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Joshua 10

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1 ὡς δὲ ἤκουσεν αδωνιβεζεκ βασιλεὺς ιερουσαλημ ὅτι ἔλαβεν ἰησοῦς τὴν γαι καὶ ἐξωλέθρευσεν αὐτήν ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησαν τὴν ιεριχω καὶ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῆς οὕτως ἐποίησαν τὴν γαι καὶ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῆς καὶ ὅτι αὐτομόλησαν οἱ κατοικοῦντες γαβαων πρὸς ἰησοῦν καὶ πρὸς ισραηλ

2 καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν ἐν αὐτοῖς σφόδρα ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι μεγάλη πόλις γαβαων ὡσεὶ μία τῶν μητροπόλεων καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτῆς ἰσχυροί

3 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αδωνιβεζεκ βασιλεὺς ιερουσαλημ πρὸς αιλαμ βασιλέα χεβρων καὶ πρὸς φιδων βασιλέα ιεριμουθ καὶ πρὸς ιεφθα βασιλέα λαχις καὶ πρὸς δαβιρ βασιλέα οδολλαμ λέγων

4 δεῦτε ἀνάβητε πρός με καὶ βοηθήσατέ μοι καὶ ἐκπολεμήσωμεν γαβαων αὐτομόλησαν γὰρ πρὸς ἰησοῦν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς ισραηλ

5 καὶ ἀνέβησαν οἱ πέντε βασιλεῖς τῶν ιεβουσαίων βασιλεὺς ιερουσαλημ καὶ βασιλεὺς χεβρων καὶ βασιλεὺς ιεριμουθ καὶ βασιλεὺς λαχις καὶ βασιλεὺς οδολλαμ αὐτοὶ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς αὐτῶν καὶ περιεκάθισαν τὴν γαβαων καὶ ἐξεπολιόρκουν αὐτήν

6 καὶ ἀπέστειλαν οἱ κατοικοῦντες γαβαων πρὸς ἰησοῦν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν ισραηλ εἰς γαλγαλα λέγοντες μὴ ἐκλύσῃς τὰς χεῖράς σου ἀπὸ τῶν παίδων σου ἀνάβηθι πρὸς ἡμᾶς τὸ τάχος καὶ ἐξελοῦ ἡμᾶς καὶ βοήθησον ἡμῖν ὅτι συνηγμένοι εἰσὶν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς πάντες οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν αμορραίων οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν ὀρεινήν

7 καὶ ἀνέβη ἰησοῦς ἐκ γαλγαλων αὐτὸς καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ πολεμιστὴς μετ' αὐτοῦ πᾶς δυνατὸς ἐν ἰσχύι

8 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς ἰησοῦν μὴ φοβηθῇς αὐτούς εἰς γὰρ τὰς χεῖράς σου παραδέδωκα αὐτούς οὐχ ὑπολειφθήσεται ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐθεὶς ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν

9 καὶ ἐπιπαρεγένετο ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἰησοῦς ἄφνω ὅλην τὴν νύκτα εἰσεπορεύθη ἐκ γαλγαλων

10 καὶ ἐξέστησεν αὐτοὺς κύριος ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν υἱῶν ισραηλ καὶ συνέτριψεν αὐτοὺς κύριος σύντριψιν μεγάλην ἐν γαβαων καὶ κατεδίωξαν αὐτοὺς ὁδὸν ἀναβάσεως ωρωνιν καὶ κατέκοπτον αὐτοὺς ἕως αζηκα καὶ ἕως μακηδα

11 ἐν τῷ δὲ φεύγειν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν υἱῶν ισραηλ ἐπὶ τῆς καταβάσεως ωρωνιν καὶ κύριος ἐπέρριψεν αὐτοῖς λίθους χαλάζης ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἕως αζηκα καὶ ἐγένοντο πλείους οἱ ἀποθανόντες διὰ τοὺς λίθους τῆς χαλάζης ἢ οὓς ἀπέκτειναν οἱ υἱοὶ ισραηλ μαχαίρᾳ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ

