Joshua 10:15 - Meaning and Application

The five kings made a bold show when they came out against Gibeon, and they had a strong army with them. But they were quickly thrown into confusion, then crushed by the hailstones. After that, Joshua thought the work was finished and that he and his army could rest. So it was decided, perhaps in a war council, that they should return at once to the camp at Gilgal (Joshua 10:15), until God gave further orders about taking the land they had already conquered. Soon, however, Joshua found that there was more still to do.

The victory had to be pressed further so the spoil could be divided. So Joshua went back to the task with fresh energy. The scattered enemy forces had to be chased down and struck. When Joshua heard where the kings were, he ordered guards to watch them for the time being (Joshua 10:18), keeping them for another day of judgment, as Job says, a day when the wicked are reserved for wrath (Job 21:30). He told his men to pursue the common soldiers as far as possible, so they would not reach their cities of refuge and make those strongholds harder to take (Joshua 10:19). Like a wise commander, Joshua did what was most urgent first, and delayed any celebration until the conquest was secure. He was not so eager to mock the captive kings that he neglected to stop their scattered troops from gathering again.

This careful pursuit led to a great slaughter of the enemies of God and Israel. It also cleared the field, leaving only those who escaped into fortified cities, where they would not be safe for long, and where they could not help the cities much anyway unless they could also leave their fear behind. No one moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel (Joshua 10:21). That means, first, they were perfectly safe and at rest. Some take the phrase from Exodus 11:7 to mean that not even a dog barked against them, not a single Israelite was touched in the battle or the chase. Second, their honor was protected. No one had a reproach to throw at them or an insult to speak. God not only stopped their enemies’ hands, but also silenced their mouths and shut up lying speech. Third, the old Aramaic translation takes it to mean that Israel felt unbroken joy over the victory. When the army was reviewed after the battle, no one was killed, wounded, or missing. Not one Israelite had cause to mourn the loss of a friend or even a limb. So this victory was cheap, easy, and glorious.

Now the kings who had hidden themselves had to answer for their rebellion against the Israel of God, to whom this land rightly belonged by God’s promise and gift. They should have surrendered it when demanded. First, we see how they were secured. The cave they fled to, and trusted as a refuge, became their prison, where they were shut up until Joshua could judge them (Joshua 10:18). It seems they escaped both the hailstones and the sword, because God ordered it so, not out of kindness to them, but so they could be saved for a more solemn and terrible execution. Pharaoh survived Egypt’s plagues for the same reason, so God could show his power in him (Exodus 9:16). The kings all fled and ended up in the same place, with providence guiding them there. The same men who had recently been plotting against Israel were driven by new plans to save themselves, and they all agreed to hide in one cave.

The report brought to Joshua shows that there were people in the land who knew its hiding places and were on his side. Joshua’s care in keeping the kings there shows both his skill and his clear thinking, even in the heat of battle. It also shows how people deceive and ruin themselves when they think they can hide from God. A false refuge will only leave them under God’s judgment.

Second, we see how Joshua made a public display of their defeat. He ordered the kings brought out of the cave, set before him like men on trial, and their names called out (Joshua 10:22-23). When they were bound and thrown down helplessly, or lay on the ground begging for their lives, Joshua called the army’s leading men and ordered them to put their feet on the kings’ necks. This was not done as a joke, or to amuse the crowd. It was done with the seriousness fitting servants of God’s justice, who were not there to satisfy their own pride or anger, but to honor the God of Israel, who is higher than all, who crushes princes as if they were clay (Isaiah 41:25), and is terrible to the kings of the earth (Psalm 76:12).

This does seem harsh, since it shamed men who had suddenly fallen from high honor into deep disgrace. It was hard for crowned heads to be trodden upon, especially not by Joshua alone, but by all the captains. Still, this should not be taken as a model for ordinary conduct, because the case was unusual, and it likely came by divine direction. God was doing three things through it. First, he was punishing the terrible wickedness of these kings, whose sin was now full. By judging these leaders of Canaan publicly, he also helped his people feel stronger hatred for the sins of the nations that God was driving out, sins they might have been tempted to copy. Second, he was making good the promise spoken by Moses, that Israel would tread upon their high places, that is, their great men (Deuteronomy 33:29). It is fitting that this should have been fulfilled quickly and in a literal way, since those are the last recorded words of Moses. Third, he was strengthening the faith and hope of Israel for the wars still ahead. That is why Joshua said, “Do not be afraid or dismayed” (Joshua 10:25).

Do not fear these kings or their followers, as if any danger remained that they might later take revenge for this insult. Many people hold back from treating conquered enemies too boldly because they do not know how soon war may turn against them. But Joshua tells his men that they do not need to fear any such thing here, because no one will rise up to avenge this cause.

Do not fear any other kings who may join together against you in the future, because you have seen these great kings brought low, even though you thought they were so strong. In the same way, the Lord will deal with all your enemies. When they begin to fall so far that you can put your feet on their necks, you may be sure they will not stand against you, but will surely fall before you (Esther 6:13).

This also pointed ahead to Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness, and to the victory believers have through him. All the enemies of the Redeemer, the one God sent to save, will be made his footstool (Psalm 110:1). The kings of the earth set themselves against him (Psalm 2:2), but in time we will see everything put under him (Hebrews 2:8), and rulers and powers openly defeated (Colossians 2:15). In these triumphs, we are more than conquerors. We may trample the lion and the adder, meaning the strongest dangers and enemies (Psalm 91:13), and rise above hard places (Isaiah 58:14). We can also be sure that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet, and do it fully and finally (Romans 16:20). See also Psalm 149:8, Psalm 149:9.

3. How they were put to death. Perhaps after that terrible humiliation of being trodden on by the captains of Israel, they may have thought, like Agag, that the worst was over. They may have felt that enough punishment had already been given by many hands. But their royal rank could not save their lives, because their lives had already been forfeited.

Joshua struck them with the sword, then hanged their bodies until evening. After that, they were taken down and thrown into the cave where they had hidden themselves (Joshua 10:26, Joshua 10:27). What they thought would be their shelter became first their prison and then their grave. So it is with those who flee from God to some other refuge. Yet for godly people, the grave is still a hiding place (Job 14:13).

If these five kings had humbled themselves in time and asked for peace instead of making war, they might have saved their lives. But now the judgment had gone out, and no room was left for repentance, or for changing the sentence. It was too late to expect mercy, even if they sought it with tears.