Joshua 10:29-43
Campaign through the South
Read the passage
29Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah.
30And the LORD also delivered that city and its king into the hand of Israel, and Joshua put all the people to the sword, leaving no survivors. And he did to the king of Libnah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it and fought against it.
32And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, and Joshua captured it on the second day. He put all the people to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
33At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors.
34So Joshua moved on from Lachish to Eglon, and all Israel with him. They laid siege to it and fought against it.
35That day they captured Eglon and put it to the sword, and Joshua devoted to destruction everyone in the city, just as he had done to Lachish.
36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it.
37They captured it and put to the sword its king, all its villages, and all the people. Joshua left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon; he devoted to destruction Hebron and everyone in it.
38Finally Joshua and all Israel with him turned toward Debir and fought against it.
39And they captured Debir, its king, and all its villages. They put them to the sword and devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. Joshua did to Debir and its king as he had done to Hebron and as he had done to Libnah and its king.
40So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
41Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon.
42And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.
43Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Joshua and Israel move from Makkedah to Libnah, then lay siege to Lachish and capture it on the second day. Horam king of Gezer comes to help Lachish, but Israel defeats him and his people as well.
The campaign continues through Eglon, Hebron, and Debir. The account repeatedly says that the inhabitants are put to the sword and none are spared. It includes the surrounding villages of Hebron and Debir, so this is more than a list of defeated kings.
The summary covers the southern region: the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes, from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and through Goshen as far as Gibeon. The narrator says Joshua devotes everything that breathes to destruction, as the LORD commanded.
These kings and their land are taken in one campaign because the LORD fights for Israel. Joshua then returns with the people to Gilgal. The account attributes the outcome to God while telling us plainly what His judgment meant for those cities.
Questions
1 Which cities does Joshua attack in this section?
AnswerHe attacks Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir, extending Israel's advance through the southern hill country.
2 What happens to each city's king?
AnswerThe king and the city are defeated according to the LORD's command as Joshua continues the campaign.
3 Who comes to help Lachish, and what happens?
AnswerHoram king of Gezer comes with his people, but Joshua defeats them, leaving no survivors.
4 What does the summary say about the LORD?
AnswerIt says the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel, explaining the campaign's outcome in terms of divine action.
What This Means for Us
A victory does not prove that the winners are morally superior. Before Israel entered the land, Moses warned them not to say it was their own righteousness that entitled them to it (Deuteronomy 9:4–6).
Read this judgment account with humility. It does not make our opponents into people we may destroy. When things go well for your household, give thanks without turning another person's loss into evidence of your own worth. God's gifts call for gratitude and obedience, not contempt.
Prayer
God of righteous judgment, keep us humble before difficult Scripture. Do not let us use Your name to bless hatred or violence; make us people who pursue justice with mercy and restraint. Amen.