Joshua 10:28 records how the Israelites destroy the city of Makkedah, including all its inhabitants and its king.
In Joshua 10:28, the Israelites defeat the city of Makkedah.
The Israelites had entered Canaan at Jericho, in the lower Jordan Valley, west of the Jordan River and about ten miles northwest of the Dead Sea. They miraculously entered the city of Jericho when God knocked its walls down, and captured it. Then, they fought against its citizens and were victorious (Joshua 6). Next, after a failed first attempt, they attacked a small city near Beth-Aven, east of Bethel, named Ai, and defeated it (Joshua 8). The Israelites turned southward and fought against a coalition of five Canaanite kings (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon), who sent their armies to attack Gibeon for its alliance with Israel (Joshua 10:1-6). The people of Gibeon asked Joshua for help, and the Israelites rescued them, killing most of the enemy soldiers (vv. 7-15).
During Israel's battle with the five southern Canaanite cities, Joshua learned that their kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah, a Canaanite town in the Shephelah foothills of Judah. Joshua asked some of his men to cover the cave with heavy stones, giving him time to complete the battle. Once he defeated the armies, he retrieved the five kings from the cave and executed them, first urging his commanders to place their feet on the enemy's necks as a gesture of victory and a remembrance that it was the LORD God ensuring their success. The bodies of the kings were hung on five trees until evening. At sunset, he took their corpses down from the trees and buried them in the same cave in which they had hid (vv. 16-27).
Joshua and the Israelites were eager to continue the conquest of Canaan. Throughout this verse, the writer stresses Joshua's leadership by using his name to represent the Israelite army. On that day, Joshua captured Makkedah since it was about 15 miles southwest of Gibeon (v. 28). It was where the battle of Gibeon had ended. Thus, while in Makkedah, Joshua seized the opportunity to attack it.
The Israelite leader had great success in Makkedah. He struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. In Bible times, the sword was one of the most important weapons of warfare. The ancient people used it to thrust and slash the opponent in armed conflicts. Joshua also utilized it against the town of Makkedah. He utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it.
The verb utterly destroy in this passage means "to put someone or something under the ban." It refers to an act of obedience that dedicates the adversaries to the LORD (Numbers 21:2,Deuteronomy 7:2; 20:17).
The word translated utterly destroyed ("herem" in Hebrew) meant to devote something entirely to God—to place it outside ordinary use, set apart for sacred purposes. In warfare, it meant removing from the land everything that would corrupt God's people and poison their relationship with Him. God had warned Israel that the Canaanites' practices—child sacrifice, occult worship, sexual immorality built into religious ritual—would pull Israel away from Him if left in place (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).
The "herem" was covenant obedience. It was meant to protect Israel in that day and for all coming generations so that the Israelites might walk in right relationship with the one true God. But after Joshua, many Israelite kings and leaders would not fulfill it, so that idolatry crept constantly back into Jewish culture. In 1 Samuel 15:1-3, King Saul failed to carry out "herem" against Amalek, which led to God rejecting him as king, showing how seriously God took this command.
But Joshua obeyed the divine command by eliminating the inhabitants of Makkedah. He was so victorious that heleft no survivor. The LORD strengthened Joshua and allowed him to lead the Israelite army to conquer Canaan. Joshua was faithful to his mission. He worked tirelessly to please his God. Thus, he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
The city of Jericho was in the lower Jordan Valley, west of the Jordan River and about ten miles northwest of the Dead Sea. The Bible calls it the "city of palms" because it had abundant palm trees (Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16; 2 Chronicles 28:15). It was a secure fortress with formidable walls. It was the first city which the Israelites conquered, sparing only Rahab and her family because she feared God and helped the Israelite spies.
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites attacked Jericho and captured it. They burned it and killed its king (Joshua 6:22-25). Likewise, Joshua slaughtered the king of Makkedah. The LORD was with His covenant people. He paved the way for them to conquer the Promised Land.