12 τότε ἐλάλησεν ἰησοῦς πρὸς κύριον ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ παρέδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν αμορραῖον ὑποχείριον ισραηλ ἡνίκα συνέτριψεν αὐτοὺς ἐν γαβαων καὶ συνετρίβησαν ἀπὸ προσώπου υἱῶν ισραηλ καὶ εἶπεν ἰησοῦς στήτω ὁ ἥλιος κατὰ γαβαων καὶ ἡ σελήνη κατὰ φάραγγα αιλων

13 καὶ ἔστη ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη ἐν στάσει ἕως ἠμύνατο ὁ θεὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν καὶ ἔστη ὁ ἥλιος κατὰ μέσον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐ προεπορεύετο εἰς δυσμὰς εἰς τέλος ἡμέρας μιᾶς

14 καὶ οὐκ ἐγένετο ἡμέρα τοιαύτη οὐδὲ τὸ πρότερον οὐδὲ τὸ ἔσχατον ὥστε ἐπακοῦσαι θεὸν ἀνθρώπου ὅτι κύριος συνεπολέμησεν τῷ ισραηλ

16 καὶ ἔφυγον οἱ πέντε βασιλεῖς οὗτοι καὶ κατεκρύβησαν εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον τὸ ἐν μακηδα

17 καὶ ἀπηγγέλη τῷ ἰησοῦ λέγοντες εὕρηνται οἱ πέντε βασιλεῖς κεκρυμμένοι ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ τῷ ἐν μακηδα

18 καὶ εἶπεν ἰησοῦς κυλίσατε λίθους ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα τοῦ σπηλαίου καὶ καταστήσατε ἄνδρας φυλάσσειν ἐπ' αὐτούς

19 ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ ἑστήκατε καταδιώκοντες ὀπίσω τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν καὶ καταλάβετε τὴν οὐραγίαν αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἀφῆτε εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν παρέδωκεν γὰρ αὐτοὺς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ἡμῶν

20 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς κατέπαυσεν ἰησοῦς καὶ πᾶς υἱὸς ισραηλ κόπτοντες αὐτοὺς κοπὴν μεγάλην σφόδρα ἕως εἰς τέλος καὶ οἱ διασῳζόμενοι διεσώθησαν εἰς τὰς πόλεις τὰς ὀχυράς

21 καὶ ἀπεστράφη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πρὸς ἰησοῦν εἰς μακηδα ὑγιεῖς καὶ οὐκ ἔγρυξεν οὐθεὶς τῶν υἱῶν ισραηλ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτοῦ

22 καὶ εἶπεν ἰησοῦς ἀνοίξατε τὸ σπήλαιον καὶ ἐξαγάγετε τοὺς πέντε βασιλεῖς τούτους ἐκ τοῦ σπηλαίου

23 καὶ ἐξηγάγοσαν τοὺς πέντε βασιλεῖς ἐκ τοῦ σπηλαίου τὸν βασιλέα ιερουσαλημ καὶ τὸν βασιλέα χεβρων καὶ τὸν βασιλέα ιεριμουθ καὶ τὸν βασιλέα λαχις καὶ τὸν βασιλέα οδολλαμ

24 καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐξήγαγον αὐτοὺς πρὸς ἰησοῦν καὶ συνεκάλεσεν ἰησοῦς πάντα ισραηλ καὶ τοὺς ἐναρχομένους τοῦ πολέμου τοὺς συμπορευομένους αὐτῷ λέγων αὐτοῖς προπορεύεσθε καὶ ἐπίθετε τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς τραχήλους αὐτῶν καὶ προσελθόντες ἐπέθηκαν τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς τραχήλους αὐτῶν

25 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἰησοῦς μὴ φοβηθῆτε αὐτοὺς μηδὲ δειλιάσητε ἀνδρίζεσθε καὶ ἰσχύετε ὅτι οὕτως ποιήσει κύριος πᾶσι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὑμῶν οὓς ὑμεῖς καταπολεμεῖτε αὐτούς

