Joshua 11, Conquest of the Northern Kingdoms

The Israelites have subdued much of southern Canaan and overcome a dozen small kingdoms or more. We now move into the northern kingdoms of Canaan.

Joshua 11:1-5, The king of Hazor organizes opposition

When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph, and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots--a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

    

All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

This paragraph mimics the beginnings of the previous chapter. Here the northern kings unite. The king of Hazor, out of fear of this new power in the region, organizes opposition to Israel. The army is said to be "huge"and "as numerous as the sand on the seashore," a clear example of hyperbole.

(NIV footnotes: In verse 2, "in Naphoth Dor" may mean "in the heights of Dor.")

Joshua 11:6-8, YHWH is with Joshua

The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots."

    

So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left.

Despite the "huge" army, God leads Joshua to victory.

Joshua 11:9-12, "Total destruction"

Joshua did to them as the LORD had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

     

At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.)  Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anything that breathed, and he burned up Hazor itself. Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded.

Once again, the author emphasizes "total destruction". As always, the NIV footnotes explain that the Hebrew word for that phrase really means "completely devoted to God, " a somewhat ambiguous phrase.

Joshua 11:13-15, Hazor burned

Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds--except Hazor, which Joshua burned. The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed.

    

As the LORD commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

In verse 15, we are reminded that Joshua has followed Moses in obedience to God.

Joshua 11:16-20, Region conquered

So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. 

    

He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death.

    

Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time.

     

Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Joshua has waged three campaigns in Canaan. In the first chapters we see the Israelites cross the Jordan and move into the land around Jericho, just north of modern Jerusalem, in the center of Canaan. In chapter 10, the Israelites conquer southern Canaan (Jerusalem and south) and in this chapter, they conquer northern Canaan.

Below, from a website of Garry Stevens, is a map of the three campaigns of Joshua.

(This map was found here.)

Joshua 11:21-23, Rest

At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive.

    

So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

Israel's conquest is complete and finally the land has rest.

The concept of "rest", for the land and the people, will reappear at various places in the Old Testament and New Testament. The concept will be capped off by the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, which argues that although Yəhōšua (Joshua) brought rest to the land of Israel, only MessiahYēšūa (Yeshua, an alternate form of Joshua) could bring permanent rest to the people of Israel.

First published June 7, 2023; updated June 6, 2026

Joshua 10, Conquest of the Amorites (and a Still Sun!)

The people of Israel have been victorious at Ai. Their reputation spreads across the region. Next on the list is a small community called Jerusalem.

Joshua 10:1-4, Alliance by the Amorites

Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and were living near them. He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters.

    

So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. "Come up and help me attack Gibeon," he said, "because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites."

The Gibeonites are described in 2 Samuel 21 as Amorites. The Amorites are attacking a fellow tribe that has gone over to the side of Israel.

Joshua 10:5-7, Call for help

Then the five kings of the Amorites--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon--joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.    

    

The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us."

    

So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men.

Joshua is called to rescue his new allies. This is an immediate consequence of the treaty with a local tribe.

Joshua 10:8-11, Hailstorm

The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you."

     

After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

YHWH promises Joshua that the battle is won. After an overnight march, the Israelites surprise the Amorites and are supported by a powerful hailstorm.

In the cultural context of that day, we are told that "YHWH hurled large hailstones..."  Is this poetic imagery or is it "literal"? I argue that neither response captures the cultural view of nature. To the ancient Hebrew (or their pagan neighbors), God (or the gods) control the functions of nature and make decisions about the weather. A modern Christian might say, "God created a powerful thunderstorm and the hail from the storm was so big that it killed the Amorites." In the ancient Near East, this is exactly what is meant by "God hurled hailstones." 

Joshua 10:12-15, A still sun

On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: 

"O sun, stand still over Gibeon,

O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon." 

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, 

till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, 

as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!  

    

Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

Wow!  The physical effects of the sun truly standing still, that is, the earth not rotating, are beyond credibility. A number of commentators suggest some type of optical illusion. Several have suggested something related to the severe thunderstorm; other commentators suggest that this is story-telling hyperbole dramatizing the powerful work of YHWH in the victory. The NIV offsets part of this passage as a poetic piece, possibly from a book of songs, the unknown Book of Jashar.

