Joshua 10:12-15 meaning

In Joshua 10:12-15, Joshua prays to God to lengthen the day so that the Israelites can destroy their enemy.

The Israelite conquest of Jericho and Ai had aroused diverse reactions among the Canaanite nations. While most sought to attack Israel, the Gibeonites reacted differently. They approached Joshua at Gilgal, soliciting a peace treaty by pretending to be foreigners from another land (Joshua 9). To punish the Gibeonites for allying with the Israelites, five Amorite kings joined forces and attacked Gibeon. The Gibeonites implored Joshua for help, and he and the Israelite army tirelessly traveled all night from Gilgal to Gibeon to rescue their vassals. God confounds the Amorites, allowing Israel to slaughter many of them. Then, He caused large hailstones to fall from heaven, killing more Amorites than were slain by the Israelite soldiers (Joshua 10:1-11).

While fighting against the Amorite armies, Joshua spoke to the LORD, offering to Him a fervent prayer (v. 12). The Hebrew term translated as LORD is Yahweh, the self-existent and eternal God who revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). This name often emphasizes God's covenant/treaty relationship with His people. In our passage, the term shows Joshua's relationship with Yahweh, demonstrating how faithfully and intimately Joshua served God. His mission was to lead the people of Israel so that they could conquer the Promised Land, a task he accomplished faithfully. Thus, he prayed in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel. His petition, brief but powerful, went as follows:

O sun, stand still at Gibeon
And O moon, in the valley of Aijalon.

Joshua's prayer is a request made in two poetic lines. The Israelite leader is asking the LORD to alter the earth's rotation. He wanted God to cause the sun to stand still at Gibeon in the east and the moon at the valley of Aijalon, about 15 miles northwest of Jerusalem. The purpose was so the Israelites had ample time to fight and defeat the enemy.

The LORD responded positively to Joshua's prayer, providing the light necessary for Israel to win the battle. Thus, the sun stood still, and the moon stopped (v. 13). This wonder demonstrates that the God who created the universe has complete control over it. It also shows that He "hears the prayer of the righteous" (Proverbs 15:29; 1 Peter 3:12).

This does not mean God is a genie who will grant wishes if we are good enough. We cannot earn "righteous points" that can be traded in for miracles. Righteousness means living according to a standard, namely, God's standard. It means Joshua was walking in God's will, following God's leading and seeking only to please Him and accomplish what He had tasked to Joshua, which was to be strong and courageous as he led the conquest of the Promised Land (Joshua 1:9). Joshua's prayer is in line with God's will, that the Amorites be punished for their sins and the Israelites take their place as inhabitants of Canaan (Genesis 12:7, 15:16). And so, Joshua prayed rightly for God's divine help. God granted Joshua's petition. Since God created the laws of nature, He can alter them, and He did so here, to allow Israel to fight until the people avenged themselves of their enemies.

The writer of the book of Joshua added an explanatory note to confirm the truth about the miracle. He began with an inquiry meant to make a point rather than to elicit an answer. Concerning the miracle, he asked, Is it not written in the book of Jashar? The answer is "Yes." The writer's audience would know they could find a record of that event in the book of Jashar, which was probably a Hebrew literary collection of songs written to honor the achievement of the Israelite leaders (2 Samuel 1:17-27).

Since the Amorites were in disarray, Joshua wanted to finish the battle the same day. He asked God to cause the sun and the moon to stay put, and God honored the request promptly. Thus, the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. In other words, God caused the earth’s rotation to slow down, giving His people visibility to fight.

The miracle involving the long day in Joshua was unique. There was no day like that before it or after it when the LORD listened to the voice of a man (v. 14). Although God often answered the prayers of righteous men like Abraham and Moses, this occasion in which He granted Joshua’s request was unprecedented. He provided an unusually lengthy day for His people to complete the battle and destroy the enemy. Indeed, the LORD fought for Israel. It was His will that the Israelites won. Once the battle was over, Joshua and all of Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal (v. 15). They returned home with gratitude to God for granting them victory over the Amorite armies. The Gibeonites were surely amazed at the God of Israel and the miracle He performed on their behalf. No doubt they were grateful to be Israel’s vassals.