擊敗亞摩利人
1 耶路撒冷王亞多尼‧洗德聽見約書亞奪了艾城，盡行毀滅，怎樣待耶利哥和耶利哥的王，也照樣待艾城和艾城的王，又聽見基遍的居民與以色列人立了和約，住在他們中間， 2就甚懼怕；因為基遍是一座大城，如都城一般，比艾城更大，並且城內的人都是勇士。 3所以耶路撒冷王亞多尼‧洗德打發人去見希伯崙王何咸、耶末王毗蘭、拉吉王雅非亞，和伊磯倫王底璧，說： 4「求你們上來幫助我，我們好攻打基遍，因為他們與約書亞和以色列人立了和約。」 5於是五個亞摩利王，就是耶路撒冷王、希伯崙王、耶末王、拉吉王、伊磯倫王，大家聚集，率領他們的眾軍上去，對着基遍安營，攻打基遍。
6 基遍人就打發人往吉甲的營中去見約書亞，說：「你不要袖手不顧你的僕人，求你速速上來拯救我們，幫助我們，因為住山地亞摩利人的諸王都聚集攻擊我們。」 7於是約書亞和他一切兵丁，並大能的勇士，都從吉甲上去。 8耶和華對約書亞說：「不要怕他們；因為我已將他們交在你手裏，他們無一人能在你面前站立得住。」 9約書亞就終夜從吉甲上去，猛然臨到他們那裏。 10耶和華使他們在以色列人面前潰亂。約書亞在基遍大大地殺敗他們，追趕他們，在伯‧和崙的上坡路擊殺他們，直到亞西加和瑪基大。 11他們在以色列人面前逃跑，正在伯‧和崙下坡的時候，耶和華從天上降大冰雹在他們身上，直降到亞西加，打死他們。被冰雹打死的，比以色列人用刀殺死的還多。
12當耶和華將亞摩利人交付以色列人的日子，約書亞就禱告耶和華，在以色列人眼前說：
日頭啊，你要停在基遍；
月亮啊，你要止在亞雅崙谷。
13於是日頭停留，月亮止住，
直等國民向敵人報仇。
這事豈不是寫在雅煞珥書上嗎？日頭在天當中停住，不急速下落，約有一日之久。 14在這日以前，這日以後，耶和華聽人的禱告，沒有像這日的，是因耶和華為以色列爭戰。
15 約書亞和以色列眾人回到吉甲的營中。
生擒亞摩利的五王
16那五王逃跑，藏在瑪基大洞裏。 17有人告訴約書亞說：「那五王已經找到了，都藏在瑪基大洞裏。」 18約書亞說：「你們把幾塊大石頭滾到洞口，派人看守， 19你們卻不可躭延，要追趕你們的仇敵，擊殺他們儘後邊的人，不容他們進自己的城邑，因為耶和華－你們的神已經把他們交在你們手裏。」 20約書亞和以色列人大大殺敗他們，直到將他們滅盡；其中剩下的人都進了堅固的城。 21眾百姓就安然回瑪基大營中，到約書亞那裏。沒有一人敢向以色列人饒舌。
22 約書亞說：「打開洞口，將那五王從洞裏帶出來，領到我面前。」 23眾人就這樣行，將那五王，就是耶路撒冷王、希伯崙王、耶末王、拉吉王、伊磯倫王，從洞裏帶出來，領到約書亞面前。 24帶出那五王到約書亞面前的時候，約書亞就召了以色列眾人來，對那些和他同去的軍長說：「你們近前來，把腳踏在這些王的頸項上。」他們就近前來，把腳踏在這些王的頸項上。 25約書亞對他們說：「你們不要懼怕，也不要驚惶。應當剛強壯膽，因為耶和華必這樣待你們所要攻打的一切仇敵。」 26隨後約書亞將這五王殺死，掛在五棵樹上。他們就在樹上直掛到晚上。 27日頭要落的時候，約書亞一吩咐，人就把屍首從樹上取下來，丟在他們藏過的洞裏，把幾塊大石頭放在洞口，直存到今日。
約書亞攻取更多的城邑
28當日，約書亞奪了瑪基大，用刀擊殺城中的人和王；將其中一切人口盡行殺滅，沒有留下一個。他待瑪基大王，像從前待耶利哥王一樣。
29 約書亞和以色列眾人從瑪基大往立拿去，攻打立拿。 30耶和華將立拿和立拿的王也交在以色列人手裏。約書亞攻打這城，用刀擊殺了城中的一切人口，沒有留下一個。他待立拿王，像從前待耶利哥王一樣。
31 約書亞和以色列眾人從立拿往拉吉去，對着拉吉安營，攻打這城。 32耶和華將拉吉交在以色列人的手裏。第二天約書亞就奪了拉吉，用刀擊殺了城中的一切人口，是照他向立拿一切所行的。 33那時基色王荷蘭上來幫助拉吉，約書亞就把他和他的民都擊殺了，沒有留下一個。
34 約書亞和以色列眾人從拉吉往伊磯倫去，對着伊磯倫安營，攻打這城。 35當日就奪了城，用刀擊殺了城中的人。那日，約書亞將城中的一切人口盡行殺滅，是照他向拉吉一切所行的。
36 約書亞和以色列眾人從伊磯倫上希伯崙去，攻打這城， 37就奪了希伯崙和屬希伯崙的諸城邑，用刀將城中的人與王，並那些城邑中的人口，都擊殺了，沒有留下一個，是照他向伊磯倫所行的，把城中的一切人口盡行殺滅。
38 約書亞和以色列眾人回到底璧，攻打這城， 39就奪了底璧和屬底璧的城邑，又擒獲底璧的王，用刀將這些城中的人口盡行殺滅，沒有留下一個。他待底璧和底璧王，像從前待希伯崙和立拿與立拿王一樣。
40這樣，約書亞擊殺全地的人，就是山地、南地、高原、山坡的人，和那些地的諸王，沒有留下一個。將凡有氣息的盡行殺滅，正如耶和華－以色列的神所吩咐的。 41約書亞從加低斯‧巴尼亞攻擊到迦薩，又攻擊歌珊全地，直到基遍。 42約書亞一時殺敗了這些王，並奪了他們的地，因為耶和華－以色列的神為以色列爭戰。 43於是約書亞和以色列眾人回到吉甲的營中。
各位弟兄姊妹平安，今天我們來到《約書亞記》第十章，記載了一場關鍵性的戰役——以色列對抗五王聯軍的故事。約書亞征戰迦南地，這一場是最為規模龐大的大型戰役。
當你看歷史的時候，以色列似乎一直很擅長以少擊多。在聖經中的戰役如此，在近代的戰役也是如此。當有人說 “以色列侵犯別人” 的時候，如果你從歷史的角度去看，你會發現他們總是人少的那一邊。不像是中國歷史中動不動就 “幾十萬大軍壓境” 這種以多打少的戰爭。這是一個挺有趣的情況。人的戰爭總是喜歡以多打少，但你看聖經中的戰役，當上帝為我們爭戰時，幾乎都是以少打多的。士師記中基甸三百勇士更是其中最有名的故事。
這五個王的聯軍起初的目標是基遍人。因為基遍人先與以色列簽訂了和平協議，這些王國便決定聯手攻擊基遍。基遍人在面臨危機時，立刻向以色列求助，懇請約書亞施以援手，說：「請不要不管你的僕人，我們被攻擊了！」
