Joshua's Conquest of Southern Canaan

In the last chapter and post, Israel had made a peace agreement with the Gibeonites who were of the Hivites, even though the Gibeonites had deceived Israel by pretending they had come from a far country beyond Canaan.  Still an agreement was reached for peace with the Gibeonites, but they would serve Israel as woodcutters and water carriers.  Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 10:1) Now it came to pass, when Adoni-Zedek, king of 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, (2) 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 its men were mighty.

In the last chapter, all the kings of Canaan planned to form an alliance to go against the Israelites.  Gibeon, part of the Hivites, had broken away and made a peace agreement with Israel.  Jerusalem at that time was a Jebusite city.  When its king, Adoni-Zedek, heard about how Israel had destroyed Ai and how Gibeon had made peace with Israel, he and his people greatly feared because Gibeon was a great royal city, greater than Ai, with mighty men, and it was now allied with Israel.

(3) Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, (4) "Come up to me and help me, that we might strike Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel."

The king of Jerusalem sent word to four other kings of Canaanite cities and asked them to come help him strike Gibeon because it had made peace with Israel.  That probably seemed a betrayal to him and was the reason he sought only to strike Gibeon and not Israel at that time.  Additionally, he probably considered Gibeon an easier target, especially with five armies attacking it.

(5) Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon and made war against it.

These five kings were called Amorites even though Jerusalem was a Jebusite city, and Hebron was a Hittite city.  The Canaanites as a whole were often called Amorites.  The Amorites were the most powerful people in the land and had dispersed throughout Canaan, and so Amorites became synonymous with Canaanites.  The five kings with their armies went and encamped before Gibeon and made war against it.

(6) And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, "Do not slacken your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us."

The men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua and asked that he not delay in helping to save the Gibeonites from the Amorites who dwelt in the mountains who had gathered together to make war against them.

(7) So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.

Indeed, Joshua and all his mighty men of war went up to Gibeon.

(8) And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; there shall not a man of them stand before you."

The Lord told Joshua not to fear them, that He had delivered them into his hand, and that not one man would be able to stand before him.  What an incredible promise!  Five kings with five armies and not one man would be able to stand before Joshua!  

(9) Joshua therefore came to them suddenly and went up from Gilgal at night.

Joshua and his men came upon the kings and their armies suddenly in the night.

(10) And the Lord confounded them before Israel, and killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goes up to Beth Horon and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah.

The Lord confused the kings and their armies when they were taken by surprise in the night, and a great number of them were slaughtered at Gibeon.  Israel chased the rest of them out of the city and into other cities in the area.

(11) And it came to pass as they fled from before Israel and were going down to Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them to Azekah, and they died. More died with hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.

And as the kings and their armies were fleeing into Azekah, the Lord sent great hailstones from heaven that killed them.  More people died from the hailstones than Israel's army killed.  Thus the Lord Himself killed the majority of them.

(12) Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still upon Gibeon, and moon, in the valley of Ajalon."

This was during the battle that Joshua prayed that the sun and moon might stand still over Gibeon until they were able to fully defeat the kings and their armies.  I believe the sense is that he prayed the sun not set and leave them in darkness before they had completely defeated their enemies.

(13) And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is this not written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and did not hasten to go down about a whole day.

The sun and moon indeed stood still about a whole day until the people had defeated their enemies.  It is believed that the last part of verse 12 and the beginning of verse 13 may have been poetical prophecy from the lost book of Jasher:

Sun, stand still upon Gibeon,

And Moon, in the Valley of Ajalon.

And the sun stood still,

And the moon stayed

Until the people had avenged themselves

Upon their enemies.

Actually, it seems to me more likely that the first two lines were prayed by Joshua, and then perhaps the next four were prophesied in the book of Jasher.  Regardless, the sun and moon did in fact stand still in the sky for about a whole day.

(14) And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened to the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.

I believe this verse proves that the first two lines above were in fact the prayer of Joshua.  Joshua wrote that never before or after, as far as he knew, had the Lord heeded the voice of man to do such a miraculous thing in the sky.  Joshua recognized that it was because the Lord fought for Israel.

(15) And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

After they had completely defeated the kings and their armies, Joshua and all the people of Israel who had gone up with him, returned to their camp at Gilgal.

(16) But these five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

However, we find that the kings of the armies Israel had defeated, had fled on to Makkedah and hid themselves in a cave.

(17) And it was told Joshua, saying, "The five kings have been found hidden in a cave at Makkedah." (18) And Joshua said, "Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave and set men by it to keep them."

Joshua learned that the kings had hidden in a cave at Makkedah.  He then ordered that large stones be rolled to the mouth of the cave to keep the kings from escaping and that men be set by it to guard them.

(19) "And do not stay but pursue after your enemies and strike the hindmost of them; do not allow them to enter into their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand."

It seems that there must have been a band of soldiers who followed their kings to the cave.  Joshua ordered that the kings be closed in and a guard set, but that the rest of the Israelite soldiers were to pursue the kings' soldiers and strike them from behind and prevent them from entering into their cities.  Joshua encouraged his soldiers by telling them that the Lord had indeed delivered those soldiers into their hands just as He had the others they had conquered.

(20) And it came to pass when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter till they were consumed, that the rest who remained of them entered into fenced cities.

Joshua and the Israelites killed all the soldiers they had pursued who were along the way, but some of them had been able to escape into the fenced cities.

(21) 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.

The Israelites returned to a camp they had pitched at Makkedah in peace, insinuating that none perished.  No one dared to speak ill of the Israelites for invading them; such was the fear of them.

(22) Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings to me out of the cave."

Then Joshua ordered that the five kings be brought to him from out of the cave where they had sought to hide.

(23) And they did so and brought forth those five kings to 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.

They did as Joshua ordered and brought the five kings to him.

(24) And it came to pass when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings." And they came near and put their feet upon the necks of them.

When they brought the kings to Joshua, he called for his men and told the captains of his army to put their feet on the necks of the kings, symbolizing their complete subjection to Israel.  The captains did as they were ordered and put their feet on the necks of the kings.

(25) And Joshua said to them, "Fear not, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom you fight."

Joshua encouraged his soldiers to be strong and of good courage and not to fear, for their Lord would bring all their enemies under subjection as the kings under their feet.

(26) And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them and hanged them on five trees, and they were hanging on the trees until the evening.

Joshua then killed the kings and hanged them on five trees where they remained until the evening.

(27) And it came to pass at the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees and cast them into the cave where they had been hidden and laid great stones in the cave's mouth until this very day.

When evening came and the sun was going down, Joshua ordered and his men obeyed, and they took the kings down from the trees and cast them into the cave where they had been hiding.  They laid large stones at the mouth of the cave, and that is where they still lay at the time of Joshua's writing.

(28) And that day Joshua took Makkedah and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king he utterly destroyed, them and all the souls therein; he let none remain, and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did to the king of Jericho.

That day Joshua also took Makkedah, killing the king who had not been among the five kings, and all the people in his city, letting none remain.  He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho and killed him with the sword.

(29) Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.

After they had destroyed Makkedah, Joshua and the Israelite army with him moved to the nearby city of Libnah and fought against it.

(30) And the Lord delivered it also and its king into the hand of Israel, and he struck it with the edge of the sword and all the souls that were in it; he let none remain in it but did to its king as he did to the king of Jericho.

The Lord also delivered Libnah and its king into the hand of Israel.  Joshua and the Israelites killed all the inhabitants of the city, along with its king.