(What is the Book of Jashar?  There are a number of external references that occur in the Old Testament.  One view of those books is here.  A link to a Wikipedia page on that text is here.)

Joshua 10:16-20, Catching five kings

Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, he said, "Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it.

    

"But don't stop! Pursue your enemies, attack them from the rear and don't let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand." So Joshua and the Israelites destroyed them completely--almost to a man--but the few who were left reached their fortified cities.

Most of the Amorites are "destroyed" (or "fully devoted") but some escape to their fortified cities. Regardless, the Israelites have won this war.

Joshua 10:21-27, Joshua kills five kings

The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites. Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me."

    

So they brought the five kings out of the cave--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.

     

Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight." Then Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening.

    

At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.

The kings are captured and executed by Joshua. After their deaths, the bodies of the kings are hung on trees for the day before they are buried. As prescribed in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, the bodies of the executed are to be taken down before evening.

Joshua 10:28-39, Other cites

That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

    

Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. The LORD also gave that city and its king into Israel's hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

    

Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. The LORD handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.  

    

Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army--until no survivors were left.

    

Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish.

    

Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.

    

Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.

Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Gezer, Eglon, Hebron, Debir,...   all fall to the Israelites, as the nation spreads over the land. This short passage probably summarizes years, maybe decades, of warfare. We see that Makkedah and Libnah are treated as Jericho, Lachish is treated "as Libnah", Eglon as Lachish, Hebron as Eglon. Finally Debir is treated "as Libnah ... and Hebron."  At least one city falls in one day; Lachish takes two days.

Other defeated kings will form a list in chapter 12 as the author quickly wraps up the history of the conquest and moves on to the distribution of the lands.

Joshua 10:40-43, Complete victory

So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.

Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

This passage summarizes the chapter: Joshua and his people have conquered the land of southern Canaan.

First published June 6, 2023; updated June 5, 2026

Joshua 9, Treaty with Gibeon

The Israelites have conquered Jericho and Ai and (possibly) other towns.

Joshua 9:1-2, An alliance against Israel

Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things--those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)-- they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel.

(The Great Sea is the Mediterranean Sea.) The kings between the Jordan and the Mediterranean are worried about these invaders and so form an alliance to fight this new threat, the people of Israel. Hubbard says these tribes are from Jerusalem and areas further south and west.

Joshua 9:3-8a, The Gibeonites

However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.

    

Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us." The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?"

    

"We are your servants," they said to Joshua. 

The Gibeonites are more cautious and subtle. They know they are likely to get a peace treaty if they are not viewed as a nearby tribe and so they fake their identification, hoping that a peace treaty is a treaty, even if some deception was used to gain it.

Joshua 9:8b-13, We are from far away

But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from?"

    

They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan--Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 

    

"And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, `Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us."' This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey."

Joshua is suspicious and presses the Gibeonites on their story. The Gibeonites emphasize the fear that has spread by the actions of the God of Israel. They push their ruse of long weary travel, pointing to old bread and clothes.

Joshua 9:14-21, Treaty

The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now.  This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them."
    

They continued, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community." So the leaders' promise to them was kept.

Verse 14 implies that had the men of Israel inquired of YHWH, the ruse would have been revealed. The possible outcome of that inquiry is not clear.

The Gibeonite ruse allows them to be absorbed into Israel, but as servants. Later, in the settlement of Canaan, the town of Gibeon will be a refugee city for the Benjamites (see Joshua 21:13-18.) 

Joshua 9:22-27, Treaty confirmed ... and a curse.

Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, "Why did you deceive us by saying, `We live a long way from you,' while actually you live near us? You are now under a curse: You will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."

They answered Joshua, "Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you."

    

So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day.

This passage repeats the earlier story, this time as a conversation involving Joshua. The Gibeonites become part of Israel, in a servile role. The text implies this is to always be true.