Joshua 10:28
28 Now Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Thus he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
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Joshua 10:28 meaning
In Joshua 10:28, the Israelites defeat the city of Makkedah.
The Israelites had entered Canaan at Jericho, in the lower Jordan Valley, west of the Jordan River and about ten miles northwest of the Dead Sea. They miraculously entered the city of Jericho when God knocked its walls down, and captured it. Then, they fought against its citizens and were victorious (Joshua 6). Next, after a failed first attempt, they attacked a small city near Beth-Aven, east of Bethel, named Ai, and defeated it (Joshua 8). The Israelites turned southward and fought against a coalition of five Canaanite kings (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon), who sent their armies to attack Gibeon for its alliance with Israel (Joshua 10:1-6). The people of Gibeon asked Joshua for help, and the Israelites rescued them, killing most of the enemy soldiers (vv. 7-15).
During Israel's battle with the five southern Canaanite cities, Joshua learned that their kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah, a Canaanite town in the Shephelah foothills of Judah. Joshua asked some of his men to cover the cave with heavy stones, giving him time to complete the battle. Once he defeated the armies, he retrieved the five kings from the cave and executed them, first urging his commanders to place their feet on the enemy's necks as a gesture of victory and a remembrance that it was the LORD God ensuring their success. The bodies of the kings were hung on five trees until evening. At sunset, he took their corpses down from the trees and buried them in the same cave in which they had hid (vv. 16-27).
Joshua and the Israelites were eager to continue the conquest of Canaan. Throughout this verse, the writer stresses Joshua's leadership by using his name to represent the Israelite army. On that day, Joshua captured Makkedah since it was about 15 miles southwest of Gibeon (v. 28). It was where the battle of Gibeon had ended. Thus, while in Makkedah, Joshua seized the opportunity to attack it.
The Israelite leader had great success in Makkedah. He struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. In Bible times, the sword was one of the most important weapons of warfare. The ancient people used it to thrust and slash the opponent in armed conflicts. Joshua also utilized it against the town of Makkedah. He utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it.
The verb utterly destroy in this passage means "to put someone or something under the ban." It refers to an act of obedience that dedicates the adversaries to the LORD (Numbers 21:2, Deuteronomy 7:2; 20:17).
The word translated utterly destroyed ("herem" in Hebrew) meant to devote something entirely to God—to place it outside ordinary use, set apart for sacred purposes. In warfare, it meant removing from the land everything that would corrupt God's people and poison their relationship with Him. God had warned Israel that the Canaanites' practices—child sacrifice, occult worship, sexual immorality built into religious ritual—would pull Israel away from Him if left in place (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).
The "herem" was covenant obedience. It was meant to protect Israel in that day and for all coming generations so that the Israelites might walk in right relationship with the one true God. But after Joshua, many Israelite kings and leaders would not fulfill it, so that idolatry crept constantly back into Jewish culture. In 1 Samuel 15:1-3, King Saul failed to carry out "herem" against Amalek, which led to God rejecting him as king, showing how seriously God took this command.
But Joshua obeyed the divine command by eliminating the inhabitants of Makkedah. He was so victorious that he left no survivor. The LORD strengthened Joshua and allowed him to lead the Israelite army to conquer Canaan. Joshua was faithful to his mission. He worked tirelessly to please his God. Thus, he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
The city of Jericho was in the lower Jordan Valley, west of the Jordan River and about ten miles northwest of the Dead Sea. The Bible calls it the "city of palms" because it had abundant palm trees (Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16; 2 Chronicles 28:15). It was a secure fortress with formidable walls. It was the first city which the Israelites conquered, sparing only Rahab and her family because she feared God and helped the Israelite spies.
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites attacked Jericho and captured it. They burned it and killed its king (Joshua 6:22-25). Likewise, Joshua slaughtered the king of Makkedah. The LORD was with His covenant people. He paved the way for them to conquer the Promised Land.