Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 10:42
And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
42. at one time ] i.e. in one campaign, or in one expedition, which doubtless lasted some days or even weeks.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
At one time – i. e. in one campaign or expedition, which no doubt lasted some days, or perhaps weeks (compare Jos 11:18).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 42. Did Joshua take at one time] That is, he defeated all those kings, and took all their cities, in ONE campaign; this appears to be the rational construction of the Hebrew. But these conquests were so rapid and stupendous, that they cannot be attributed either to the generalship of Joshua, or the valour of the Israelites; and hence the author himself, disclaiming the merit of them, modestly and piously adds, because the Lord Good of Israel fought for Israel. It was by this aid that Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time – in a single campaign. And when all the circumstances related in this chapter are properly weighed, we shall find that GOD alone could have performed these works, and that both reason and piety require that to HIM alone they should be attributed.
1. THE principal subjects of this important chapter have been considered so much in detail in the preceding notes, that there is little room to add any thing to what has already been said. The principal subject is the miracle of the sun’s standing still; and to assert that all difficulties have been removed by the preceding notes and observations, would be to say what the writer does not believe, and what few readers would perhaps feel disposed to credit. Yet it is hoped that the chief difficulties have been removed, and the miracle itself shown to have nothing contradictory in it. If, as is generally believed, the sun and moon were objects of the Canaanitish adoration, the miracle was graciously calculated to check this superstition, and to show the Israelites, as well as the Canaanites, the vanity of such worship, and the folly of such dependence. Even their gods at the command of a servant of JEHOVAH, were obliged to contribute to the destruction of their votaries. This method of checking superstition and destroying idolatry God adopted in the plagues which he inflicted upon the Egyptians; and by it at once showed his justice and his mercy. See the concluding observations on Clarke “Ex 12:51“.
2. The same God who appeared so signally in behalf of his people of old is still the governor of the heavens and the earth; and, if applied to, will do every thing essentially necessary for the extension of his truth and the maintenance of his religion among men. How is it that faith is so rarely exercised in his power and goodness? We have not, because we ask not. Our experience of his goodness is contracted, because we pray little and believe less. To holy men of old the object of faith was more obscurely revealed than to us, and they had fewer helps to their faith; yet they believed more, and witnessed greater displays of the power and mercy of their Maker. Reader, have faith in God, and know that to excite, exercise, and crown this, he has given thee his word and his Spirit; and learn to know that without him thou canst do nothing.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And all these kings, and their land, did Joshua take at one time,…. Not in one day, but in a very short time, in a few days, as the history clearly shows:
because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel; which is the true reason of such quick dispatch being made, otherwise in all probability much longer time must have been consumed in subduing them. The Targum is,
“because the Lord God of Israel fought by his Word for Israel.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
All these kings and their country Joshua took “ once,” i.e., in one campaign, which lasted, however, a considerable time (cf. Jos 11:18). He was able to accomplish this, because Jehovah the God of Israel fought for Israel (see Jos 10:14). After this he returned with the army to the camp at Gilgal (Jiljilia; cf. Jos 10:15).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
