Joshua 10:40
in Joshua 10So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills, and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So Joshua smote all the land, the hill-country, and the South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel, commanded.
KJV
So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded.
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This verse in Joshua 10
Commentary
10 notes on this verseAll the country of the hills - See the note on Deu 1:7. Destroyed all that breathed - Every person found in arms who continued to resist; these were all destroyed, - those who submitted were spared: but many no doubt made their escape, and afterwards reoccupied certain parts of the land. See Jos 10:36, Jos 10:37.
This site's exposition
So Joshua conquered the whole region
on Joshua 10:40-42
The summary divides the south into four zones, the hill country, the Negev, the foothills and the slopes. The words “everything that breathed” answer Deuteronomy 20:16, so the campaign is measured against the command. The Goshen of verse 41 is a district of Judah listed at 15:51.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
I myself think it is better that the Israelite wars be understood in this way, and it is better that Jesus [Joshua] is thought to fight in this way and to destroy cities and overthrow kingdoms.
Likewise, it is especially the work of the Word of God to pull down the diabolical structures that the devil has built in the human soul. For, in everyone of us, that one raised up towers of pride and walls of self-exaltation. The Word of God overthrows and undermines these, so that justly, according to the apostle, we are made "the cultivation of God and the building of God," "set upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself the chief cornerstone, from whom the uniting of the edifice grows into a temple of God in the spirit." And thus at last we may be entitled to be included in the inheritance of the holy land, in the Israelite portion. Then our enemies will be abolished and destroyed so "that none of them remains who may breathe in us," but only the spirit of Christ breathes in us, through works and words and spiritual understanding, according to the teaching of Christ Jesus our Lord, "to whom is the strength and the power forever and ever. Amen!"
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
When the heathen are to be cast out to make room for this vine ( Ps. lxxx. 8 ) divine justice appears more prodigal than ever of human blood, that the Israelites might find themselves for ever obliged to spend their lives to the glory of that God who had sacrificed so many of the lives of his creatures to their interest.
), that part of the land of Canaan of which they first got possession, which lay south of Jerusalem, and afterwards fell, for the most part, to the lot of the tribe of Judah. Observe in this narrative, 1. The great speed Joshua made in taking these cities, which, some think, is intimated in the manner of relating it, which is quick and concise.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And hereby was typified the final destruction of all the impenitent enemies of the Lord Jesus, who having slighted the riches of his grace, must forever feel the weight of his wrath.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
So Joshua smote all the country of the hills and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
that day Joshua took Makkedah--In this and the following verses is described the rapid succession of victory and extermination which swept the whole of southern Palestine into the hands of Israel. "All these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+odd-straight-quotes
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
See Jos 9:1. “The south” was the Negeb Num 13:17. Render “the springs” “slopes.” The word here means the district of undulating ground between “the vale” (or שׁפלה shephêlâh) last named and “the hills.”
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּכֶּ֣ה | vaiyakeh | and he defeated | H5221 → | 499 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָ֡רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הָהָר֩ | hahar | the hill country | H2022 → | 546 times |
| וְהַנֶּ֨גֶב | vehanegev | and the Negev | H5045 → | 112 times |
| וְהַשְּׁפֵלָ֜ה | vehashefelah | and the Shephelah | H8219 → | 20 times |
| וְהָאֲשֵׁד֗וֹת | vehaashedot | and the slopes | H794 → | |
| וְאֵת֙ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַלְכֵיהֶ֔ם | malkheihem | kings their | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הִשְׁאִ֖יר | hishir | he left | H7604 → | 133 times |
| שָׂרִ֑יד | sarid | a survivor | H8300 → | 28 times |
| וְאֵ֤ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַנְּשָׁמָה֙ | haneshamah | <the> breathing thing | H5397 → | 24 times |
| הֶחֱרִ֔ים | hecherim | he totally destroyed | H2763 → | 52 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֔ה | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֥י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיַּכֶּ֣הand he defeated
vaiyakehH5221 →499 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָאָ֡רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
הָהָר֩the hill country
haharH2022 →546 times
וְהַנֶּ֨גֶבand the Negev
vehanegevH5045 →112 times
וְהַשְּׁפֵלָ֜הand the Shephelah
vehashefelahH8219 →20 times
וְהָאֲשֵׁד֗וֹתand the slopes
vehaashedotH794 →
וְאֵת֙and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מַלְכֵיהֶ֔םkings their
malkheihemH4428 →2525 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הִשְׁאִ֖ירhe left
hishirH7604 →133 times
שָׂרִ֑ידa survivor
saridH8300 →28 times
וְאֵ֤תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַנְּשָׁמָה֙<the> breathing thing
haneshamahH5397 →24 times
הֶחֱרִ֔יםhe totally destroyed
hecherimH2763 →52 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֔הhe had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֥י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 8:2And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 20:14
But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.
- Joshua 6:21
At the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.
- 2 Chronicles 20:22
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.
- Deuteronomy 20:14
Through
Joshua 8:27Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
it leads to
- Joshua 8:2
And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind…
- Joshua 8:2
Through
Joshua 9:24The Gibeonites answered, “Your servants were told clearly that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and wipe out all its inhabitants before you. So we…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:1–2
When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations…
- Deuteronomy 20:15–17
This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
- Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Exodus 23:31–33
And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you…
- Deuteronomy 7:1–2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 13.3 and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 13.4.