Joshua 10 40

Joshua 10:40 kjv

So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

Joshua 10:40 nkjv

So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded.

Joshua 10:40 niv

So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.

Joshua 10:40 esv

So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

Joshua 10:40 nlt

So Joshua conquered the whole region ? the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.

Joshua 10 verses

Joshua 10 40 Meaning

Joshua 10:40 concisely reports the completion of the southern campaign led by Joshua. It describes the comprehensive nature of the Israelite victory, highlighting that all the kings and inhabitants from the various geographical regions – the hills, the south, the valley, and the springs – were utterly destroyed, with no survivors left. This total eradication of life, described as "all that breathed," is explicitly stated to have been carried out precisely "as the Lord God of Israel commanded." The verse emphasizes divine mandate and complete obedience in the conquest.

Joshua 10 40 Context

Joshua 10:40 marks the culmination of the "Southern Campaign" in the conquest of Canaan. The chapter begins with the confederation of five Amorite kings laying siege to Gibeon, which had recently made a treaty with Israel. Gibeon appealed to Joshua for help. In response, God supernaturally intervened on behalf of Israel, causing hailstones to kill more of the enemy than Israel's sword, and famously, the sun and moon stood still. Following this miraculous victory over the five kings (who were later captured and executed), Joshua embarked on a systematic campaign to conquer and utterly destroy their cities.

Verse 40 specifically provides a summary statement of this extended military operation, which involved the capture and herem (utter destruction) of key southern cities mentioned previously in the chapter: Makkedah (v. 28), Libnah (v. 29-30), Lachish (v. 31-32), Eglon (v. 34-35), Hebron (v. 36-37), and Debir (v. 38-39). The verse emphasizes the breadth of the conquest—encompassing different topographical regions—and its thoroughness in adhering to the divine command for utter destruction.

Historically, the herem was not a unique practice to Israel in the ancient Near East, where conquering nations sometimes "devoted" enemies to their own deities. However, Israel's practice of herem was distinct in its purpose: it was a divine command specifically for God's judgment against the profound wickedness and spiritual corruption of the Canaanite nations (marked by practices like child sacrifice and pervasive immorality). It also served to protect Israel from being corrupted by these pagan practices and to prepare the land for the covenant people of God. The conquest was understood not primarily as a land-grab but as a righteous act of God fulfilling His promise to Abraham and His judgment on nations whose "iniquity was full" (Gen 15:16).

Joshua 10 40 Word analysis

• So Joshua smote (וַיַּכֵּה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ wayyakkēh Yəhōšuaʿ):

  • nakah (נָכָה): To strike, smite, attack, kill. In this context, it signifies a decisive, lethal blow, signifying military conquest and elimination.
  • This opening phrase emphasizes Joshua's active role as the leader carrying out God's will, yet in dependence on Him.

• all the country of the hills (אֶת־כָּל־אֶרֶץ הָהָר ʾet-kol-ʾereṣ hāhār):

  • kol (כָּל): All, whole, entire. Highlights the comprehensive nature of the conquest.
  • ʾereṣ (אֶרֶץ): Land, country.
  • hār (הָר): Mountain, hill country. This refers to the central highlands, a significant geographical area.

• and of the south (וְהַנֶּגֶב wəhannegev):

  • negev (נֶגֶב): South, or specifically, the Negeb desert region south of Judah, known for its drier climate. Indicates territorial reach.

• and of the vale (וְהַשְּׁפֵלָה wəhaššəp̄ēlāh):

  • shfēlāh (שְׁפֵלָה): Lowland, foothills, specifically the Shephelah, a fertile low hill region between the coastal plain and the Judean mountains. Covers diverse terrain.

• and of the springs (וְהָאֲשֵׁדוֹת wəhāʾăšēdôṯ):

  • ʾashēd (אֲשֵׁדוֹת): The slopes, ravines, or perhaps referring to a region like the "slopes of Pisgah" or mountainous flanks. Signifies conquest in challenging terrain.

• and all their kings (וְאֶת־כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶם wəʾet-kol-malkêhem):

  • The focus is not just on the common populace but on the leadership, ensuring total systemic dismantling. Kings represented political and military authority.

• he left none remaining (לֹא הִשְׁאִיר שָׂרִיד lōʾ hišʾîr śārîd):

  • shaʾar (שָׁאַר): To remain, be left over. The negative "lo" (לֹא) indicates no survivors, emphasizing absolute eradication.
  • sārîd (שָׂרִיד): Survivor, remnant. This underlines the complete nature of the herem as executed.