作為盟友，以色列沒有退縮。約書亞帶領大軍迅速前往救援，而上帝也對約書亞說：「不要怕他們，我已將他們交在你手中。」這句話顯示了上帝的應許和主權。
上帝親自為以色列爭戰
當以色列的軍隊抵達戰場時，他們目睹了上帝早已開始的介入：上帝從天上降下大冰雹，擊打敵軍，被冰雹打死的比以色列士兵所殺的更多。這是一場超自然的干預，明確地顯示了上帝為以色列爭戰的能力。
此外，這一章還記載了一個更為震撼的神蹟——日頭與月亮停在基遍，整整延長了白晝的時間，使以色列得以徹底擊潰敵軍。這一奇蹟讓人再次看到上帝的全能，祂掌管天地萬物，也為祂的子民開路。
五位敵軍之王落敗了，被迫逃跑，最終躲進了一個洞穴。然而，上帝吩咐以色列人將洞穴封住並派人看守，而其他士兵則繼續追擊敵軍，直到完全滅絕敵人。約書亞遵命繼續追殺，直到殘兵敗將逃回自己的城中。然後約書亞回頭來先收拾這五個王，將他們處置了。
接下來，我們看到《約書亞記》中一段極具行動力的描述——約書亞率領以色列軍隊逐一征討迦南地的各個城邑，從馬基大城開始，一路過關斬將，直至完全掌控這片應許之地。每場戰役的過程清晰而直接：從擊敗馬基大城開始，約書亞帶領以色列軍隊進攻立拿，隨後是拉吉、伊矶倫、希伯倫，最後是底壁。每一座城都在以色列軍隊的攻擊下淪陷，城中的人口全部被清除，正如經文所描述的「沒有留下一個」。
這樣的記錄讓人聯想到《三國演義》中關羽的「過五關斬六將」。約書亞則是斬五王，拔六城，這一場酣暢淋漓的大勝，一路把五王的聯軍殺到片甲不留。
全面的毀滅《約書亞記》的記載直接而令人震撼——以色列軍隊在每座城池中都執行了全然的毀滅。這樣的征戰方式並不只是軍事行動，更帶有深刻的屬靈意義。上帝賜給以色列人的命令是清除這片土地上的所有異教影響，以確保以色列民不被當地的偶像崇拜和敗壞習俗所污染。
等我們讀完第十一章的戰役之後，我們會一次來特別嘗試講解這段歷史中的殘酷之處，以及為何上帝要約書亞來執行這一切的命令。我們也看到，其中上帝親自擊殺的人比約書亞擊殺還要多。這又是為什麼呢？
在這裡我們先注意一個點：戰爭中是不是真的把敵方全部 “滅淨” ，其實在第二十節有一點提示：20約書亞和以色列人大大殺敗他們，直到將他們滅盡；其中剩下的人都進了堅固的城。 既然是 “滅盡”，又怎麼會有 “剩下的人” 呢？所以關於戰爭的結果和實際發生的事情，等到我們讀完十一章再來詳聊。
這裡還有一個值得注意的地方。我們看到後來的聖城耶路撒冷的王，亞多尼‧洗德，是發起五王聯盟的主導者之一，他聯合了其他四個城邦的王一起對抗以色列人。然而，在《約書亞記》第十章的記載中，雖然這五位王被擊敗並被處死，但耶路撒冷城本身卻並未在這次戰役中被攻破，也沒有經歷像其他城池那樣的毀滅性攻擊。約書亞在這時候也還沒有打下耶路撒冷城作為首都。以色列人真正把耶路撒冷城拿下並重建成為自己的首都要到大衛王的時代才發生。
這一場大勝仗，在42節，約書亞歸一切的戰果和榮耀給上帝：約書亞一時殺敗了這些王，並奪了他們的地，因為耶和華－以色列的神為以色列爭戰。
接下來我們看第十一章，也是約書亞 “平定天下” 的最後一章，這場迦南地的征服故事就暫告一段落。感謝各位的聆聽！
Israel Defeats the Southern Armies
1Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies. 2He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors.
3So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. 4“Come and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.” 5So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon.
6The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us.”
7So Joshua and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon. 8“Do not be afraid of them,” the Lord said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”
9Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. 10The Lord threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.
12On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said,
“Let the sun stand still over Gibeon,
and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”
13So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.
Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. 14There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day!
15Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
Joshua Kills the Five Southern Kings
16During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah. 17When Joshua heard that they had been found, 18he issued this command: “Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside. 19The rest of you continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don’t give them a chance to get back to their towns, for the Lord your God has given you victory over them.”
20So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy. They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns. 21Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel.
22Then Joshua said, “Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me.” 23So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, “Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.” And they did as they were told.
25“Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the Lord is going to do this to all of your enemies.” 26Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles, where they hung until evening.
27As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.
Israel Destroys the Southern Towns
28That same day Joshua captured and destroyed the town of Makkedah. He killed everyone in it, including the king, leaving no survivors. He destroyed them all, and he killed the king of Makkedah as he had killed the king of Jericho. 29Then Joshua and the Israelites went to Libnah and attacked it. 30There, too, the Lord gave them the town and its king. He killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libnah as he had killed the king of Jericho.
31From Libnah, Joshua and the Israelites went to Lachish and attacked it. 32Here again, the Lord gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed everyone in it, just as he had done at Libnah. 33During the attack on Lachish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua’s men killed him and his army, leaving no survivors.
34Then Joshua and the Israelite army went on to Eglon and attacked it. 35They captured it that day and killed everyone in it. He completely destroyed everyone, just as he had done at Lachish. 36From Eglon, Joshua and the Israelite army went up to Hebron and attacked it. 37They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages. And just as he had done at Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population.