(31) And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish and encamped against it and fought against it.

Joshua and the Israelite army then moved from Libnah to Lachish.  Their king was one of the five kings who had come together to invade Gibeon.  The Israelite army encamped across from Lachish and fought against it.

(32) And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel who took it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

The Lord also delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, but it took two days, which may be the reason the Israelites camped there.  They struck the city and killed all the people in it just as they had done in Libnah.

(33) Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua killed him and his people until he had left him none remaining.

Horam, the king of a neighboring city Gezer, came with his men to help the city of Lachish, but Joshua and the Israelite army also killed him and his people.

(34) And from Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him, and they encamped against it and fought against it.

Joshua and his army moved on to Eglon and camped across from it and fought against it.  Eglon's king was one of the five kings from above.

(35) And they took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls in it he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

Joshua and the Israelites took Eglon that same day, striking it with the sword and killing all the people in the city just as they had done to Lachish.

(36) And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron and they fought against it.

Then Joshua and the Israelites moved from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it.  Hebron's king was one of the five kings Joshua hanged.

(37) And they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and all its cities and all the souls in it; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but destroyed it utterly and all the souls in it.

Israel then took Hebron.  It seems they had set another king over them, but he, all his people, and all the suburbs of Hebron, were destroyed by Joshua and the Israelite army.  They left no one but did to Hebron as they had done to Eglon.

(38) And Joshua returned and all Israel with him to Debir and fought against it.

Joshua and all the Israelite army turned back and went back to Debir which they had apparently passed over on the march to Hebron.  They then fought against it.  This Debir appears to be the name of a place and not the same as the king of Eglon whom Joshua had already killed.

(39) And he took it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the souls in it; he left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and to its king, as he had done also to Libnah and to her king.

Joshua and the Israelites took Debir and killed the king and all its inhabitants in all its suburbs.  They left no one; as they had done to Hebron and Libnah they did to Debir and its king.

(40) So Joshua struck all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the valley, and of the springs, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed as the Lord God of Israel commanded.

Joshua and his army struck all the country in that area which was the part of Canaan which lay southward, consisting of hills and valleys and springs.  They destroyed all their kings and all who breathed, which seems to suggest animals, too.  They could not have done what they did except that God willed it.  He had commanded that they utterly destroy the inhabitants of the land He was giving to His people (Deuteronomy 20:16-17).  Because of their many abominations (Leviticus 18) God had so judged the Canaanites.

(41) And Joshua struck them from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.

Joshua and his army had struck them from Kadesh Barnea which lay in the south of Canaan to Gaza which lay in the southwest.  The Goshen mentioned here is not the same as Goshen in Egypt, and its location has not been identified.  However, as the southern and southwestern boundaries are identified, as well as Gibeon in the north, the area of Joshua's conquest is pretty well identified.  I borrowed this map from Biblical Foundations for Freedom by Rev. Paul J. Bucknell:

Here is a map of all of Canaan that shows Joshua's conquest in relation to the whole.  I found this on Pinterest, and it was stated as coming from biblestudy.org, although I did not find this exact map there.

(42) And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.

Joshua and Israel's army were able to take all these kings and their lands so quickly only because God willed it and fought for Israel.

(43) And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

Joshua and the Israelite army then returned to their camp at Gilgal victorious.  Again it must be stressed that this amazing victory was only possible because God fought for Israel.  "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

The Gibeonites' Deceit to Obtain Peace with the Israelites

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 9:1) And it came to pass when all the kings on this side of the Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard, (2) That they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel with one accord.

In the last chapter and post, Israel had completely destroyed Ai and its king.  When the kings on the side of the Jordan River that the Israelites were now on, the Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite kings, in the hills and valleys and coasts toward Lebanon, heard how they had destroyed Jericho and Ai, they gathered together and agreed to unite against Israel.

(3) And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, (4) They worked craftily and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wine bottles old and torn and bound up, (5) And old shoes and patched on their feet, and old garments on them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

Gibeon was a large royal metropolitan city of the Hivites.  When its inhabitants heard about what Joshua had done in Jericho and Ai, it seems they took matters into their own hands and schemed.  They acted as if they were ambassadors from some faraway country.  They wore old worn out and patched clothing and shoes and took upon their donkeys old sacks, old torn and tied up wineskins, and moldy bread, to make it look as if they had traveled a long way.

(6) And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore make a league with us."

They went to Joshua and the men of Israel to their camp at Gilgal and indeed told them they were from a faraway country, and they desired a league with Israel.

(7) And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you dwell among us, so how shall we make a league with you?"

The men of Israel replied to the Gibeonites who were indeed part of the Hivites, although they did not know that for certain, that it might be that they dwelled among them so they could not possibly be in league with them, as they had come to destroy them.  Additionally, they were forbidden to make any covenant or show any mercy to the countries they had come to destroy (Deuteronomy 7:2).

(8) And they said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"

The Gibeonites declared themselves servants to Joshua, meaning in this agreement they would do whatever he wanted to make an alliance with him.  It seems Joshua was suspicious and demanded to know just who they were and where they came from.

(9) And they said to him, "From a very far country your servants have come because of the name of the Lord your God, for we have heard the fame of Him and all that He did in Egypt, (10) And all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan at Ashtaroth."

They did not tell Joshua what country they had come from but only said it was a very far country.  They said they had come because of the name of the Israelite God, and they had heard about what He had done in Egypt and to Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan River.  They didn't mention Jericho and Ai, but perhaps because they had supposedly come from so far away, they would not have heard about those yet.  That was probably part of their scheme to make them less suspicious to Joshua.  They made it sound as if they were awed by their Lord's great and glorious works and perhaps would embrace the Israelite religion.  I can't help but wonder why on earth they wouldn't truly want to after hearing of all those miraculous works, they and all the Canaanite nations!  

(11) "Therefore the elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take victuals with you for the journey and go to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; now therefore, make a league with us."'"

The Gibeonites told Joshua that the elders and inhabitants of their country asked them to take provisions and make the long journey to the Israelites to meet them, perhaps the implication was before the Israelites had a chance to come hostilely into their country.  They were instructed to come to them and declare they were ready to make an agreement with them.  As their servants, they meant they were ready to do whatever was asked of the Israelites in order to make an alliance with them.

(12) "This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go to you, but now, behold, it is dry and it is moldy."

The Gibeonites began to lay it on a bit thicker, saying that they had taken hot bread for provision when they departed on their journey, and now the bread was dry and moldy.  It seems to me a little suspicious that they would feel the need to show Joshua their bread to prove they had come a long way, so he would believe their story must be true.  A more natural and logical way may have been to merely ask for food as theirs had supposedly become dry and moldy.  But I suppose it's easy to Monday morning quarterback, and it appears their method worked for them.

(13) "And these bottles of wine which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey."

The Gibeonites continued trying to prove they had come a long way by telling Joshua their wineskins had been new, but were now torn, and their clothes and shoes had worn out.  

(14) And the men took of their victuals and did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

The men of Israel took the Gibeonites' provisions from them as they were showing them to them, and it seems they believed them.  However, they did not think to seek counsel from their Lord.  It looks to be another lesson so soon in their new land that they needed to seek to follow the Lord in all things.

(15) And Joshua made peace with them and made a league with them, to let them live, and the princes of the congregation swore to them.