• but utterly destroyed (וַיַּחֲרֵם wayyaḥărem):

  • ḥāram (חָרַם) in the Hiphil conjugation (heḥĕrim): To devote, destroy, exterminate, ban, consecrate (to destruction). This is the key term for the concept of herem.
  • Signifies dedication to God by destruction, an act of ritual purification and divine judgment. The "utter" refers to the comprehensive and irreversible nature of the act.

• all that breathed (כָּל הַנְּשָׁמָה kol hanneshamah):

  • nəshamah (נְשָׁמָה): Breath, spirit, living thing. This emphasizes the taking of all life—every person. This is often used for all living creatures including humans and animals but here primarily refers to humans.
  • It highlights the thoroughness of the command, extending to every single human life in those regions.

• as the Lord God of Israel commanded (כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל kaʾăšer ṣiwwāh YHWH ʾĕlōhê Yiśrāʾēl):

  • kaʾăšer (כַּאֲשֶׁר): As, according to what. Direct fulfillment.
  • ṣawāh (צָוָה): To command, appoint. Establishes the divine origin of the action.
  • YHWH (יְהוָה): The personal, covenant name of God. This indicates that the command came from the sovereign, faithful God of Israel.
  • ʾĕlōhîm (אֱלֹהֵי): God (plural but used for the one true God). Here, God of Israel identifies Him as specifically in covenant relationship with His people.
  • This phrase is crucial: it attributes the severity of the act directly to God's holy command, framing the conquest not as a human atrocity but as a divinely ordered execution of justice and faithfulness.

Words-group analysis:

• "smote all the country... and all their kings": This grouping illustrates the comprehensive scope of the conquest, covering both geography and leadership, signifying total subjugation and elimination of organized resistance. It emphasizes that no aspect of Canaanite power structure or territory was left untouched.
• "he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed": This phrase highlights the absolute and uncompromising nature of the herem. The double emphasis (no survivors and utterly destroyed) stresses the complete eradication of life as commanded, underscoring the severity of God's judgment and the thoroughness of Israel's obedience.
• "as the Lord God of Israel commanded": This concluding phrase serves as the theological justification and central interpretative key for the entire verse and indeed, for the herem passages in Joshua. It affirms that the actions, however harsh, were not driven by human malice or conquest for plunder, but were direct, specific, and complete obedience to the holy will of the Covenant God, acting in judgment against severe evil and fulfilling His promises.

Joshua 10 40 Bonus section

The execution of herem was a specific, time-bound divine judgment on the Canaanite inhabitants of the promised land. It was not a template for all future military endeavors of Israel, nor is it a model for Christian conduct or modern warfare. Instead, it highlights God's attributes of justice, holiness, and sovereignty. The repeated emphasis "as the Lord God of Israel commanded" (Joshua 10:40, 11:15, 21:44-45) throughout the conquest narrative reinforces that this was a theological event, a demonstration of God fulfilling His promises and bringing His righteous judgment. The thoroughness of the destruction serves to underscore that when God's judgment comes, it is decisive and complete. Furthermore, the narrative of the herem also highlights the potential for severe consequences when God's people fail to fully obey His commands, as seen in later periods of Israel's history with incomplete expulsions.

Joshua 10 40 Commentary

Joshua 10:40 is a summarizing declaration, concluding a major phase of the conquest narrative in the Book of Joshua. It functions as an explicit affirmation of Israel's faithfulness to the difficult command of herem, the devotion to destruction. This was not a general directive for indiscriminate killing, but a specific, limited command given by the "Lord God of Israel" (YHWH Elohei Yisrael), reflecting His covenant faithfulness to His people and His holy justice against the severe moral degradation of the Canaanites.

The geographical breadth (hills, south, vale, springs) indicates that Joshua methodically and thoroughly pursued the enemy throughout various terrains. The explicit statement that "he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed" underscores the thoroughness of Israel's obedience to God's decree, contrasting with later instances where Israel failed to fully obey (e.g., Judg 1). This complete obedience was crucial not for Israel's righteousness, but as a testimony to God's authority, His unwavering commitment to justice, and His protection of Israel from spiritual contamination. The narrative presents this as divine judgment upon the inhabitants and a demonstration of God's power to fulfill His covenant promises regarding the land.

This verse therefore serves not as an endorsement of perpetual warfare or ruthless conquest, but as a theological statement about divine judgment, covenant faithfulness, and complete obedience within a unique historical context in God's redemptive plan.