Joshua 10:1-15
The Sun Stands Still
1Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction—doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king—and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were living near them.
2So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
3Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4“Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
5So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites from the hill country have joined forces against us.”
7So Joshua and his whole army, including all the mighty men of valor, came from Gilgal.
8The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you.”
9After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise.
10And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites.
12On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.”
14There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD listened to the voice of a man, because the LORD fought for Israel.
15Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Berean Standard Bible
Adoni-zedek hears that Gibeon has made peace with Israel and is frightened because Gibeon is a large city. He gathers four other kings to attack Gibeon. The alliance is not responding to an isolated village; it is responding to a shift in the political landscape created by Israel's arrival.
The Gibeonites send word to Joshua and ask him to come quickly. Joshua marches through the night with his fighting men. The LORD throws the enemy into confusion, and the soldiers of Israel pursue them along the road. The account says more enemies die from hailstones sent by the LORD than from Israel's sword.
Joshua asks the LORD publicly for the sun to stand still over Gibeon and the moon over the Valley of Aijalon. The day is described as extraordinary because the LORD fights for Israel. The text emphasizes God's intervention, not Joshua's control over the heavens.
This passage belongs to the conquest narrative and its unique covenant setting. Its astonishing language should not be turned into a formula for demanding miracles or permission for human aggression. It presents a moment when God acts decisively for Israel as Joshua carries out the command he has received.
How We Know
This account is best tested by reading it alongside the surrounding witness. Joshua records Israel's entry, settlement, and covenant life in continuity with Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch. Later books such as Judges and 1 Chronicles assume the people, land allotments, and places named here. Those internal cross-checks do not settle every archaeological question, but they show that Joshua 10:1-15 is part of a sustained historical and covenant record.
Questions
1 Why do the five kings attack Gibeon?
AnswerThey attack because Gibeon has made peace with Israel, and its size makes that alliance a serious threat.
2 How does Joshua respond to Gibeon's request?
AnswerHe marches all night with his fighting men, honoring the covenant and coming to Gibeon's aid.
3 What does the LORD do during the battle?
AnswerHe throws the enemy into confusion and sends large hailstones, killing more enemies by hail than by Israel's sword.
4 What does Joshua ask the LORD to do?
AnswerHe asks the sun to stand still over Gibeon and the moon over Aijalon until Israel can complete the pursuit.
What This Means for Us
Joshua's urgency is connected to a promise he made, even a promise formed through poor discernment. Our commitments affect other people, and faithfulness may require costly action after the excitement of making a promise has passed.
We should not use this miracle account to demand spectacular signs. It invites reverence for God's power and reminds us that divine action is not a tool we control or a warrant for turning personal conflict into holy war.
Prayer
Lord, make us faithful to people who rely on our word. Give us courage to act when responsibility calls, humility about Your power, and wisdom not to turn faith into a tool for our own conflicts. Amen.