Joshua himself did not seek counsel from the Lord, but made peace with the Gibeonites and made an agreement with them that they be allowed to live in peace.  The princes of Israel made an oath that they would keep the covenant they made with them.  

(16) And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors and that they dwelt among them.

Three days later, the Israelites discovered that the Gibeonites were their neighbors and dwelt among them in their promised land.

(17) And the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim.

On the third day after making league with the Gibeonites and now having discovered they were their neighbors, the Israelites went to their cities.  Gibeon was the metropolis with Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim, being suburbs of it.

(18) And the children of Israel did not attack them because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.

Israel did not attack Gibeon and its suburbs because the Israelite princes had sworn to them by their Lord God that they would let them live.  However, the congregation murmured against the princes, possibly fearing the wrath of the Lord because they did not completely destroy them as they were commanded to do to all the inhabitants of their promised land, or perhaps because they had a more selfish reason in that they would not be able to plunder their cities and inhabit them.

(19) But all the princes said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them."

The princes told the murmuring congregation that they had sworn to the Gibeonites by their Lord God of Israel, so they would not break their oath and they would not touch them.  Interestingly, even though the Israelites had not sought God's counsel, God approved of their upholding their covenant with the Gibeonites, as evidenced much later when God avenged the wrong Saul did to the Gibeonites in violation of their covenant (2 Samuel 21:1).  It is a merciful loving God who blesses us even though we do not always follow exactly in His ways.  His ways are perfect, and if we always sought His counsel, our ways would be perfect as God desires the best for us.  But even when we mess up, He can make things work to the good if we love God and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).  A perfect example is when God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, but Sarah grew impatient and decided to help God by giving Abraham her maidservant to birth a son, Ishmael, and it all caused troubles in the lives of all concerned.  God still blessed Abraham with his son Isaac, but things would have been much better and smoother had Sarah trusted in God's promise and had patience to wait on God's timing.

No doubt, things would have been better for Joshua had he asked God's counsel before making a covenant with the Gibeonites, but He honored Israel's oath.  Who knows?  God might have spared the Gibeonites anyway because they had come to Israel to make peace, but you can be sure His covenant would have been perfect and better for the Israelites than the one they struck without Him.

(20) "This we will do to them, we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them."

The princes went on to tell the congregation of Israel that they would let the Gibeonites live because they would not bring the wrath of God upon them because they had sworn by His name.

(21) And the princes said to them, "Let them live, but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the princes had promised them."

The princes continued telling the congregation to let the Gibeonites live as the princes had promised them.  However, they would be made to be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire congregation, which were thought of as low and demeaning types of work.

(22) And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us?"

Joshua called for the Gibeonites and asked them why they had lied to the Israelites, telling them they had come from afar when they were actually their neighbors living among them.

(23) "Now therefore, you are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."

Although Israel would still honor their oath with the Gibeonites even though they had lied to them, Joshua declared they would all be servants, woodcutters and water carriers, specifically for the house of the Lord, which was for all the congregation (v. 21).  They became the servants of the Levites who were servants to the priests.  That actually became a fulfillment of a curse pronounced by Noah in Genesis 9:25, "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren."

(24) And they answered Joshua and said, "Because it was certainly told your servants how that the Lord your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were very much afraid of our lives because of you and have done this thing."

The Gibeonites answered Joshua's question about why they had lied.  They had heard that their Lord God had commanded Moses to give the Israelites all the land of Canaan and that they were to destroy all the land's inhabitants.  They were very much afraid for their lives, so they deceived the Israelites the way they did to save their own lives.

(25) "And now, behold, we are in your hand; as it seems good and right to you to do to us, do."

The Gibeonites, realizing they were at Joshua's mercy because they had lied to him, told him they would do whatever he deemed good and right, in order to continue to live among them.

(26) And so he did to them and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel that they did not kill them.

Joshua did as he said and made the Gibeonites servants to them, but he allowed them to live among them.  In doing so, he had delivered them out of the hand of the Israelites who would have killed them if they had their way.

(27) And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, even to this day, in the place which He should choose.

That very day Joshua made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water bearers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord.  Perhaps since the Lord had not yet chosen the place for His tabernacle, the Gibeonites actually did serve all the congregation, or maybe the meaning was that by serving the Levites who served the priests, they were doing their part for the entire congregation as their labor served the Lord's altar.  However they served in the beginning, they did come to serve the Levites when the tabernacle was placed in the place of the Lord's choosing.

Had the Israelites consulted God first before making an oath with the Gibeonites, things would have worked out better for them.  Additionally, things would have worked out better for the Gibeonites if they had been honest in the beginning.  If they had come truthfully and sincerely to Joshua seeking peace and renouncing their idolatry, they could have lived among the Israelites in freedom and in peace.  However, in this way, they barely escaped with their lives and were doomed to live as servants in menial labor.  God's way is always perfect.  If only we always sought His counsel and obeyed all His commandments, our lives could be perfect as He desires for us.

Israel Takes Ai and Joshua Renews Covenant

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 8:1) And the Lord said to Joshua, "Fear not, neither be dismayed; take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land."

In the last chapter and post, Israel had been defeated at Ai when thirty-six of her men had been killed and her people turned and fled from the men of Ai.  The Lord had not been with Israel because she had sinned against Him by stealing of the accursed things of Jericho.  The thief was found out and he and all that he had were removed from the Israelite camp and burned.  Now that the cursed things had been removed, God told Joshua not to fear nor be dismayed by what had happened.  He told him to take the men of war with him and go up into Ai and see that He had given into Israel's hand the king of Ai, his people, and all his land.

(2) "And you shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, only its spoil and its cattle you shall take for plunder to yourselves; lay an ambush for the city behind it."

The Lord told Joshua he and the armed men of Israel would now be able to overcome and destroy Ai and its king the same way they were able to overcome and destroy Jericho.  However, this time the Lord would allow them to plunder the city of its goods and cattle for themselves.  They were instructed to lay an ambush for the city behind it.

(3) So Joshua arose and all the people of war to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men of valor and sent them away by night.

Joshua rose up along with all the men of war to go up against Ai.  He chose thirty thousand men out of all the men of war and sent them away in the night.  These were the ones sent for an ambush, and they moved at night so that they might get behind the city unnoticed.

(4) And he commanded them, saying, "Behold, you shall lie in wait against the city, behind the city; do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready."

Joshua commanded the thirty thousand men to lie in wait behind the city, near to it, ready to go into it when its men went out to meet the soldiers of Israel.

(5) "And I and all the people with me will approach to the city, and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us as at the first, that we will flee before them."

Joshua with the rest of the army would approach the city, and when the men of Ai came out against them as they had done the first time, they would again flee from them which would draw the men of Ai out of the city.

(6) "For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, 'They flee before us as at the first.' Therefore we will flee before them."

Indeed, Joshua said that the men of Ai would come out after them because they were fleeing just as they had the first time.  That was their plan, to flee before them and draw them out.

(7) "Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize upon the city, for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand."

When the men of Ai had been drawn out of the city, the thirty thousand Israelite men who lay in wait, would rise up and seize the city as the Lord had delivered it into their hands.

(8) "And it shall be when you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire; according to the commandment of the Lord you shall do. See, I have commanded you."

After the thirty thousand men had taken the city from behind and plundered it, they were to set the city on fire.  Joshua had given them the command of the Lord, and they were to do accordingly as He commanded.