42. At one time During one campaign, which commenced with the great battle of Gibeon and Beth-horon.
Because the Lord fought for Israel The unprecedented rapidity and success of Joshua’s movements is here ascribed to his great ally, Jehovah. The only miraculous interposition in aid of Joshua was on the memorable first day of the campaign; but the marvellous victories obtained in quick succession over a foe which, forty years before, by reason of their stature and the strength of their walled cities struck terror into the hearts of the Hebrew spies, show that God was the author of that courage which now nerved the people, and also of that despair which paralyzed their foes so perfectly that before they could reorganize a combined resistance they were cut off, city by city.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 42. And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, &c. Three remarks here offer themselves to our consideration. 1. That Joshua, in making himself master of these countries, did not destroy all the inhabitants, but only such as had not fled. 2. That then kings carried to their camps all who were able to bear arms; so that, at a first defeat, all was lost with them, and the slaughter was inexpressible. But it is especially to be here remarked, 3. That, in all probability, Joshua, having taken the cities of Canaan with great rapidity, and then set fire to them, left them afterwards, and proceeded to other conquests; thus availing himself of the perturbation and distress of the nations: but that after this first setting on fire, those, who had escaped the danger, returning to their cities immediately, set about fortifying them afresh; and that thus, while Joshua over-ran the country, carrying every where fire and sword, and leaving no garrisons in any of the cities, lest he should thereby too much weaken his army, the Canaanites used all their endeavours to re-settle in the places which they had before abandoned. Properly speaking, therefore, it was not till after the division of the country that the Israelites drove the Canaanites from the cities that fell to each tribe. The rules of war required, that Joshua should first destroy all the chiefs of the enemies’ nation, and disable the country from resisting him; after which, it was easy to reduce such places as, being no longer supported by the common aid of other cities, could not fail of falling soon into the hands of the Israelites, provided they would use their efforts to subdue them, either by force or famine. But God permitted many of them to be left unreduced; which, in the event, was a cause of their ruin and destruction. Besides, if Joshua made so rapid a progress, it was because God fought for Israel; or, as the Chaldee paraphrase expresses it, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel by his Word.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
“Handfuls of Purpose”
For All Gleaners
“… the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.” Jos 10:42
Israel was an undivided name betokening a complete whole. The Israelite, as an individual, had no existence from Israel, the whole number. If one man wandered away from Israel, the whole body felt itself in a state of incompleteness, and was inspired by a spirit of solicitude and yearning after the absent one. There is a nationality as well as a personality. We miss a good deal by supposing that life is wholly a question of individualities. In a very important sense it is so, but in another equally important sense it is not so. England has a character as well as every Englishman. We speak of the health of a country and say it is good, at the very moment when thousands of persons are lying without ability to walk or work: we speak of the wealth of a country, and call it exceedingly abundant, at the very moment that workhouses are crowded with inmates; we speak of the intelligence of a country, and may describe some countries as the most intelligent in the whole world, notwithstanding the fact that there are within them uncounted numbers of illiterate persons. Thus there is another life beside the merely personal. God is here represented as fighting for nations. God never fights for any nation simply because it is a nation, but because as a nation it is on the right side of the controversy. God has no partiality for any land, except in the degree in which that land is marked by righteousness of purpose and action. Patriotism is folly unless it be based upon moral considerations as well as upon kindred and sentiment. Throughout the whole Bible the Lord has always shown himself as ready to give up one nation as another when moral fidelity was impaired or perverted. Men cannot be permitted to unite themselves with Israel on the ground that God always fights for that particular denomination. This would be selfishness, not piety. God searches the heart, and judges absolutely by the motive. No nation then must pride itself upon being a particular favourite of Heaven: God hath made of one blood all nations of men: God is the Father of the whole world: God is only on the side of the righteous man, be that man black or white, great in wealth or mean in poverty.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
fought for Israel. For the reason, see App-23and App-25.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
at one time
Cf. Jos 11:18. As the context shows, the verse refer to different parts of Palestine and different kings.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
because: Jos 10:14, Exo 14:14, Exo 14:25, Deu 20:4, Psa 44:3-8, Psa 46:1, Psa 46:7, Psa 46:11, Psa 80:3, Psa 118:6, Isa 8:9, Isa 8:10, Isa 43:4, Rom 8:31-37
Reciprocal: Gen 14:20 – which Exo 17:13 – General Num 32:22 – land Deu 1:30 – he shall Deu 3:22 – for the Lord Deu 7:2 – deliver Deu 7:24 – he shall Deu 28:7 – flee before Jos 11:21 – Joshua destroyed Jos 23:3 – for the Jos 23:10 – Lord 2Sa 23:10 – the Lord 1Ch 5:20 – And they 1Ch 17:21 – by driving 1Ch 22:18 – before the Lord 2Ch 32:8 – to fight Job 12:19 – General Psa 35:1 – fight Psa 44:2 – drive out Psa 44:7 – But Psa 60:10 – didst Psa 68:12 – Kings Mic 6:5 – Shittim Hab 3:6 – and drove Hab 3:13 – thou woundedst Zec 9:14 – seen Zec 10:5 – because Zec 14:3 – as
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:42 And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at {k} one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
(k) In one battle.