Do we hear of the Gibeonites later? Centuries later, King Saul will attempt to annihilate the Gibeonites and David then offers restitution to that tribe by allowing the Gibeonites to kill seven sons of Saul. Although Saul's attack on the Gibeonites is not recorded in scripture, the lurid episode in which David turns over seven sons of Saul is described in II Samuel 21:1-9.

There is a brief allusion here to an altar "at the place YHWH would choose". Just as Israel must follow the only One God, there will be one central place for all the people to worship. The tabernacle will move (says Madvig) from Shechem to Shiloh to Gibeon and eventually Jerusalem, where Solomon will build the permanent temple.

First published June 5, 2023; updated June 4, 2026

Joshua 8, Ai Again

The people of Israel have been defeated at Ai.  The defeat was a lesson in the importance of full devotion to YHWH and His instructions. Now that this is recognized, the Israelites return to Ai.

Joshua 8:1-2, Go back to Ai!

Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city."

The land still needs to be conquered. So Joshua is instructed to attack again, but this time by way of ambush.

Joshua 8:3-8, A different attack

So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night with these orders: "Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don't go very far from it. All of you be on the alert. 

    

"I and all those with me will advance on the city, and when the men come out against us, as they did before, we will flee from them. They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, `They are running away from us as they did before.' So when we flee from them, you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. The LORD your God will give it into your hand.

    

"When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the LORD has commanded. See to it; you have my orders."

This time the attacking force will be ten times larger. And it will rely on the previous rout to set up the ambush.

Joshua 8:9-13, The ambush is prepared

Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai--but Joshua spent that night with the people.

       

Early the next morning Joshua mustered his men, and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai. The entire force that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city. Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. They had the soldiers take up their positions--all those in the camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.

Joshua positions his men for ambush.

Bethel, literally "house of God", is a town close to Ai. Bethel has shown up a number of times in our history so far, first in Genesis 12:8, when Abraham visited and presumably named it.

Joshua 8:14-17, A lure

When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the desert. All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city.

    

Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.

The people of Ai are lured away. Ai is ready for the taking. 

The people of Bethel are suddenly mentioned here in verse 17 but the role of Bethel is unclear.

Joshua 8:18-23, Go back to Ai!

Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city." 

    

So Joshua held out his javelin toward Ai. As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire.

    

The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising against the sky, but they had no chance to escape in any direction, for the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the desert had turned back against their pursuers. For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from the city, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai.

    

The men of the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives.

The trap succeeds. Thirty thousand men (or thirty military units) converge on the trapped men of Ai. 

This form of ambush -- running away from the enemy, leading them into a trap -- will be used again, when the Israelites punish the Benjamites in Judges 20.

Joshua 8:23-26, Ai destroyed

But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

    

When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the desert where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it. Twelve thousand men and women fell that day--all the people of Ai.

    

For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed all who lived in Ai.

The complete sacking and destruction is done. Joshua and his javelin (representing the power of YHWH) succeed in finally conquering the city as originally intended.

Joshua 8:27-29, Ai and its king buried

But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the LORD had instructed Joshua. So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day. He hung the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take his body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.

The king of Ai is executed and the city reduced to rubble. Joshua follows the instructions of Deuteronomy 21:22-23, where the body of the criminal does not hang on the tree overnight.

Like Achan in the previous chapter, the executed individual is buried under a pile of stones. The funeral cairn of the Ai king survives until the time of the author of Joshua. 

Joshua 8:30-33, Altar on Mount Ebal

Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses--an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the LORD burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings.

    

There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua copied on stones the law of Moses, which he had written.  All Israel, aliens and citizens alike, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD, facing those who carried it--the priests, who were Levites. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.

Mount Ebal is 20 to 25 miles from Ai.

Joshua follows the instructions of Deuteronomy 27:1-8.  In doing so, he duplicates earlier actions of Moses, creating an altar and recopying the Law. We continue to see Joshua as the disciple of Moses and the God-given replacement for Moses.

Joshua 8:34-35, Joshua reads to the words of the law

Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law--the blessings and the curses--just as it is written in the Book of the Law.  There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the aliens who lived among them.

