5 LESSON XXX THE FIVE KINGS JOSHUA 10.1 to 11,9 10.1. Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedec king of 1 Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty. Wherefore Adoni-zedec king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Io Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel. Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king 15 of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country are gathered together against us. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into 25 thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, going up from Gilgal all night. And Jehovah discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to 2 Beth-horon, and smote Till the time of 20 1 The name Jerusalem is given by anticipation. David it was called Jebus. 2 There were two Beth-horons. The road ascends from Gibeon to the first, and then descends steeply to the second. That is how the text mentions both a going up to Beth-horon and a going down to Beth-horon. them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, so 30 they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down at Beth-horon, that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spake Joshua to Jehovah in the day 35 when Jehovah delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; And thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 40 Until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of 3 Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of a man: 45 for Jehovah fought for Israel. 10.16. But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah. And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by 50 it for to keep them and stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for Jehovah your God hath delivered them into your hand. And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with 55 a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities. And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and 60 bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave. And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, 65 that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the 3 Jasher means The Upright." The book of the Upright, which is quoted again in 2 Samuel 1. 18, seems to have been a collection of Hebrew ballads describing the deeds of the national heroes. captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua 70 said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage for thus shall Jehovah do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. And it came to pass 75 at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. 80 11.1. And it came to pass, when 4 Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, and to the kings that were on the north in the hill country, and in the Arábah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowlands, and on the 85 uplands of Dor in the west, and to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the 90 sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time 95 will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. And Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote 100 them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. And Joshua did unto them as Jehovah bade him he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire. 4 Jabin means proper name. : "The wise," and is a general title for the king, not a LESSON XXXI THE DIVISION OF THE LAND JOSHUA 13.1 to 24.30 (Selections) 13.1. Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and Jehovah said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, from the Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto 5 the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites on the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to 10 the borders of the Amorites: and the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sun-rising, from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath. All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children 15 of Israel only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh, with whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond 20 Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of Jehovah gave them; from Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon; and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the 25 children of Ammon; and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah; all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for these did Moses smite, and cast them out. Never- 30 theless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day. : 14. 6. Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in 35 Gilgal and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that Jehovah said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of Jehovah sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him 40 word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed Jehovah my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because 45 thou hast wholly followed Jehovah my God. And now, behold, Jehovah hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since Jehovah spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as 50 strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore gave me this 1 mountain, whereof Jehovah spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and 55 fenced if so be Jehovah will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as Jehovah said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that 60 he wholly followed Jehovah, the God of Israel. And the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. 15.13. And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the command65 ment of Jehovah to Joshua, even 2 Kirjath-arba, which Arba was the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was 3 Kir70 jath-sepher. And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. 1 Hebron is situated on the highest part of the plateau. the city of Arba. 3 =the city of books. 2 |