26 καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτοὺς ἰησοῦς καὶ ἐκρέμασεν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ πέντε ξύλων καὶ ἦσαν κρεμάμενοι ἐπὶ τῶν ξύλων ἕως ἑσπέρας

27 καὶ ἐγενήθη πρὸς ἡλίου δυσμὰς ἐνετείλατο ἰησοῦς καὶ καθεῖλον αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ξύλων καὶ ἔρριψαν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον εἰς ὃ κατεφύγοσαν ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐπεκύλισαν λίθους ἐπὶ τὸ σπήλαιον ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας

28 καὶ τὴν μακηδα ἐλάβοσαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἐφόνευσαν αὐτὴν ἐν στόματι ξίφους καὶ ἐξωλέθρευσαν πᾶν ἐμπνέον ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ οὐ κατελείφθη ἐν αὐτῇ οὐδεὶς διασεσῳσμένος καὶ διαπεφευγώς καὶ ἐποίησαν τῷ βασιλεῖ μακηδα ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησαν τῷ βασιλεῖ ιεριχω

29 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἰησοῦς καὶ πᾶς ισραηλ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐκ μακηδα εἰς λεβνα καὶ ἐπολιόρκει λεβνα

30 καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτὴν κύριος εἰς χεῖρας ισραηλ καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὴν καὶ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐφόνευσαν αὐτὴν ἐν στόματι ξίφους καὶ πᾶν ἐμπνέον ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ οὐ κατελείφθη ἐν αὐτῇ οὐδὲ εἷς διασεσῳσμένος καὶ διαπεφευγώς καὶ ἐποίησαν τῷ βασιλεῖ αὐτῆς ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησαν τῷ βασιλεῖ ιεριχω

31 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἰησοῦς καὶ πᾶς ισραηλ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐκ λεβνα εἰς λαχις καὶ περιεκάθισεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπολιόρκει αὐτήν

32 καὶ παρέδωκεν κύριος τὴν λαχις εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ισραηλ καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ δευτέρᾳ καὶ ἐφόνευσαν αὐτὴν ἐν στόματι ξίφους καὶ ἐξωλέθρευσαν αὐτήν ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησαν τὴν λεβνα

33 τότε ἀνέβη αιλαμ βασιλεὺς γαζερ βοηθήσων τῇ λαχις καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὸν ἰησοῦς ἐν στόματι ξίφους καὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἕως τοῦ μὴ καταλειφθῆναι αὐτῶν σεσῳσμένον καὶ διαπεφευγότα

34 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἰησοῦς καὶ πᾶς ισραηλ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐκ λαχις εἰς οδολλαμ καὶ περιεκάθισεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπολιόρκησεν αὐτήν

35 καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτὴν κύριος ἐν χειρὶ ισραηλ καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἐφόνευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν στόματι ξίφους καὶ πᾶν ἐμπνέον ἐν αὐτῇ ἐφόνευσαν ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησαν τῇ λαχις

36 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἰησοῦς καὶ πᾶς ισραηλ μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰς χεβρων καὶ περιεκάθισεν αὐτήν

37 καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὴν ἐν στόματι ξίφους καὶ πᾶν ἐμπνέον ὅσα ἦν ἐν αὐτῇ οὐκ ἦν διασεσῳσμένος ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησαν τὴν οδολλαμ ἐξωλέθρευσαν αὐτὴν καὶ ὅσα ἦν ἐν αὐτῇ

38 καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν ἰησοῦς καὶ πᾶς ισραηλ εἰς δαβιρ καὶ περικαθίσαντες αὐτὴν

39 ἔλαβον αὐτὴν καὶ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῆς καὶ τὰς κώμας αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπάταξαν αὐτὴν ἐν στόματι ξίφους καὶ ἐξωλέθρευσαν αὐτὴν καὶ πᾶν ἐμπνέον ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ οὐ κατέλιπον αὐτῇ οὐδένα διασεσῳσμένον ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησαν τὴν χεβρων καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ αὐτῆς οὕτως ἐποίησαν τῇ δαβιρ καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ αὐτῆς