Joshua continues to follow the footsteps of Moses. It is not clear if the Law here is the entire Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) or just a portion (say the book of Deuteronomy.) All of this is done before the "whole assembly" of Israel. This assembly is not just made of citizens, but "aliens", people like Rahab who have joined the Israelites along the way.

The blessing and curses are surely those of Deuteronomy 28. Here we see a serious affirmation of the covenant, a re-commitment to being the people of YHWH. This is an essential step in the conquest of Canaan. It will be repeated at the end of the conquest, in Joshua 24.

Robert L. Hubbard, in his commentary on Joshua, suggests that covenant reaffirmation should be an important ritual in any community, whether it is in repeating past marriage vows or having a special ceremony to affirm past baptisms, or celebrating an Advent calendar.

First published June 3, 2023; updated June 3, 2026

Joshua 7, Ai

The Israelites have been victorious at Jericho.  They move on to a town called Ai. Unknown to them, not everyone has been obedient to God's commands.

Joshua 7:1-3, Treachery

But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD's anger burned against Israel.

Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, "Go up and spy out the region." So the men went up and spied out Ai. 

    

When they returned to Joshua, they said, "Not all the people will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary all the people, for only a few men are there."

The impurity of the actions of Achan at Jericho will lead to disaster at Ai.  Joshua is overconfident and sends a small army to take Ai. (Madvig says that the name Ai (or i , עַי) means "a ruins" and might not have really been the name of a city.)

The name Bethel means "house of God"; the name Beth Aven means "house of evil." This second town may have received its name after this episode!

(NIV footnotes: Some ancient manuscripts give "Zimri" in verses 1, 17 and 18; other manuscripts give "Zabdi".)

Joshua 7:4-5, Disaster

So about three thousand men went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

The Israelites are routed and thirty-six are killed.

Commentator Robert L. Hubbard argues that the Hebrew word, eleph (אֶלֶף), translated here as "thousand" might be better translated "clan" or "military unit." Joshua, he argues, sends three squads of soldiers, maybe several hundred men, to attack Ai.  This translation makes the death of 36 in a "rout" much more reasonable.

(NIV footnotes: Verse 5 "as far as the stone quarries" could be "as far as Shebarim".) 

Joshua 7:6-9, Joshua seeks an answer

Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.

    

And Joshua said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?"

Joshua is stunned by this defeat and falls down before the ark, asking, "Why?"  The leaders fall down with him. In his expression of dismay, he points out that this rout is bad for the reputation of Israel and Israel's God! (This is a complaint Joshua may have learned from Moses!)

Joshua 7:10-13, God's answer

The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.

    

That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.
    

"Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, `Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it.

The cause of the defeat is the lack of full devotion by all the people. The defeat at Ai is a physical reminder of the seriousness of the earlier instructions. The failure to fully follow instructions has led to this defeat and the death of 36 men. The problem needs to be resolved.

Joshua 7:14-15, Finding the culprit

"`In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD takes shall come forward clan by clan; the clan that the LORD takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the LORD takes shall come forward man by man. He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!'"

The reader knows who committed the crime but must wait while Joshua and the nation learn. The culprit will be revealed by this winnowing through the tribes and families.

Joshua 7:16-19, An answer by lots

Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was taken. The clans of Judah came forward, and he took the Zerahites. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken. Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
    

Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me."
    

What a strange way to find the culprits! Hubbard suggests that the priests may have had a divine way (Urim and Thummim?) that would have indicated "Yes" or "No". The priests got "Yes" when the tribe of Judah was represented, then when the subtribe of Zorah appeared, and so on.

Joshua 7:20-21, Confession

Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

Achan admits to his crime. He has both coveted items that were not his and then stolen these treasures from YHWH, violating both the Eighth and Tenth Commandments.

(NIV footnotes: In verse 20, "Babylonia" is the Hebrew "Shinar". In verse 21, fifty shekels is about about 1 1/4 pounds so two hundred shekels is about five pounds.)

 

Joshua 7:22-24, Busted!

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD.

    

Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.

