Chapter 10: The conquering of many cities

1. The kings prepare to battle Givon for making a treaty with Israel:

• King of Jerusalem prepares for battle: When Adoni Tzedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard of the conquest of Aiy and Jericho and their total destruction, he became very fearful. This fear was increased when he heard that the Givonites made a treaty with the Jewish people, as Givon was a very large metropolitan, much greater than Aiy, and containing many warriors. He therefore decided to make a coalition of cities and kings to wage war against Givon.
• A coalition army is made: He sent a message to five kings; Hoham the king of Hebron, Piram the king of Yarmus, Yafia the king of Lakish and Dvir the king of Eglon, asking them to join him in battle to fight the Givonites who made a peace treaty with the Jewish people. They acquiesced to his request and the five kings went off to battle the Givonites.

2. The Jewish people defend Givon and defeat the Amorite nations:

• Givonites send urgent request of help: The Givonites sent an urgent message to Yehoshua, telling him of the imminent battle that will be waged against them by the five kings, and asked for Yehoshua to defend them, as they are now his servants.
• Yehoshua receives Divine permission to wage war: Yehoshua acquiesced to the request and left Gilgal together with the entire army and its warriors. Hashem appeared to Yehoshua and promised him victory and that they should not fear.
• The surprise attack: Yehoshua traveled at night from Gilgul to stage upon them a surprise attack. Hashem gave them over to the hands of Israel and they were smitten in Givon. The Jews chased after them towards Beis Choron and smote them until Azeika and Makeida.
• G-d throws boulders from heaven onto the enemy: As the enemy ran away, G-d threw upon them great boulders from heaven, and they died. In fact, there were more people killed with the hailing stones than the Jewish people killed with the sword.
• The sun remains standing: Yehoshua asked Hashem on that day [for the sun to stop] and he said to the Jewish people that the sun remained standing in Givon, and the moon in the valley of Ayalon. The sun and moon stood, remaining stationary from their orbit, and remained standing in the heavens until the enemy could be killed. The sun stood in the center of the heavens for a full day [of 24 hours[1]]. This entire story is written in Sefer Hayashar. There was no day like this ever in history, neither before nor later, for G-d to hear the voice of man [to stop the sun], as G-d fought for Israel.
• Yehoshua and the Jewish people returned to the camp, to Gilgal [after the entire battle was finished[2]].

3. The decimation of the enemy and death of the five kings:

• The kings of the nation’s hid and were discovered: The five kings of the coalition enemy army fled and hid in a cave that was on [the border of[3]] Makeida. The kings place of hiding was discovered, and Yehoshua instructed for big boulders to be placed by the entrance to the cave, and that guards should be positioned there.
• The decimation of the coalition army: Yehoshua instructed for the Jewish army to give chase to the enemy and annihilate them. They are not to be allowed to return to their cities, as Hashem has given them into our hands. The Jewish people did as instructed and annihilated the enemy army. There did remain, however, a few fugitives who returned to their fortified cities. The Jewish people returned to their camps without any losses.
• The kings are killed: Yehoshua then instructed for the cave to be opened and for the five kings to be removed from the cave. They did as instructed, and the five kings were brought to Yehoshua; the king of Jerusalem, Hebron, Yarmus, Lakish, and Eglon. Yehoshua had the commanders of war place their feet on the necks of the kings. Yehoshua told them that this should be a sign that they should not fear battle as Hashem will do the same to all their other enemies who they will fight. Afterwards, Yehoshua smote and killed the five kings and hung them each on a tree, for a total of five trees. They remained hanging until evening. As the sun set, Yehoshua instructed for the bodies of the kings to be taken down and thrown into the cave that they hid in. Stones were placed in the entrance of that cave and they remain there until this very day.

4. The conquering of Makeida and other cities:

• Conquering Makeida: On that day, Yehoshua also conquered the city of Makeida and smote it with the sword. Their king, and every living being in the city, was killed, with no survivors left. The king of Makeida saw the same fate as the king of Jericho.
• Conquering Livna: Yehoshua and the Jewish people proceeded to battle the city of Livna, and Hashem granted them success in this battle as well. Their king, and every living being in the city, was killed, with no survivors left. The king of Livna saw the same fate as the king of Jericho.
• Conquering Lakish: Yehoshua and the Jewish people proceeded to battle the city of Lakish, and they encroached upon the city, engaging in battle. Hashem gave the city into their hands on the second day. Every living being in the city, was killed, with no survivors left, just as was done to Livna. The king of Livna saw the same fate as the king of Jericho.
• Conquering Gezer: Haram the king of Gezer went to help the city of Lakish and wage war against the Jewish people. Yehoshua smote him and his nation until no man was left.
• Conquering Eglon: Yehoshua and the Jewish people went from Lakish to Eglona and encamped around the city and waged battle against it. They captured the city and annihilated its inhabitants using the sword, just as was done with Lakish.
• Conquering Chevron: Yehoshua and the Jewish people went from Eglona to Chevron and waged battle against it. They captured the cities and annihilated its king and inhabitants using the sword, just as was done with Eglon. Not one survivor remained.
• Conquering Devira: Yehoshua and the Jewish people went to Devira and waged battle against it. They captured the cities and annihilated its king and inhabitants using the sword, just as was done with Chevron and Livna. Not one survivor remained.
• After Yehoshua finished conquering and annihilating all the towns and cities from Kadesh Barneia until Aza, he and the army returned to Gilgal.

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[1] Metzudos David 10:13

[2] Metzudos David 10:15

[3] Radak 10:17