Joshua 10:29-43
Campaign through the South
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
Joshua leads Israel from Makkedah against Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir. Each city is named, and each victory is reported in the same broad movement: the LORD gives the city and its king into Israel's hands.
The campaign is not described as a series of unrelated raids. The cities belong to a coalition that attacked Gibeon, and Israel is carrying out its covenant obligation to defend Gibeon while following the LORD's command. The narrative also continues the book's particular account of judgment on the land.
Joshua strikes the cities and their kings, leaving no survivors in the places the LORD has assigned to destruction. These are difficult sentences, and they must not be detached from their ancient covenant setting to justify ethnic hatred, religious coercion, or violence by people who claim God's authority for themselves.
The chapter concludes by saying Joshua took the whole land—the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, and the slopes—and all their kings because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel. The repeated explanation keeps the credit and the responsibility in view: this is the book's report of God's judgment and Israel's commanded task, not a celebration of human conquest for its own sake.
How We Know
The passage belongs to a sustained historical and covenant record. 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 10:29-43 is part of a sustained historical and covenant record.
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 Why is Israel fighting these cities?
AnswerThe campaign follows the attack on Gibeon and belongs to the LORD's particular judgment and covenant assignment in the book.
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
These conquest accounts require humility and careful boundaries. They describe Israel's unique story under a specific command; they do not authorize modern believers to treat opponents as people God has handed over to them.
The safer household application is to reject the desire to make God a witness for our aggression. Seek protection from real harm, pursue lawful justice, and remember that our ordinary calling is faithfulness, mercy, and restraint.
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.