(9) Joshua therefore sent them forth, and they went to lie in ambush and abode between Bethel and Ai on the west side of Ai, but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

Joshua sent the thirty thousand soldiers forth into Ai by night to lie in ambush, actually on the west side of Ai between Ai and Bethel.  Joshua remained with the rest of the army and the people that night.

(10) And Joshua rose up early in the morning and numbered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

Joshua rose up early the next morning and made sure everyone was ready and accounted for, and then he and the elders of Israel went forth before the people to Ai.

(11) And all the people of war with him went up and drew near and came before the city and pitched on the north side of Ai; now a valley lay between them and Ai.

Joshua with all the men of war went forth and drew near to Ai.  They pitched a camp on the north side of the city, and there lay a valley between them and Ai.

(12) And he took about five thousand men and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai on the west side of the city.

It seems that Joshua took another five thousand men out of the men he was with and set them to also lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai on the west side of the city, perhaps a little closer to the city and to him to ensure no escape.

(13) And when they had set the people, all the host on the north of the city and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

When all the people had been set in place, Joshua and his army on the north of the city, and those who lay in ambush on the west of the city, Joshua then went that night, possibly with a small band of men, into the midst of the valley that lay between him and Ai.  It was probably his intention to have the king and men of Ai see him to draw them out before they had a chance to discover the men in the ambush.

(14) And it came to pass when the king of Ai saw, that they hasted and rose up early and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain, but he did not know that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.

When the king of Ai saw movement on the north side of the city, he and his army went forth to battle against Israel at a time the king had apparently appointed, heading into the plain or valley that lay between his city and the Israelite camp.  Of course, he did not know that large numbers of Israelite men of war lay in ambush behind him.

(15) And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them and fled by way of the wilderness.

Joshua and the army with him acted as though they were beaten by the army of Ai, and they fled from before them into the wilderness.

(16) And all the people in Ai were called together to pursue after them, and they pursued after Joshua and were drawn away from the city.

All the people of Ai were called together to pursue after Israel, and they pursued after Joshua and the Israelite army, drawing all the people out of the city of Ai.

(17) And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel that did not go out after Israel, and they left the city open and pursued after Israel.

As all the people of Ai were called out to pursue after Israel, there was not one man left in the city or in Bethel.  Thus they left the city of Ai open as they pursued after Israel.

(18) And the Lord said to Joshua, "Stretch out the spear in your hand toward Ai for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched out the spear in his hand toward the city.

The Lord told Joshua to stretch out his spear that was in his hand toward Ai as a sign that the Lord would deliver the city into his hand.  Joshua had to turn back toward the city to do as the Lord instructed, and he stretched out his spear toward the city of Ai.

(19) And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered into the city and took it and hasted and set the city on fire.

The stretching forth of the spear was a signal to the ambush to rise up and run toward the city and take it.  They easily took possession of it and hurried and set it on fire.

(20) And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way, and the people who fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw the smoke of their city ascending toward heaven, and they had no power to flee ahead of them because Joshua and the Israelite army had turned toward them, neither could they flee back the way they came because the enemy was behind them.  Joshua and the people who had fled into the wilderness now turned back on the Ai pursuers.

(21) And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again and slew the men of Ai.

When Joshua and the Israelites with him also saw the smoke of the city ascending, and they knew that the ambush had taken the city, they turned back toward the city and killed the men of Ai who had come out after them.

(22) And the others came out of the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side, and they struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

The other Israelites who had been part of the ambush came through the city and after the men of Ai, so that the men of Ai were surrounded by the Israelites on all sides.  Israel struck them down and allowed none of them to remain or escape.

(23) And the king of Ai they took alive and brought him to Joshua.

However, the Israelite army did not kill the king of Ai but brought him to Joshua.

(24) And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.

When Israel had killed all the inhabitants of Ai who had come out of the city after them, they all returned to Ai and struck down all the people who remained there, those who had been unfit for war.

(25) And so it was, all who fell that day both of men and women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai.

In the end, Israel had killed twelve thousand inhabitants of Ai, both men and women.  Indeed it was a small city as the spies had told Joshua in Joshua 7:3.

(26) For Joshua did not draw his hand back, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

It seems that Joshua continued to stretch out his spear and did not let up pursuit until all the inhabitants of Ai had been killed.  It was quite reminiscent of the time Joshua fought against Amalek in Exodus 17:10-12, when Israel prevailed as long as Moses's hand was held up, but Amalek prevailed when Moses let down his hand, and so Aaron and Hur held up Moses's hand when he wearied.  

(27) Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for plunder to themselves, according to the word of the Lord which He commanded Joshua.

This time, unlike in Jericho, the Lord allowed Israel to take the cattle and the substance of the city's inhabitants as plunder, which they did.

(28) And Joshua burnt Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day.

Joshua and the Israelite army burned Ai, leaving it in a pile of rubble that existed to the day Joshua wrote his account.

(29) And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening; and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raise on it a great heap of stones to this day.

Joshua hanged the king of Ai on a tree until the evening.  Then, as per the law in Deuteronomy 21:23, he ordered his body be taken down so that the land not be defiled.  His body was buried under a heap of stones at the entrance gate of the city, surely meant to be a warning to other kings against going against Israel.

(30) Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal, (31) As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man has lifted up iron; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings.

Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord on Mount Ebal, as Moses had commanded in Deuteronomy 27:5 that they do in Mount Ebal after they had gone over the Jordan.  As commanded, Joshua built the altar of whole stones that had not been altered by any iron tools.  The people offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings on the altar.

(32) And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

Joshua also wrote a copy of the law of Moses upon stones which according to Deuteronomy 27:4 would have been a separate set of stones that were plastered over with plaster.  He wrote the law in the presence of the children of Israel.

(33) And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger as he who was born among them, half of them over against Mount Gerizim and half of them over against Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

Also as commanded by Moses in Deuteronomy 27:12-13, all of Israel, including elders and officers, men and women, proselytes and native-born Israelites alike, were to stand half on one side of the ark of the covenant at Mount Gerizim and the other half at Mount Ebal.  Specifically, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin, were to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, and the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali, were to stand on Mount Ebal to curse. 

(34) And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

After Joshua had written the law, he read all the words of the law, and the blessings and the cursings were probably read by the Levites according to the law written in Deuteronomy 27.

(35) There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua did not read before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers who walked among them.

Joshua did everything just as Moses had commanded in Deuteronomy 27 before the entire congregation of Israel, including women, children, and proselytes who lived among them.

With the sin removed from the camp, God gave Israel victory over Ai.  In honor and thanksgiving, Joshua built an altar at Mount Ebal.  He then wrote the law on plastered stones and directed a solemn ceremony in which blessings and cursings were pronounced, all according to what Moses directed in Deuteronomy 27.  Israel had finally come into their promised land and had begun to take possession of it.  It was time for a solemn writing and reading of the law before all the congregation in a renewal of their covenant with God as He had fulfilled His promise to give them this land flowing with milk and honey.  It was a reminder that they must adhere to their obligations in the covenant if they wanted God to continue to lead them to victory in conquering the rest of their promised land.

Israel Defeated at Ai Because of Sin in the Camp

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 7:1) But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.

In the last chapter and post, Israel had taken Jericho when they obeyed their Lord and marched around it seven days in a row and the walls of Jericho fell.  The Lord had also told the people through Joshua that everything in the city was cursed, and they were forbidden to take anything of the accursed thing; only the silver, gold, brass, and iron were to be taken and put into the Lord's treasury.  Now it seems that Achan from the tribe of Judah disobeyed and took from the accursed thing and brought the Lord's anger against His people.

