Joshua 10 43

Joshua 10:43 kjv

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

Joshua 10:43 nkjv

Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Joshua 10:43 niv

Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

Joshua 10:43 esv

Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Joshua 10:43 nlt

Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.

Joshua 10 verses

Joshua 10 43 Meaning

Joshua 10:43 marks the culmination of the Southern Campaign in Canaan. It succinctly states that Joshua, along with all the assembled Israelites, successfully concluded their military operations in the southern regions and returned to their established base camp at Gilgal. This return signifies the successful execution of God's commands and the strategic completion of a major phase in the conquest of the Promised Land.

Joshua 10 43 Context

Joshua 10 is a pivotal chapter describing a major turning point in the Israelite conquest of Canaan. It details God's miraculous intervention, including the hailstones and the sun and moon standing still, enabling Joshua to defeat a powerful confederacy of five Amorite kings who had attacked Gibeon (who made a covenant with Israel). Following this decisive victory, Joshua launched a swift and devastating campaign throughout the southern kingdom of Canaan, capturing and utterly destroying cities like Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir, along with their inhabitants, in accordance with God's command for cherem (utter destruction) against these idolatrous nations. This rapid sequence of conquests, marked by God's direct involvement, solidified Israel's control over the southern region. Verse 43 serves as a concluding statement for this entire campaign, marking a return to their operational and spiritual base at Gilgal before the narrative moves on to the Northern Campaign. Historically, Gilgal was Israel's initial encampment and circumcision site after crossing the Jordan, serving as a symbolic place of national identity and divine covenant.

Joshua 10 43 Word analysis

• Then Joshua returned:

  • Then: (וַיָּשָׁב, wayyashav) This connective adverb highlights the conclusion of the immediate preceding events, the Southern Campaign described in Josh 10:28-42. It marks a transition point.
  • Joshua: (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Yehoshu'a - "Yahweh is salvation" or "Yahweh saves"). Joshua's name itself is significant, underscoring that the victories are Yahweh's work through His chosen leader. He is portrayed as the obedient and faithful successor to Moses, executing God's will precisely (cf. Josh 1:1-9, Deut 34:9).
  • returned: This action indicates the completion of the specific military mission in the south. It implies a strategic retreat to a prepared base after battle, a common practice in ancient warfare for rest, re-supply, and planning the next phase.

• and all Israel with him:

  • and all Israel: (וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, v'khol Yisra'el). This emphasizes the unity and collective participation of the Israelite tribes in the conquest, acting as one people under Joshua's command and God's overarching direction. It wasn't merely Joshua as an individual but the nation acting in obedience, implying widespread involvement and responsibility in carrying out God's judgments.
  • with him: (עִמּוֹ, 'immo). Reinforces Joshua's leadership and the nation's unified commitment and subordination to it. Their presence with him attests to the scale of the victory and the successful, unified return.

• to the camp at Gilgal:

  • to the camp: (אֶל־הַמַּחֲנֶה, el-hammachaneh). "Camp" signifies a military base or encampment, but for Israel, Gilgal was more than just a military station. It was the primary staging ground for the initial phase of the conquest, a temporary but stable residence for the entire nation. It represents their secure, designated base for both military operations and spiritual practices.
  • at Gilgal: (הַגִּלְגָּלָה, hagGilālāh). Gilgal holds profound spiritual and national significance. It was the first stopping point after crossing the Jordan (Josh 4:19), the place where the Israelite males were circumcised (Josh 5:2-9, symbolically "rolling away the reproach of Egypt"), where they observed the Passover (Josh 5:10), and where the manna ceased (Josh 5:12). It represents the physical and spiritual anchor for Israel during this critical period, a place of renewal, covenant remembrance, and launching pad for divine mandates. Returning to Gilgal signifies completing a mission and returning to a place of rest, refocusing, and reconsecration before proceeding with the remainder of the conquest.

Joshua 10 43 Bonus section

• The meticulous destruction of the southern cities (Josh 10:28-42), particularly Hebron and Debir (ancient centers of Anakim influence), signals a thorough fulfillment of God's cherem (devotion to destruction) command, eliminating the core of paganism and rebellion against God's plan for the land. This acts as a theological statement about divine judgment and the necessity of rooting out evil.
• Gilgal continued to serve as a significant assembly point and even a place of judgment in later biblical narratives, for instance, during the time of Samuel (1 Sam 7:16; 11:14-15; 15:33). Its selection as a permanent base camp during the conquest reinforces its enduring strategic and spiritual importance for early Israel.
• The structured narrative of the conquest in Joshua (first Gilgal, then Southern, then Northern, then tribal allocations) shows a highly organized, divinely guided campaign rather than a chaotic migration or scattered skirmishes. This verse underlines the strategic and unified nature of Israel's actions under Joshua.

Joshua 10 43 Commentary

Joshua 10:43 is a brief but highly significant concluding verse for the entire Southern Campaign, a testament to God's faithfulness and Israel's obedience. It confirms the complete success of the mission, executed with military precision and divine power, where Joshua "left nothing undone" (Josh 11:15) of what God commanded. The return to Gilgal signifies not merely a tactical repositioning but a spiritual rhythm: out in obedience to battle, victorious by God's hand, and back to the foundational place of communion and rest. Gilgal, the place where Israel entered the land and renewed their covenant with Yahweh, serves as a recurring reminder of their identity as God's chosen people, sustained and led by Him in every step of possessing the Promised Land. This pattern of obedient action and secure return prefigures the greater rest God promises His people, ultimately found in Christ. It demonstrates that the source of Israel's strength and their safe haven always lay in God's presence, whether on the battlefield or in their home camp.