Joshua 10 33

Joshua 10:33 kjv

Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

Joshua 10:33 nkjv

Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining.

Joshua 10:33 niv

Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army?until no survivors were left.

Joshua 10:33 esv

Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish. And Joshua struck him and his people, until he left none remaining.

Joshua 10:33 nlt

During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua's men killed him and his army, leaving no survivors.

Joshua 10 verses

Joshua 10 33 Meaning

Joshua 10:33 recounts an specific event during the Israelite conquest of Canaan. King Horam of Gezer came to assist Lachish, a strong Canaanite city that Joshua was currently subduing. However, Joshua decisively defeated King Horam and his reinforcing army, executing them completely, leaving no survivors. This verse emphasizes God's ongoing provision for Israel's military success and the thoroughness of His judgment against the wicked inhabitants of Canaan and their allies.

Joshua 10 33 Context

Joshua 10:33 is part of the extensive narrative of the Israelite conquest of Canaan, specifically focusing on the southern campaign. This chapter opens with the Gibeonites making a treaty with Israel through deceit, leading to a coalition of five Amorite kings—Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—attacking Gibeon. Israel, upholding its covenant with Gibeon, responded swiftly under Joshua's leadership. God intervened miraculously with hailstones and extending the daylight, enabling a decisive victory over the Amorite coalition. Following this battle, Joshua systematically went on to conquer key cities of these allied kings in the southern region. Verse 33 specifically occurs after Lachish has been besieged and taken (v.31-32), and it details the defeat of an external force, Horam king of Gezer, who came to relieve the siege or reinforce Lachish, but met the same fate as Lachish's own defenders. This entire segment demonstrates God's fulfillment of His covenant promises to give the land to Israel and His just judgment on the idolatrous and morally depraved Canaanite nations.

Joshua 10 33 Word analysis

• Then Horam king of Gezer:

  • Horam (חוֹרָם, Hôram): Means "noble" or "exalted." His title "king of Gezer" indicates his royal authority over this significant Canaanite city. His intervention highlights the Canaanite alliances and shared fear of Israel.
  • Gezer (גָּזֶר, Gāzer): A strategic city located at a crucial intersection of trade routes in the Shephelah (foothills) between Jerusalem and the Mediterranean coast. It was vital for controlling access to central Canaan. Horam's distant appearance at Lachish shows the desperation and extent of Canaanite cooperation against Israel. While his army was annihilated here, the city of Gezer itself would pose challenges to Israel for generations (Josh 16:10, Judg 1:29). This particular event focused on the external military reinforcement rather than the permanent capture of Gezer at this stage.

• came up (וַיַּעַל, va-ya'al): This verb signifies an ascent, common for military expeditions towards a city or battleground, even if the absolute elevation difference isn't massive, it conveys a deliberate military movement or advance.

• to help (לַעְזֹר, la-'azor) Lachish:

  • help (לַעְזֹר, la-'azor): To provide aid, reinforce. This highlights the inter-city alliances among the Canaanites, a common ancient Near Eastern practice to counter major threats. Lachish was a very strong city, often the second most important in Judah. Its falling necessitated such a rescue attempt.

• and Joshua struck him (וַיַּכֵּהוּ, va-yakkehu) and his people (וְאֶת-עַמּוֹ, ve'et-'ammô):

  • struck him (וַיַּכֵּהוּ, va-yakkehu): From the root nakah (נָכָה), "to strike down, smite, kill." This verb indicates decisive military action, a direct and overwhelming defeat.
  • and his people (וְאֶת-עַמּוֹ, ve'et-'ammô): Emphasizes that the destruction extended beyond just King Horam; his entire accompanying army and populace were wiped out. This aligns with the "holy war" or herem (utter devotion to destruction) concept applied to the Canaanites, not limited to their direct army but extended to those who came to aid.

• until he left him none remaining (עַד בִּלְתִּי הִשְׁאִיר לוֹ שָׂרִיד, 'ad bilti hish'ir lô sarid):

  • This is a highly significant phrase repeated throughout Joshua's conquest (Josh 10:28, 30, 32, 37, 39, 40).
  • none remaining (śarîd): Signifies that no remnant or survivor was left. This absolute phrasing underscores the thoroughness and completeness of the divine judgment and the fulfillment of the herem command from God against these idolatrous and morally depraved nations. It demonstrates the totality of their defeat and the removal of the threat they posed.

• Word-Groups Analysis:

  • "Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish": This phrase introduces the unexpected reinforcement. It highlights the strategic desperation of the Canaanite kings, forming widespread alliances, and their readiness to dispatch aid to crucial strongholds like Lachish even from a distance. It also foreshadows Israel's expansion beyond immediate battlefields.
  • "and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining": This concluding phrase defines the outcome as a complete, utter defeat. It reinforces the central theme of God's direct involvement in Israel's military successes and the application of the herem principle as an act of divine judgment against Canaanite wickedness and as a measure to prevent contamination of Israel.

Joshua 10 33 Bonus section

• The incident at Gezer with King Horam represents an "extra" encounter beyond the initial coalition of five Amorite kings. It demonstrates that the Israelites encountered ongoing resistance and required persistent divine aid.
• The fact that Gezer was never fully captured by Israel later (Josh 16:10; Judg 1:29) offers an interesting contrast to this specific event. The victory over Horam here was against his reinforcing army at Lachish, not necessarily the total subjugation of the city of Gezer itself at this point in the conquest narrative. This nuanced reading reminds us that the phrase "none remaining" often applied specifically to the immediate combatants or inhabitants of a particular city under herem, not necessarily an entire kingdom's population indefinitely.
• This verse showcases Joshua's strategic mobility and the tireless pursuit of God's commands. To fight multiple city-states and then engage an external reinforcing army, all within a compressed timeframe (implied by the rapid conquest narrative of chapter 10), highlights the miraculous enablement and energy provided by God.

Joshua 10 33 Commentary

Joshua 10:33 is a terse but powerful statement about God's decisive work through Joshua in the conquest of Canaan. It underlines several critical points: the broad resistance of the Canaanite city-states forming alliances against Israel; God's ability to orchestrate and overcome such concerted opposition; and the absolute nature of His judgment upon these nations. The arrival of Horam from Gezer signifies the far-reaching impact of the Israelite advance and the widespread fear it instilled among the Canaanites. Joshua's swift and total annihilation of Horam's forces, leaving "none remaining," perfectly embodies the divine command for herem warfare. This was not a gratuitous act, but a mandated judgment against nations whose iniquity was complete (Gen 15:16), designed to remove pagan contamination and establish the pure worship of the One True God in the promised land. It testifies to the fact that it was God Himself fighting for Israel (Josh 10:14), granting complete victory where human effort alone would have failed.