(2) And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, "Go up and view the country." And the men went up and viewed Ai.

Again Joshua sent spies to check out the next place, Ai, north of Jericho, on the east side of Bethel, being the same place where Abraham built an altar in Genesis 12:8, only there it was called Hai.

(3) And they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai; do not make all the people labor there, for they are few."

The spies came back to Joshua with their report and suggestion that Joshua only send two or three thousand men into Ai.  They said there was no need to send all the people and weary them all because the inhabitants of Ai were few in number.

(4) So there went up there of the people about three thousand men, and they fled before the men of Ai.

As the spies suggested, about three thousand Israelite men went into Ai, but they wound up fleeing from the men of Ai.  Because God was angry with Israel and had turned from them, their courage had failed.

(5) And the men of Ai struck of them about thirty-six men, for they chased them before the gate to Shebarim, and struck them in the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of the Israelite men in their pursuit of them.  They chased them from the city gate to a place called Shebarim, which may have been named after this event, as it meant "ruin or broken."  They struck them in their descent, which indicates that Ai was on a hill.  However, some suggest that the original word "morad" that was translated as "descent" may have actually been the proper name of a place that descended from Ai.  The Israelites were completely discouraged and faint of heart because of this.

(6) And Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

Joshua tore his clothes, a sign of distress, and fell upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening.  The elders joined him in humbling themselves before the Lord, and they all put dust on their heads, another sign of distress and mourning.

(7) And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord God, why have You at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content and dwelt on the other side of Jordan!"

Joshua's faith faltered and he asked the Lord why He had brought them over the Jordan only to deliver them into the hand of the Amorites.  However, the next part of what he said sounds as if he gave some blame to himself and the people because they were not content to dwell on the other side of the Jordan, but desired something better.

(8) "O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? (9) For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear and shall surround us and cut off our name from the earth, and what will You do to Your great name?"

Joshua asked the Lord about what he should say when Israel turned away and fled from their enemies.  What should he say when their enemies were emboldened because their Lord had seemingly turned His back on His people, or worse, was not strong enough to lead His people to victory against them?  What would that do to His great name?

(10) And the Lord said to Joshua, "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?"

The Lord asked Joshua why he lay on his face. It's not that there was anything inherently wrong with Joshua falling before and praying to his Lord, but the Lord instructed Joshua to get up for there was more than prayer that had to be done.

(11) "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them for they have even taken of the accursed thing and have also stolen, and lied also, and they have even put it among their own stuff."

The Lord told Joshua that Israel had sinned; they had transgressed by doing the very thing God had commanded through Joshua that they not do, take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse (Joshua 6:18).  Although only one man had stolen of the accursed thing, lied about it, and put it among his own things, he had brought a curse on the entire camp of Israel by his actions.

(12) "Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned back before their enemies, because they were cursed; neither will I be with you anymore unless you destroy the cursed from among you."

And because the entire camp of Israel was cursed, they were unable to stand before the men of Ai but turned and fled.  The Lord told Joshua He would no longer be with him and them unless he destroyed the cursed from among them.

(13) "Up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow for thus says the Lord God of Israel, "There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you."'"

The Lord told Joshua to get up and sanctify the people by telling them to sanctify themselves by prayer and repentance for the next day, for the Lord God of Israel said there was a cursed thing among them and that they would not be able to stand against their enemies until they removed it from among them.

(14) "'In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes, and it shall be the tribe which the Lord takes shall come according to its families, and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households, and the household that the Lord shall take shall come man by man.'"

The Lord went on to instruct Joshua he was to tell the people that in the next morning they would be brought out according to their tribes.  Although we are not told exactly how, the Lord would take one of the tribes, and then that tribe would be brought forth according to its families.  The Lord would take one of those families, and then that family would be brought forth according to households.  Again the Lord would take one of those households, and then the household would come forth man by man.

(15) "And it shall be he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord and because he has wrought folly in Israel."

The Lord continued on to say that the one person who was taken with the accursed thing was to be burnt with fire, he and all that he had.  It should be noted that the accursed thing should have been burnt by fire when the accursed city of Jericho was burnt with fire in Joshua 6:24.  Now the one who had the accursed thing and all that he had would be burned along with the cursed thing.  That was because he had transgressed against the covenant God had made with Israel regarding the taking of Jericho, and he had thus brought foolishness and wickedness into the camp of Israel.

(16) So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.

Joshua rose up early the next morning and brought all the people out according to their tribes.  Again it was not described exactly how, but the tribe of Judah was taken by the Lord.

(17) And he brought the family of Judah, and He took the family of the Zarhites, and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man and Zabdi was taken.

Then Joshua brought out the tribe of Judah according to families, and the Lord took the family of the Zarhites who descended from Judah's son Zerah.  Then Joshua brought out the family of the Zarhites, actually household by household rather than each single man by man, as the Lord took the household of Zabdi, not Zabdi himself.

(18) And he brought his household man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah was taken.

Indeed it was the household of Zabdi that was then brought out man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi who was the son of Zabdi and part of his household, of the family of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, was taken by the Lord.  The Lord Himself showed Israel the one guilty of bringing a curse upon her and all her people.

(19) And Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give, I pray you, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide from me."

Joshua then spoke to Achan, notably in a very affectionate way, even though he knew him to be a wicked criminal who had single-handedly brought a curse upon all of Israel.  There is a sweet lesson in this simple demonstration by Joshua.  It's a sad thing when a child of God has strayed so far from His Father as to bring death and eternal destruction to himself.  May we always recognize the poor state of the sinner and pity him for his choices, remembering that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, our fellow humans, but against the powers of Satan and his demons (Ephesians 6:12), and we can have compassion on the one who has been deceived by Satan.  Joshua called on Achan to give glory to his Lord and make confession to Him by telling Joshua what he had done.  He told him not to hide the truth from him, but that would have been obviously futile as the Lord Himself had shown Achan to be guilty of the curse against Israel.  However, he could tell Joshua the particulars which would allow him to remove the accursed thing from the midst of the Israelites' camp.

(20) And Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done. (21) When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonian garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels' weight, then I coveted them and took them, and behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent and the silver under it."

Achan did confess to Joshua and the Lord that he had sinned against the Lord.  When he had seen a magnificent Babylonian garment, he coveted it and took it, even though his Lord had commanded through Joshua that he not do that.  But even worse than that, it seems to me, he coveted and took the things that were devoted to the Lord, the silver and gold.  He not only disobeyed God, but he stole from Him.  He told Joshua all the things were hidden in the earth under his tent.

(22) So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and behold, hidden in his tent and the silver under it.

Joshua sent those called messengers to Achan's tent, and they found the garment with the gold and the silver under them, just as Achan had said.

(23) And they took them out of the midst of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel and laid them out before the Lord.

The messengers brought the accursed things out of Achan's tent to Joshua and all of Israel, and they laid them out before the Lord.

(24) And Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.

Joshua and the people took Achan and the cursed things he had stolen, along with everything he had that had been cursed along with him, including his livestock and even his children, and brought them all to the valley of Achor.

