And the Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones.
    Revelation 16:21
    And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
  15. Cross References
    Habakkuk 3:11
    The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear.
    Isaiah 28:21
    For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed - strange is his deed! and to work his work - alien is his work!
  16. Cross References
    Isaiah 38:8
    Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps." So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.
    2 Kings 20:11
    And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 10:42
    And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.
    Joshua 23:3
    And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you.
    Joshua 23:10
    One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you.
  18. Cross References
    Joshua 10:43
    Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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