38Then Joshua and the Israelites turned back and attacked Debir. 39He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to Debir and its king just what he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king.
40So 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. 41Joshua slaughtered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and from the region around the town of Goshen up to Gibeon. 42Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people.
43Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you! Today we are reading Joshua Chapter 10, which records a pivotal battle—the story of Israel's confrontation with the coalition of five kings. This was one of the largest-scale battles during Joshua's conquest of Canaan.
When we study history, it seems that Israel has always been skilled at winning against overwhelming odds. This is true both in the Bible and in modern conflicts. When people claim that "Israel is the aggressor," a historical perspective often reveals that they have been the underdog in terms of numbers. Unlike China's history, where battles often involved "hundreds of thousands of troops overwhelming their opponents," Israel's biblical battles frequently feature a "few against many" scenario. This trend is particularly striking in the Bible, where God fights for His people. One of the most famous examples is Gideon's three hundred warriors in the Book of Judges.
The Five Kings' Alliance Against Gibeon
The initial target of the coalition of five kings was Gibeon. This city had previously entered into a peace treaty with Israel, provoking the anger of these kings who then decided to attack Gibeon. When the Gibeonites faced this crisis, they immediately appealed to Israel for help, pleading: “Do not abandon your servants. We are under attack!”
As a faithful ally, Israel did not hesitate. Joshua swiftly led his army to Gibeon's aid, and the Lord reassured Joshua: “Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you.” This promise reveals God’s sovereignty and assurance to His people.
God Fights for Israel
When Israel’s army arrived at the battlefield, they witnessed God's direct intervention. The Lord sent down massive hailstones from heaven, which killed more enemy soldiers than the Israelites did by the sword. This extraordinary act of divine intervention demonstrated God's power to fight on behalf of His people.
Additionally, the chapter records another astonishing miracle: the sun and moon stood still over Gibeon, extending daylight for an entire day to allow Israel to completely defeat their enemies. This miracle highlights God's control over the universe and His willingness to act on behalf of His people.
The Defeat of the Five Kings
The five enemy kings, realizing their defeat, fled and hid in a cave. However, God directed the Israelites to seal the cave and continue pursuing the enemy forces. Joshua obeyed, ensuring that the remaining enemy soldiers were utterly defeated before dealing with the five kings. Eventually, the kings were brought out, executed, and their bodies displayed as a sign of God's judgment.
The Continued Conquests
Following this decisive victory, Joshua led the Israelite army to systematically conquer the cities of Canaan. From Makkedah to Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and finally Debir, each city fell to Israel’s forces. In each conquest, the population was completely destroyed, as the text repeatedly states: "not leaving anyone alive."
This military campaign is reminiscent of the famous "Five Passes and Six Generals" from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but here Joshua defeats five kings and conquers six cities. It was a sweeping victory that utterly crushed the coalition forces and secured significant portions of the Promised Land.
The Meaning Behind Total Destruction
The record of Israel's complete annihilation of these cities can be unsettling. However, this was not merely a military strategy but had profound spiritual significance. God’s command to eliminate the inhabitants was to ensure that Israel would not be corrupted by the idolatry and sinful practices of the Canaanite people.
As we continue reading through Chapter 11, we will explore the harsh realities of these wars and the theological reasons behind God’s commands. It’s worth noting that, even in this chapter, the text acknowledges that some survivors managed to retreat into fortified cities (verse 20). This suggests that while the destruction was extensive, it was not absolute in the way we might imagine. We will delve deeper into this topic after reading Chapter 11.
A Curious Observation: Jerusalem
One intriguing detail in this chapter is the role of Adoni-Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, who initiated the coalition against Israel. While he was defeated and executed along with the other four kings, Jerusalem itself was not conquered or destroyed during this campaign. Unlike other cities mentioned in this chapter, Jerusalem remained intact and was not taken by Israel at this time. The conquest and establishment of Jerusalem as Israel's capital would not occur until King David's reign.
Joshua’s Acknowledgment
In verse 42, Joshua attributes all the victories and success to God: “Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.”
In the next chapter, we will read about Joshua’s final campaign to “pacify the land” in Chapter 11, marking the conclusion of the conquest of Canaan. Thank you for listening, and may we continue to see God's hand at work as we study His Word!
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