(25) And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The Lord shall trouble you this day." And all Israel stoned him with stones and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

Joshua asked Achan why he had caused so much trouble for all of them, and then he declared God's curse on him in righteous return.  All Israel then stoned him with stones and burned him with fire.  It seems they stoned to death and burned even his children and livestock.  It makes one wonder why the children had to be killed for their father's actions when God stated in Deuteronomy 24:16 that children would not be put to death for their fathers and vice versa.  We know that God is just and righteous and can be nothing but.  We also know that God could not tolerate Achan's cursed things to pollute the camp.  It is very likely that his children were grown and knew what he had done and did not reveal it.  However, if any of them were completely innocent and knew nothing about it, you can be sure that God took them home to be with Him.  Real life is the eternal life we have with God, not this temporary blip on earth.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, took it a step further.  He laid emphasis on the words "this day."  Perhaps Achan (and his family) was only troubled that day, but would be forgiven his iniquity and saved with an everlasting salvation after his confession before the Lord.  Judgment belongs to the Lord, and we can be sure He is just.

(26) And they raised over him a great heap of stones to this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of the place was called the Valley of Achor to this day.

The people raised a huge heap of stones over Achan that remained to the day Joshua wrote this account.  The Lord turned from His anger because all the accursed things had been removed from the camp.  It seems that the valley was not named until after this event as it was called the Valley of Achor, "achor" meaning "troubled."

The lesson here is about what sin in the camp can do to the whole.  Sin in a household troubles the entire household.  What about sin in a nation?  I often think about how we can declare so proudly, "God Bless America" while we allow the sins of abortion, homosexual "marriage," and sex trafficking of children.  How can we expect God to bless such a nation?  And how can we expect to survive without His blessing?  All we can pray is that God have mercy on us!

The Fall of Jericho

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 6:1) Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out and none came in.

In the last chapter and post, the Israelites had come into their promised land and were camped at Gilgal.  The kings and all their people in the Canaanite lands were terror-stricken because of the Israelites and all the miracles the Lord had wrought for them.  Jericho was nearest the Israelites' camp and where spies had gone to check out the land.  Now the city of Jericho was securely shut so that no one could go in nor go out.  This was surely due to their fear of the Israelites.

(2) And the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given into your hand Jericho and its king and the mighty men of valor."

The Lord, who appears to be the Lord Jesus as discovered at the end of the last chapter, spoke to Joshua and told him he could see that Jericho, its king, and its soldiers, had already been delivered into his hand, as was evident by their fear.

(3) "And you shall compass the city, all men of war, and go round about the city once. This you shall do six days."

The Lord told Joshua he and all the Israelite men of war, those of fighting age and fit, were to surround the city of Jericho, and march around the city one time.  They were to do that same thing for six days in a row.

(4) "And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns, and the seventh day you shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets."

The Lord instructed Joshua that seven priests were to go before the ark of the covenant that was carried by other priests.  The seven priests would carry trumpets of rams' horns and blow their trumpets as the army marched around Jericho.  This was to bring attention to and proclaim the Lord represented by the ark was leading His people around Jericho, so there would be no doubt that the Lord Himself performed the coming miracle for His people.  On the seventh day the Israelites were to march around Jericho seven times.  All these sevens, seven priests, seven trumpets, seven days, were surely significant.  In the Bible, seven usually signifies completion and/or perfection.

(5) "And it shall come to pass that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him."

On the seventh day, after going around Jericho seven times, the priests or one priest, as the horn is singular, would make one long blast, and when they heard that, all the people were to shout with a great shout and the wall of the city would fall down flat.  It probably wasn't the entire wall of the city, so that the inhabitants could not escape, but a section perhaps just large enough for the Israelite army to go up into the city in a procession just as they had been going around the wall of the city.

(6) And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord."

Joshua the son of Nun, or Joshua, the understanding one (Joshua 2:1 notes), called the priests and told them to take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and let seven of them bear trumpets of rams' horns and go before the ark.

(7) And he said to the people, "Pass on and compass the city, and let him who is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord."

Joshua told the people to go forward and encircle the city.  The armed soldiers were to go before the ark probably to clear and make safe the way, then would go the seven priests with trumpets immediately before the ark, and the people would follow the ark.

(8) And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord and blew with the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. (9) And the armed men went before the priests who blew with the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark while the trumpets went on blowing.

After Joshua spoke to the people, the armed men went out before the ark, followed by the seven priests with their trumpets sounding before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the rear guard, or assembly, the people, followed the ark, while the trumpets continually blew.

(10) And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout."

Joshua had commanded the people before they started forth that they were not to shout, nor utter any word or make any sound until Joshua gave the order to shout, and only then were they to shout.

(11) So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going around it once, and they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.

The ark of the Lord carried by the priests who followed the seven priests who followed the army, and with the people following it, went around the walls of the city of Jericho one time, and then returned to their camp where they lodged for the night.

(12) And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.

The next morning Joshua rose up early, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord, prepared to go around the city for a second time.

(13) And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets, and the armed men went before them, but the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets continually blew.

Then gathered the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets to go before the ark, and the armed men went before them, and the assembly of people making up the rear guard went after the ark, while the trumpets continually blew.

(14) And the second day they compassed the city once and returned to the camp; so they did six days.

That second day the people went around the city walls one time and then returned to their camp.  They did that for six days.

(15) And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day and compassed the city after the same manner seven times; only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

Then on the seventh day, the people rose early and went around the city seven times.  That was the only day they had gone around seven times.

(16) And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!"

Then after the seventh time around, the priests blew one long blast with their trumpets, and Joshua told the people to shout because the Lord had given them the city of Jericho.

(17) "And the city shall be accursed, it and all that are in it, to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all with her in the house because she hid the messengers that we sent."

It's interesting, the original word "cherem" that was translated as "accursed" can mean "cursed or doomed" or "devoted or dedicated to," seemingly opposite meanings.  However, it absolutely describes Jericho at that point.  The city was doomed and completely dedicated to the Lord to do with it as He wished.  Not only the city, but all who were in it, except Rahab and her family within her house, because of the kindness she had shown the spies.

(18) "And you, in any way, keep from the accursed thing, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it."

Joshua went on to tell the people that they were to avoid in every way possible the cursed thing of Jericho.  Mainly, that was taking of anything in Jericho that was cursed and bringing it into the Israelite camp to curse and trouble it.

(19) "But all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron, consecrated to the Lord, they shall come into the treasury of the Lord."

All the silver and gold, brass and iron, again both cursed and dedicated, were cursed for anyone in Jericho and for any of the Israelites, but they were dedicated only to the Lord to be brought into the treasury of the Lord.

(20) So the people shouted when the long blast of the trumpets blew, and it came to pass when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

The people did as Joshua told them and they shouted with a great shout when the long blast of the trumpets blew, and the city wall of Jericho fell down flat so that the people went up into the city in a procession, and they were able to take the city.  There was no doubt that God had toppled that wall.  Nothing that the people had done the past seven days should have made that wall fall except that God willed it.  However, He did command obedience from the Israelites to do as He instructed with regard to going around the wall seven days.  He taught them to trust in Him even when it seemed impossible or didn't make sense.  Just trust God.  He taught patience.  God said the wall would fall when they did as He commanded.  If some soldiers had decided that marching around a wall was fruitless and decided they had a chance to go over the wall and catch the enemy unaware, they would have demonstrated lack of faith in God and displayed faith only in themselves, and their actions would have surely failed.  By trusting in their Lord and obeying His word and believing it even though it took time, they were able to take the city.

