Bible lesson
Chapter 43: The Long Day and the Southern Campaign
Study notes, questions and the Bible passages that Kingdoms of Scripture Chapter 43 covers, as the game’s chapter map shows them. Read the passages first in the Kingdoms of Scripture Bible, the text the game quotes: the game’s choices, maps and staging are reconstructions, not scripture. This page is not a church lesson and adds no doctrine.
Study notes
When five Amorite kings gather against Gibeon at the call of Jerusalem’s king, Adoni-zedek, Joshua marches all night from Gilgal and falls on them suddenly. Hailstones kill many as they flee, the sun stays still at Joshua’s word, and Israel goes on to capture Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir.
From Joshua 10:1–5 (KoS), Joshua 10:7–11 (KoS), Joshua 10:12–14 (KoS), Joshua 10:28–39 (KoS).
These notes and questions are original study helps written for this site, not scripture. The verses shown with each question are quoted from the Kingdoms of Scripture Bible.
- Chapter
- 43
- Title
- The Long Day and the Southern Campaign
- Bible passages
- Joshua 10:1–10:43
- Read in the Kingdoms of Scripture Bible
- The chapter opens with
Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh, on the day Yahweh gave the Amorite over before the sons of Israel, and he said before the eyes of Israel, Sun, be still in Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon. The sun was still, and the moon stood, until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Is it not written on the scroll of the Upright? The sun stood in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to go in, for about a full day. There has not been a day like that day, before it or after it, for Yahweh to listen to the voice of a man, for Yahweh fought for Israel.
Note · Translation Dom is “be still,” the same verb as being silent. The line does not add a later account of how the sky moved. No Dead Sea reading was substituted here.
Note · Translation Sefer ha-yashar is the scroll of the Upright. The sun “did not hurry to go in” is lo atz lavo.
Notice and discuss
Read each passage, then think about the question on your own or talk it over with others. No answers are collected.
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What do the men of Gibeon ask Joshua to do, and who do they say has gathered against them?
The men of Gibeon sent to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, saying, Do not relax your hands from your servants. Come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us, for all the kings of the Amorite who live in the hill country have gathered against us.
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Where do the five kings hide, and what does Joshua tell his men to do about them and about the enemies still fleeing?
Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. Those five kings fled and hid in the cave at Makkedah. It was told to Joshua, saying, The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah. Joshua said, Roll great stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard them. You, do not stand still. Chase after your enemies and cut off their rear. Do not let them go into their cities, for Yahweh your God has given them into your hand. When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a very great blow, until they were finished, the survivors who survived among them went into the fortified cities. All the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace. No one sharpened his tongue against any of the sons of Israel.
Note · Translation Zinnabtem is to strike the tail, the rear of a fleeing group.
Note · Translation Lo charatz et leshono is “he did not sharpen his tongue.” No one spoke a threat against them.
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What reason does the text give for Joshua’s success in taking the land and all its kings?
Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country, the Negev, the Shephelah, and the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivor, and every breathing thing he devoted, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, had commanded. Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, as far as Gibeon. All these kings and their land Joshua captured at one time, because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
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Kingdoms of Scripture Bible (KoS). CC BY 4.0. Source: bible.kingdomsofscripture.com. Quotations are whole published verses, matched to the game’s chapter references.