The booty is found in Achan's tent, just as he had said. It was hidden there; obviously Achan knew this was a crime and presumably his family were aware of his actions.

The Hebrew word "akar" (עָכַר) means "troubled" or "disturbed." The Valley of Achor is thus "The Valley of Trouble."

Joshua 7:25-26, Punishment

Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today." Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

Achan and his family are executed and their bodies burned. Afterwards, the bodies are covered by a mound of rocks, possibly a humiliating form of burial. (The body of the king of Ai will be buried this way in the next chapter.) To modern ears, this punishment is brutal. But the Israelites, in Joshua 1, had promised full obedience to God, through Joshua, and had sworn that the punishment for betrayal was death. Achan and his family, in their deceit, are responsible for 36 deaths.

Robert L. Hubbard points out that the promises to the country of Israel are really to the covenant of YHWH. Outsiders, like Rahab, who commit to YHWH, become part of Israel; insiders like Achan, who have Israelite lineage but turn away from YHWH, receive the same punishment as those outside the nation. Rahab (and her descendants -- see the book of Ruth) are members of the tribe; Achan and his descendants are not.

Some Random Thoughts

This chapter emphasizes the united community of Israel; the actions of one individual can hurt the entire community.

First published June 2, 2023; updated June 2, 2026

Joshua 6, Jericho

Joshua has encountered the supernatural commander of YHWH's army and now it is time for the Israelites to move on Jericho.

Joshua 6:1-5, March around the city

Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

    

Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."

Instructions are given for another dramatic demonstration of God's power. Once again, the number seven is important. The Israelites will march for six days around the city and then on the seventh day, the priests will blow trumpets, the people will shout, and God will act.

Joshua 6:6-11, Instructions given to the people

So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it." 

    

And he ordered the people, "Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD."
    

When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD's covenant followed them. The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding.

    

But Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!"

    

So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there.

Joshua passes on the instructions to the people. Seven priests carry seven trumpets, with the ark following them. They circle the city once, then retire.

Emphasis is placed on the travel of the ark and, as in the last chapter, we are reminded that it is YHWH Who is really at work. The people are just following YHWH, the priests, and the ark.

Joshua 6:12-14, Marching

Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding.

    

So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

The people and the ark travel around the city, day after day. Each day they do a full circle. There are seven trumpets and they will march for seven days with seven priests.

Joshua 6:15-19, Seventh day

On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 

    

The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD."

    

"Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury."
    

The climactic day has arrived. Once more the people march around the city. This time they circle it seven times, then shout and blow the trumpets.  

Final instructions are given. Rahab, and those in her house, are the only ones to be spared.

Joshua 6:20-21, Victory and destruction

When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it--men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

Victory is complete. As instructed, everything in the city is herem, that is, devoted to YHWH. (The NIV footnotes want us to be aware that this Hebrew word, herem, sometimes translated "devoted" means "giving over things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them." In some cases this seems to mean "destroyed" but in other cases it may mean "full submission".)

Joshua 6:22-24, Rahab saved

Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." 

    

So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD's house.

Joshua makes sure that Rahab is protected. Everything else is destroyed or moved into the treasury in YHWH's house.  (Commentaries are unclear as to what this last line means -- this is the first mention of a treasury for YHWH and at this time YHWH's house is presumably the tabernacle. It is possible this phrasing reflects the language of a later date.)

Joshua 6:25, Rahab saved

But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

    

We do not hear of Rahab again in the Old Testament, although the text of Joshua says she (or her descendants) reside in Israel at the time of this writing. However, this foreigner is mentioned in the New Testament, in the line of the Messiah (Matthew 1:5), and as an example of faith (Hebrews 11:31, and James 2:25.)  Even in the book of Joshua we will see a dramatic difference between the faith of this Canaanite woman and that of a true Israelite in the very next chapter.

This theme will be repeated in Joshua and Judges: If the people of Israel are devoted to God, they will be successful in their conquest.  Their enemies will be destroyed, with even a foreign remnant joining Israel.  Here the remnant is explicitly described as Rahab and her family.

Joshua 6:26, A curse on Jericho

At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: "Cursed before the LORD is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: "At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates."