(21) And they utterly destroyed all in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

As God had commanded, the Israelites completely destroyed the city, and every living thing in it, regardless of age or gender, humans and animals alike.  The inhabitants of Canaan were an abominably wicked people and deserved the righteous judgment of God.  The Judge of all the earth can do no wrong, so as this was ordered by Him, you can be sure it was righteous.  If any should worry that innocent children were killed, as God knows all, what was, what will be, and what would have been, you can be sure He is just.  If any children would have grown up innocent, then God took them home to be with Him to escape their life among the heathens.

(22) But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, "Go into the harlot's house and bring out from there the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her."

However, Rahab and her family were spared because Joshua had told the two spies she had hidden to bring them out of the city, as they had sworn to her they would do.

(23) And the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had, and they brought out all her kindred and left them outside the camp of Israel.

The men who had been the spies went in the city and brought out Rahab and her entire family and kinsmen to the outside of their camp.  The entire extended family was saved because of the actions of one woman in their family.  Passages like this have always comforted me.  There are many examples in the Bible, even in the New Testament, that say "you and your household will be saved" (Acts 16:31).  However, we know that to be saved an individual must accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but if God said all in the family will be saved, then each individual in that family will come to accept Jesus, I have no doubt.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-36 that He had come to set family members against each other.  That is because He would bring truth to one that would be in complete opposition to the beliefs of his family, and we all know how passionate those discussions can become.  However, once again, I believe that if God said your entire family would be saved, then those contentious family members will eventually come around.  But did God tell each of us that our entire household would be saved?  Maybe in some cases He did, but even if in doubt, we should continually pray for our family.  God's will is that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), so He will be continually drawing people to Himself.  I can't help but wonder sometimes who it was praying for me that I would eventually come to Jesus.

I had always heard that Rahab even became an ancestor of the Messiah Jesus Christ!  What an honor that one act of faith brought to her.  However, in studying that, I now find that may not be true.  In the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5, the name is spelled differently.  That in itself doesn't disqualify it from being the same person as Rahab, as Boaz is also spelled differently in the same verse.  Often in the Bible we find different spellings of the same name and person.  However, this very smart article demonstrates that it cannot be automatically assumed that Rachab in Jesus's genealogy was the same as Rahab the harlot.

(24) And they burnt the city with fire and all that was in it; only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and iron they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

The Israelites burned the entire city of Jericho and everything that was in it, but they brought all the silver, gold, and brass and iron vessels out of the city and put them into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

(25) And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household and all that she had, and she dwells in Israel to this day because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Joshua saved Rahab and all her family and all that she had from the destruction of the city.  She still lived in Israel at the time Joshua wrote this account.  This was due to her one faithful act of hiding God's messengers.  This is another passage that gives me great hope and encouragement.  We don't always have to do huge important things for the kingdom of God, but if we are faithful to do His will, whatever it may be, we shall be blessed.

(26) And Joshua charged at that time, saying, "Cursed the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation in his firstborn, and in his youngest he shall set up its gates."

Joshua then pronounced a curse on anyone who rose up to rebuild Jericho.  He would begin building the foundation at the expense of the life of his firstborn and would lose his youngest as he finished the gates, suggesting that all his children would die along the way if he persisted in rebuilding Jericho.  Indeed, that appears to have happened as recorded in 1 Kings 16:34:  

In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

(27) So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was throughout the country.

The Lord was with Joshua as He had been with Moses because of his faith and obedience, and his fame spread throughout the country because of his wisdom and courage, and for the knowledge that the all-powerful God of the universe was with him, and that struck terror in the inhabitants of the land.

A New Generation is Circumcised, and the Captain of the Lord's Host Appears to Joshua

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 5:1) And it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the side of the Jordan westward and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had passed over, that their heart melted; neither was there spirit in them anymore because of the children of Israel.

In the last chapter and post, the children of Israel, having crossed over the Jordan on dry land, placed twelve memorial stones commemorating the miracle their God had performed for them.  When the kings of the Amorites on this west side of the Jordan (the Amorites having already been conquered on the east side) and the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, probably the Mediterranean Sea, heard about how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan River to allow the Israelites to safely cross over, they lost all courage and were completely dejected, concluding it was surely all over for them as they could do nothing against so powerful a God.

(2) At that time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make you sharp knives and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time."

After they had crossed over the Jordan River and were encamped at Gilgal, the Lord told Joshua to make sharp knives and circumcise the children of Israel again.  The original word "tsor" that was translated as "sharp" actually means "stone," so he was to make knives of stone or flint, and I'm sure they were to be made sharp as he was to perform circumcisions a second time.  It's not that the people who had been circumcised the first time would need another circumcision, but most of these people had not yet been circumcised, probably it being neglected while they were in the wilderness, so that is what is meant by a second time.

(3) And Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

Joshua did as the Lord instructed him and made flint knives and circumcised those children of Israel who were not yet circumcised.  The place was evidently afterward called the hill of the foreskins, possibly because a hill of foreskins was made there as they were heaped one upon another.

(4) And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt, males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness on the way after they came out of Egypt. (5) Now all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.

Indeed, Joshua explained why a second circumcision was necessary.  All the men who came out of Egypt had been circumcised, but as they had wandered in the wilderness for forty years, those men had died and a whole new generation had been born, and those had not yet been circumcised.

(6) For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness till all the people, men of war, who came out of Egypt were consumed because they did not obey the voice of the Lord, to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord swore to their fathers that He would give us, a land that flowed with milk and honey.

And the reason why the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for forty years was because they did not have faith in the Lord and disobeyed Him when they would not go into their promised land and take what He had given them, after ten of the twelve spies came to the people with a bad and scary report of the inhabitants of the land.  The Lord said that none of the people then living twenty years old and older would be allowed to enter their promised land, but they would die in the wilderness (Numbers 14:32-34).  Only Joshua and Caleb, who trusted the Lord and gave good reports of their promised land, were allowed to live and see their inheritance.

(7) And their children whom He raised up in their stead, those Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them on the way.

The children of the nonbelievers whom God raised up to replace their fathers and accept the Lord's gift to them, those Joshua circumcised as they had not been circumcised while they wandered in the wilderness.

(8) And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp till they were healed.

After all the circumcisions were performed, the people stayed in their camp until they were all healed.

(9) And the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

The Lord then said to Joshua that the reproach of Egypt, that is the reproach of the uncircumcised heathens, had been rolled away from the Israelites.  It appears that this was the time when the place was first named Gilgal which meant wheel, as one rolling away.

(10) And the children of Israel camped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.

The Israelites camped in Gilgal in the plains of Jericho, and on the fourteenth day of the month they celebrated the Passover, according to one of the statutes of the Lord that Moses told the people they were to observe when they came into their promised land (Deuteronomy 12:1, 16:1).

(11) And they ate of the old corn of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened cakes and parched grain on the very same day.

The day after the Passover, the people ate corn of the past year's harvest that was in the land, as well as unleavened cakes and parched grain.

(12) And the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither did the children of Israel have manna anymore, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

Manna, God's food from heaven, ceased on the day after the Israelites had eaten of the old harvest of the land, and they never had manna again as there was no need because they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan.

(13) And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?"

It happened that while Joshua was standing at the border of Jericho that he looked up and saw a man with his sword drawn in his hand.  Joshua went to him and because of his warlike posture, asked if he was for the Israelites or for their enemies.

