SERIES G --- THE PROMISED LAND --- LESSON 11

FIVE KINGS

FIVE KINGS WHO HID IN A CAVE

From Joshua 10:22-43

Open the mouth of the cave at Makkedah, Joshua commanded. ‘Bring out the five Amorite kings!’ Joshua’s men did as they were commanded and brought the five Amorite kings from the cave, the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. Then Joshua gave orders to his army officers. ‘Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings,’ he told them. The officers came to Joshua and put their feet on the necks of the five Amorite kings. ‘You must never be afraid or dismayed,’ Joshua said to the officers. ‘Be strong and brave, for this is what the Adonai will do to your enemies.’ Then Joshua killed the five kings and hanged their bodies on five trees until evening. At sunset Joshua gave the command to take their bodies down and throw them into the cave where they had hidden. Then large stones were placed before the mouth of the cave. The same day, Joshua captured Makkedah and destroyed it completely, along with its king and its people. There was not one survivor. Makkedah was destroyed in the same way as Jericho and its king. From Makkedah, Joshua went on to Libnah and fought against it. The Adonai gave Joshua and his men the victory here, as He had done at Jericho. The city and all its people were destroyed. After the victory at Libnah, Joshua went with his army to Lachish, where they camped and fought against the city. The Adonai gave them the victory at Lachish also and Joshua captured the city on the second day, destroying all its people as he had done at Libnah. Horam king of Gezer came to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him, destroying the king and all his people. From Lachish, Joshua and his army moved on to Eglon, camping there and fighting against the city. That day Joshua captured Eglon, destroying the city and all its people, as he had done at Lachish. Then he and his army moved on to Hebron and fought that city, capturing it and destroying it and its king and villages and all the people. He left no survivor, as he had also done at Eglon, destroying completely the city and its people. On to Debir they went and fought that city. Joshua and his men captured Debir, its king and villages, destroying every person there. He left no survivor, as he had done at Hebron and Libnah. In this way, Joshua moved through the land; the hill country and Negeb, the lowlands and mountains. He conquered the land and its kings, sparing no one and destroying everyone, as the Adonai had Commanded him to do. From Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from Goshen to Gibeon, Joshua defeated them, capturing the kings and their lands in one great movement, for the Adonai fought for Israel. Then Joshua returned with his men to Gilgal.

COMMENTARY

CONQUEST OF THE FIVE KINGS

Joshua had the five kings of the southern coalition executed and their bodies hung on five trees. First however, he had the army commanders place their feet on the necks of the kings. {Don’t fear!} Joshua exhorted his commanders. {This is what the Adonai will do to all our enemies!} The five kings knew they would die soon. Joshua’s soldiers had discovered them hiding in a cave and had taken them to stand as prisoners before the entire Israelite army. The leaders were ordered to the ground and Joshua instructed his military commanders to put their feet on the kings’ necks. There was no greater sign of defeat. As strange as the scene might seem today, everyone watching on the battlefield knew its meaning. Putting a foot on an enemy’s neck was a way of showing complete domination. It was all the more a humiliating disgrace because the foot was considered an unclean part of the human body. Since people walked everywhere either barefoot or in sandals, feet were actually often very filthy. The neck was thought of as the place to show defeat or insult, prisoners were yoked or tied together at the neck. The expression for coward; {turned his back and ran}; used the word for {neck} instead of {back} in the Hebrew.