40 καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἰησοῦς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τῆς ὀρεινῆς καὶ τὴν ναγεβ καὶ τὴν πεδινὴν καὶ τὴν ασηδωθ καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς αὐτῆς οὐ κατέλιπον αὐτῶν σεσῳσμένον καὶ πᾶν ἐμπνέον ζωῆς ἐξωλέθρευσεν ὃν τρόπον ἐνετείλατο κύριος ὁ θεὸς ισραηλ

41 ἀπὸ καδης βαρνη ἕως γάζης πᾶσαν τὴν γοσομ ἕως τῆς γαβαων

42 καὶ πάντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν ἐπάταξεν ἰησοῦς εἰς ἅπαξ ὅτι κύριος ὁ θεὸς ισραηλ συνεπολέμει τῷ ισραηλ

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 10

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Joshua 10: The five kings and how the sun stood still.

After hearing that Gibeon - a sizeable city - had made a peace treaty with Israel, the king of Jerusalem called on four other Canaanite kings to join him in attacking Gibeon. The Gibeonites asked Joshua to remember his promise to keep them safe, and Israel did so, coming to their defense. A great battle ensued at Gilgal. With the Lord’s help, the Israelites defeated the five Canaanite kings. As the Canaanites were fleeing, the Lord sent large hailstones raining down on them, killing more soldiers than had died in the battle. Then, Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun stand still until the enemy was defeated, and it stopped moving across the sky for one whole day.

The defeated kings fled, and hid in a cave at Makkeda. Joshua commanded his men to roll stones over the cave entrance, and to attack the rest of their fleeing enemies. After returning to the cave, Joshua’s men brought the kings out of hiding and stood on their necks, to demonstrate that the Lord would vanquish all of Israel’s enemies. Joshua hanged them, put them back in the cave, and once again sealed the entrance with stones. The rest of the chapter chronicles Israel’s defeat of many other Canaanite cities and kings.

This story shows us that life is amazingly connected and full of consequences. Spiritual life has its share of unforeseen consequences too. When we affirm our wish to follow the Lord, evil spirits will try to fill our minds with distressing thoughts to pull us away from Him. Sometimes this can lead us to rise up and resist our decision to follow the Lord (See Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 1683).

The part of the chapter about the sun standing still represents our need to remain focused on the Lord during our struggles with temptation and regeneration. The Lord is our sun, and normally our awareness of the Lord rises and sets. This brings times when we feel the Lord’s presence strongly, and also times when we feel it is up to us to act as we wish. This is our normal rhythm, and it is right for us to have this cycle.

When we are involved in a spiritual crisis, we need to ensure that our mind’s focus stays with the Lord until we have made it through. This is like our sense of the Lord’s presence standing still ‘for a day’ in our mind’s sky, so that we will not lose our direction. This enabled Joshua and Israel to be victorious, just as it will with us (See Swedenborg’s work, Divine Love and Wisdom 105).

When the Lord sent hailstones - frozen water - on the Canaanites, it represents the way in which false ideas from evil intentions backfire on the attacker of good, because evil is notoriously self-destructive. One lie leads to more another, until the wrongdoer is exposed and judged (See Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell 457).

The cave of Makkedah, where the five kings hid, also holds spiritual significance because of its name, which means ‘the excellent place of shepherds.’ Shepherding represents the Lord’s care for us and our care for each other. Evil may hide behind a semblance of good but it can’t last. Joshua and his men later brought the kings out of the cave and hanged them, signifying that all true life comes from the Lord and His goodness, and He will bring an end to every evil and false way (Divine Love and Wisdom 363).

Israel’s subsequent conquest of other Canaanite cities depicts the follow-through that takes place after an important point in our regeneration: a decision, a refusal, an admission, a prayer to God. This results in a period of witnessing the Lord’s blessings, which naturally follow once we have affirmed our intention to be with the Lord in our life. The chapter ends, “All these kings Joshua took at one time because the Lord God fought for Israel.”