(14) And He said, "No, but as Captain of the host of the Lord, I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"

The man said no, that He was Captain of the angelic host of the Lord.  The commentaries that I study have convinced me that this was the Lord Jesus Himself.  He was captain of all.  Joshua fell on his face and worshiped Him, which a mere angel would have forbidden him to do (Revelation 22:8-9, Matthew 4:9-10).  Joshua seems to have acknowledged Him as His Lord in human form when he called himself His servant and asked what He wished him to do.  Although I have to admit, that since the King James Version never capitalized the pronouns of the Lord, Joshua could have been asking an angel, a representative of the Lord, what message His Lord was sending to him.  But again, since the Man did not rebuke Joshua for worshiping Him, it does appear that He was the Lord Jesus.

(15) And the Captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, "Loosen your shoe from off your foot, for the place on which you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Indeed, the Captain of the Lord's host told Joshua to remove his shoes for he was standing on holy ground, another indication that he was in the presence of the Lord Jesus Himself.  Joshua did as He told him.  The Lord appearing before Joshua would have served as a great encouragement to him, and therefore, to the people of Israel.  After all, the Lord stopping the manna may have looked as if He was withdrawing His help from His people, but by sending Jesus Himself, He showed that He Himself was leading the people to their victory, and they had nothing to fear.

The Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 4:1) And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

In chapter 3 of Joshua, the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so that His people could pass over into their promised land.  Now that all the people were completely across the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua. 

(2) "Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man."

In Joshua 3:12, Joshua had instructed the people to select one man from each of their tribes, twelve men in all, but it was not told to us why.  Now the Lord told Joshua to call those twelve men.

(3) "And command them, saying, 'Take out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and you shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you shall lodge tonight.'"

The Lord told Joshua to command the twelve men to go back to the place where the priests' feet had stood and collect twelve stones, each man a stone, and carry them to the place where they would lodge for the night.

(4) Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

Joshua called the twelve men whom he had already prepared in Joshua 3:12; there was one man from each of the twelve tribes.

(5) And Joshua said to them, "Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan and take up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel."

Joshua told the men to pass over before the ark in the midst of the Jordan River.  Many commentators took this to mean they were to go back to where the priests were still standing in the Jordan; they were to pass over the Jordan to right before the ark.  To me it sounds as if the priests had already crossed over with the people, and the twelve men were to pass by the ark and go into the midst of the river where the priests' feet had stood, as God had used that past tense in verse 3, not where they were standing at that present time.  Regardless, the twelve men were to take up twelve stones from the place where the priests had stood bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord, each man a stone, bearing it on his shoulder, according to the number of tribes of the Israelites.

(6) "That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do you mean by these stones?'"

The twelve stones were to be placed on this side of the Jordan, the side of their promised land, and they were to be a sign in times to come that would have their children asking what was meant by the stones.

(7) "Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off, and these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever."

When their children asked about the meaning of the stones, they would tell them about how the waters of the Jordan River had been cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.  Those stones would be an everlasting memorial of how the waters had been cut off from that area where the ark stood where the people crossed over.

(8) And the children of Israel did so and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there.

The people did as Joshua had told them to do, as commanded by God.  They had a man from each of their tribes go to the place where the ark had stood while the people crossed over the Jordan River, and each man took up a stone and carried it back over the Jordan to the place where they would lodge that night, and they laid the stones there, one stone representing each tribe of Israel, twelve stones in all.

(9) And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood, and they are there to this day.

It appears that Joshua took another twelve stones and set them up in the place in the Jordan River where the priests had stood bearing the ark, as a memorial to the exact spot, and they were still there at the time Joshua wrote this account which was evidently some time afterward.

(10) For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people hasted and passed over.

This is a rather difficult verse, but I believe it refers only to the priests standing in the midst of the Jordan until all the people passed over the river, as Moses had not commanded Joshua anything about the setting of the stones.  I believe it must be the general commandment that Joshua would lead the people over the Jordan into their promised land.  While the priests stood in the midst of the Jordan, and the waters were cut off, the people hurried across the river to their promised land.

(11) And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.

Once the people had completely crossed over the Jordan River, then the priests bearing the ark of the covenant crossed over in the presence and sight of all the people.

(12) And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.

The men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh who were settled on the other side of the Jordan, also crossed over the Jordan River, armed and ready for battle, as they had promised Moses they would do (Numbers 32:17).

(13) About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

40,000 men from those two and a half tribes crossed over the Jordan, prepared for battle with their brethren, to the plains of Jericho.

(14) On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life.

On that day the Lord had magnified Joshua, making him great and honorable in the sight of the Israelites, and the people respected and reverenced him all the days of his life as they had done Moses.

(15) And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, (16) "Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony that they come up out of the Jordan."

Joshua didn't write very smoothly in a clean order, as he already told us in verse 11 that after all the people had crossed over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark crossed over.  Here he told us that the Lord Himself had told him to command the priests to come out of the Jordan after the people had passed over.

(17) Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up out of the Jordan."

Joshua did as the Lord instructed him and told the priests to come up out of the Jordan River.

(18) And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up onto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned to their place and flowed over all its banks as before.

Once the priests carrying the ark stepped onto dry land on the other side of the Jordan River, the waters of the river began flowing downstream again and flowed over its riverbanks as it had before.

(19) And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

The people had crossed over the Jordan River into their promised land on the tenth day of their first month, Nissan or Abib, as it was called; from the time of the people's exodus from Egypt, it was appointed the first month of the year (Exodus 12:2).  Now was their new beginning in their promised land in the first month of the year.  They camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

(20) And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua pitched in Gilgal.

Joshua set up the twelve stones that the twelve men had taken out of the Jordan River there at their encampment as a memorial of their passage over the Jordan into their promised land.

(21) And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, "When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' (22) Then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.'" 

As Joshua had already told the people when he instructed them regarding the twelve stones in verses 6 and 7, the stones were to be commemorative and a visual sign that might prompt their children to ask what they meant, and they could then tell them the story about how the Lord dried up the Jordan River to allow them to cross safely into their promised land.

(23) "For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you until you were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea which He dried up from before us until we were gone over, (24) That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you might fear the Lord your God forever."

The way this is worded, describing how the Lord dried up the waters from before you, this appears to be directed to the people who had just crossed over the Jordan, and not part of what they would tell their children when they asked about the stones.  Joshua reminded the people that the Lord had just done for them what He had done in the days of Moses when He parted the Red Sea to allow their safe escape from Egypt, and that He had done these things that all the people of the earth would know the power of the one true God, and that they themselves would always remember and respect and fear their Lord forever.

The words of Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, really struck me, especially one part.  In general, he wrote of how important it was to pass down the things of God to the next generation and that it was God's will that we do that.  That has kept the Bible alive in all the earth for thousands of years.  It's a vital part of how we raise our children, teaching them knowledge and truth.  "A spirit of inquiry is common to every child: the human heart is ever panting after knowledge; and if not rightly directed when young, will, like that of our first mother, go astray after forbidden science."  I can't help but think about the forbidden science our world is going after in this day, science that says people can change their genders and artificial intelligence that men seek after to make them immortal and as gods.  As a society, we have neglected to teach the truths of God.  As a matter of fact, we have forcibly pushed God out of schools and the public square.  It's no wonder so many follow after forbidden science, only the things that God Himself has control over.  After all, there is no wisdom apart from God (Proverbs 21:30).