Joshua 9 10

Joshua 9:10 kjv

And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.

Joshua 9:10 nkjv

and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan?to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

Joshua 9:10 niv

and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan?Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

Joshua 9:10 esv

and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.

Joshua 9:10 nlt

We have also heard what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River ? King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan (who lived in Ashtaroth).

Joshua 9 verses

Joshua 9 10 Meaning

This verse details specific, well-known conquests of Israel recounted by the Gibeonites as part of their deceptive plea for a covenant. It highlights God's thorough victory over powerful Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, whose kingdoms were located east of the Jordan River. These prominent defeats underscore the extent of Israel's divine might and reputation, serving to impress upon Joshua and the Israelite leaders the Gibeonites' purported long journey and awe for the Israelites.

Joshua 9 10 Context

Joshua 9 records a significant turning point following Israel's victories at Jericho and Ai. News of these powerful conquests had spread throughout Canaan, causing fear among the inhabitants. Unlike other kings who gathered to fight Israel, the Gibeonites, inhabitants of a strong city in Canaan (Josh 9:17), chose a different strategy: deception. Hearing of what Israel had done to Jericho and Ai, they orchestrated a cunning ruse to avoid the Lord's command of complete destruction (Deut 20:16-17).

Verse 10 is part of the elaborate lie concocted by the Gibeonite envoys to convince Joshua and the Israelite leaders that they had traveled from a very distant land. By referencing Israel's past, widely-known, and significant victories over Sihon and Og "beyond the Jordan," they aimed to present themselves as non-Canaanite, and thus not subject to the divine injunction to utterly destroy all within the Promised Land. This calculated appeal to verifiable facts, coupled with their tattered appearance (Josh 9:5), effectively duped the Israelites into forming a covenant without first consulting the Lord, leading to lasting consequences.

Joshua 9 10 Word analysis

• and all that he did: Hebrew: כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה (kol-asher asah). This phrase emphasizes the completeness and devastating nature of God's victory through Israel. It implies an overwhelming and definitive action, leaving no doubt about the outcome or the power behind it. The focus is on the totality of the destruction.
• to the two kings: This specific reference to "two kings" highlights their prominence and the significance of their defeat. These were not minor chieftains but established monarchs ruling formidable kingdoms, making their fall all the more impactful.
• of the Amorites: Hebrew: אֱמֹרִי (ʾĔmōrî). The Amorites were a powerful Semitic people group who dominated much of Canaan and Transjordan during certain periods. In Scripture, "Amorite" can sometimes be used broadly for the pre-Israelite inhabitants of the land, signifying a strong, well-known, and ancient people group. Their defeat speaks to God's unparalleled might.
• who were beyond the Jordan: Hebrew: בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן (bəʿēver hayyardēn). This is a crucial geographical indicator, referring to the region east of the Jordan River. From Israel's current perspective (west of the Jordan), these were the first major conquests against organized kingdoms, demonstrating God's power even before they entered the heart of Canaan. It underlines the distant and renowned nature of Israel's early successes.
• to Sihon king of Heshbon: Hebrew: סִיחֹן מֶלֶךְ חֶשְׁבּוֹן (Sikhōn melek Kheshbōn). Sihon was a powerful Amorite king who refused Israel passage and subsequently waged war, only to be utterly defeated by divine intervention (Num 21). Heshbon was his capital, a significant city, and its fall signaled the collapse of a key kingdom.
• and to Og king of Bashan: Hebrew: וּלְעוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן (ūləʿŌg melek habBāshān). Og was the mighty king of Bashan, famous for his formidable stature (Deut 3:11 describes his massive iron bedstead) and the strength of his kingdom. Bashan was known for its fertile plains and robust cities. His defeat by Israel underscored that no adversary, however powerful or imposing, could stand against the Lord.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites": This phrase emphasizes the completeness and decisiveness of Israel's (God's) victory over powerful, well-known, and ancient rulers. It highlights the divine power that ensured their total destruction and solidified Israel's reputation as an unstoppable force.
• "who were beyond the Jordan": This specifies the location of these key early conquests, placing them outside the immediate region of Israel's current operations but emphasizing how far Israel's fame had traveled. It refers to significant victories that had already become part of regional historical consciousness.
• "to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan": The explicit naming of these two prominent kings and their capital cities (Heshbon) and regions (Bashan) validates the Gibeonites' alleged knowledge of distant, yet significant, events. These specific examples served as irrefutable evidence of Israel's might, thereby enhancing the credibility of the Gibeonites' deceptive story.

Joshua 9 10 Bonus section

• The defeat of Sihon and Og represented the first significant encounters Israel had with established kingdoms, setting a precedent for the conquest of Canaan. Their kingdoms became the inheritance of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Josh 13).
• The fear induced by these victories, as illustrated by the Gibeonites' desperation, was a fulfillment of God's promise to Israel (e.g., Exod 23:27, Deut 2:25), serving to weaken the resolve of their enemies.
• This passage subtly highlights the importance of spiritual discernment. Even true facts can be presented deceptively. Israel's failure to seek God's counsel through the Urim and Thummim (Num 27:21) or prophetic inquiry was their critical mistake, leading them into an unauthorized covenant with people they were commanded to utterly destroy.
• The incident foreshadows future instances where Israel's leaders make agreements or decisions based on human wisdom rather than divine instruction, often with negative long-term consequences.

Joshua 9 10 Commentary

Joshua 9:10 serves as a testament to the powerful reputation Israel had gained through divine assistance in their conquests. The Gibeonites strategically deployed details of God's impressive victories over Sihon and Og—well-known events in the region—to bolster their fabricated narrative of a far-off origin. By mentioning these specific kings, they not only displayed accurate knowledge of recent history, which made their story plausible, but also subtly flattered the Israelites by acknowledging their awe-inspiring might. This flattery, combined with Israel's failure to consult the Lord, proved tragically effective. The Gibeonites leveraged verifiable historical facts as a means of deceit, highlighting the ever-present spiritual danger of relying solely on outward appearances and circumstantial evidence without seeking divine wisdom. This foundational error in Israel's early conquest period would reverberate centuries later, demonstrating the lasting repercussions of disobedience and haste.