    

Although people will continue to live in the ruins of Jericho off and on for centuries, no one tries to rebuild the city until the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel during the divided kingdoms, much later. The fulfillment of this curse is described in 1 Kings 16:26.

Joshua 6:27, YHWH with Joshua

So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

The mantle of Moses has passed on to Joshua. If YHWH is with Joshua, who can defeat him?

What happens if the people of Israel are not fully devoted to God? The answer to that question will be described in the next chapter, since, as it turns out, not everyone followed Joshua's instructions.

First published June 1, 2023; updated June 1, 2026

Names of God in the Old Testament

Two (and a half) Names for God

The ancient Hebrew of the Old Testament had a variety of different names for God. There were two basic names used, followed by a number of variants on those two names. 

One of the two basic names was El, a generic name for "god". The syllable "el" shows up in lots of places, such at Beth-el, where Abraham met God (see Genesis 13:3-4) and Jacob first met God on a stairway leading up to Heaven (see Genesis 28:12-19.)  That word probably morphed into the arabic word, Allah, a generic -- not specifically Muslim! -- word for God. In the Old Testament, El is occasionally used for some other god, other than the God of the Jews.

The other name for God was a three syllable word with four consonants that, in English, are written YHWH. This is the name God gives Moses in Exodus 3:14. In biblical Hebrew, we do not have vowels written down and so it is not clear how that name was pronounced. This word is generally translated "I am" or "I will be what I will be".

The Hebrew word Adonai, means "master" or "lord". It might be used of a servant to his master; it was not a word for God but could be used in addressing God, since He, of course, should be one's master. For example in Genesis 15:2, Abraham address God as "sovereign Lord" (NIV translation); this is "adonai YHWH" in the original Hebrew.

Out of respect for the name of God (and concerned about obedience to the Third Commandment), Jewish rabbis did not pronounce YHWH out loud but instead replaced it by Adonai. In later Hebrew texts, where vowels were inserted, the vowels of Adonai replaced any vowels for YHWH and so, we have in English, versions of YaHoWaH, such as Jehovah in the King James Bible.

A nice explanation of this transition is given in the Bible Project video on YHWH.

More Names of God

In Hebrew one could take a name for God and add various adjectives. Eloah mean Strong God; Elohim mean God, Might Creator, a plural (?) of Eloah. El-Shaddai is God Almighty.

Some descriptions of these names appears here at the GotQuestions website. Here, copied from that site, are more names:

• YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) 
• YAHWEH-RAPHA [yah-way-raw-faw]: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) 
• YAHWEH-NISSI [yah-way-nee-see]: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15) 
• YAHWEH-M'KADDESH [yah-way-meh-kad-esh]: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Lev. 20:8; Ezek. 37:28) 
• YAHWEH-SHALOM [yah-way-shah-lohm]: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) 
• YAHWEH-ELOHIM [yah-way-el-oh-him]: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) 
• YAHWEH-TSIDKENU [yah-way-tzid-kay-noo]: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) 
• YAHWEH-ROHI [yah-way-roh-hee]: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) 
• YAHWEH-SHAMMAH [yah-way-sham-mahw]: "The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) 
• YAHWEH-SABAOTH [yah-way-sah-bah-ohth]: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) 
• EL ELYON [el-el-yohn]: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19)
• EL ROI [el-roh-ee]: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) 
• EL-OLAM [el-oh-lahm]: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) 
• EL-GIBHOR [el-ghee-bohr]: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) 

The BibleProject has a blog post on this topic and (of course) a video.

That they may know me...

These names do not, of course, include other places where YHWH is simply described in some way.  Throughout the Old Testament YHWH challenges the Israelites to know Him. (See Isaiah 43:10.) In the New Testament there are similar challenges to know Messiah Yeshua. The apostle Paul declares that his goal to know Jesus/Yeshua (Philippians 3:8-10.)

Years ago, I had a poster on a wall (either in my office or my home) that had the names of Jesus using various Bible passages. It is now old and tattered, but the goal is clear....

First published April 23, 2023; updated May 31, 2026