Joshua 10:27

27. at the time of the going down of the sun] According to the strict command in Deu_21:23.

into the cave wherein they had been hid] “Into the spelonk, in the which thei lorkiden,” Wyclif, which then became a royal sepulchre, while the stones “which on the self-same day had cut them off from escape, closed the mouth of the tomb.” See Keil on Jos_10:27.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jos 10:27 And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, [that] Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave’s mouth, [which remain] until this very day.

Ver. 27. They took them down.] See Jos 8:29.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jos 10:27-29. They took them down — That neither wild beasts might come to devour them, nor any of their people to give them honourable burial. Thus, that which they thought would have been their shelter was made their prison first, and then their grave. So shall we surely be disappointed, in whatever we flee to from God. And that day — On which the sun stood still. Nor is it strange that so much work was done, and places so far distant were taken in one day, when the day was so long, and the Canaanites struck with such a terror. He let none remain — From the severity wherewith this and the following cities were treated, and the command given, (Deu 20:10,) it has been inferred, with much probability, that offers of peace had been made them by Joshua before he fought against them, and that they had rejected these offers. All Israel with him unto Libnah — Namely, all who were with him in this expedition.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And that day Joshua took Makkedah,.... Some say it was the day on which the sun stood still; but it seems to mean the day in which the five kings were hanged:

and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof; slew the inhabitants of it and their king, after having entered and taken it:

he utterly destroyed them and all the souls that were therein, he let none remain; that is, all human souls or persons; for the cattle were taken for a prey:

and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho; slew him with the sword, along with the inhabitants, but did not hang him up, as he did the king of Ai and the five kings.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

CHAPTER X.

Ver 1. Adonisedec means, "Lord of justice," as Melchisedec denotes "the king of justice;" perhaps Salem was originally styled Zedec. (Masius) --- This king had probably some control over the neighbouring cities. (Menochius) --- He was also in the greatest danger; and not daring to attack the Israelites, he resolves to fall upon the Gabaonites unawares, that other cities might be deterred from following their example. --- Confederates. Hebrew, "and were among them," which may signify either that the Israelites were to dwell in the towns belonging to the Gabaonites, or that the latter should live along with them, as one and the same people, following the same religion, and bound together by the same interests.

Down. (Deuteronomy xxi.) The victorious army had returned some time before the evening, and had time to take the city of Maceda; though some, without reason, believe that this took place the day following.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Laid great stones in the cave’s mouth; that neither wild beasts could come at them to devour them, nor any of their people to give them honourable burial.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

27. Cast them into the cave — The place of their concealment was made their sepulchre.

Until this very day — See note, Jos_8:28.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

At the time of the going down of the sun. See Deu_21:23. Joshua set the example to the Israelites of a strict observance of the law. And we may observe that this law is only to be found in Deuteronomy. On the "Deuteronomist" theory we have to suppose that the Deuteronomist, with a lynx eye to the chance of recommending the provisions which he had invented, and to the importance of representing Joshua as a strict observer of them, inserted this piece of detail with an obvious purpose. It is a wonder that this should be almost the only "Deuteronomist" precept thus emphasised. We find it noticed above, (Jos_8:29) and in both cases the obvious explanation is that this sign of triumph made a great impression on those who witnessed it, and that it was carried out in strict fulfilment of enactments already existing. On the other hand, as we have seen, there is no attempt in Jos_8:30-35 to emphasise thus the obedience to the command in Deu_27:2-8. It is from minute details of this kind, which escape the superficial observer, that the authenticity of the Book of Deuteronomy is established. Until this very day. The form of the expression here is singularly different from the expression found elsewhere when the meaning suggested by the Authorized Version is to be conveyed. But for the word d we should translate "on the self-same day," as in Gen_7:13, etc. d may be a slip of the pen for l which is seldom, if ever, used of time (only, if at all, in Psa_48:1-5, and Pro_25:11), though the idiom is found in Arabic, in Greek (as in ep hmati ), in German (as in auf den Tag. ) and in English, "on that day;" or we may, with Keil, refer back to ver. 18, and trans. late "they cast them into the cave where they had been hid, and where they had placed great stones unto that very day." For there may have been an interval of several days between the confinement of the kings in the cave and their death at the hands of Joshua. See note on ver. 21.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Took them down - That neither wild beasts could come to devour them, nor any of their people to give them honourable burial. Thus that which they thought would have been their shelter, was made their prison first, and then their grave. So shall we surely be disappointed, in whatever we flee to from God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.