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Joshua 10:9

in Joshua 10

After marching all night from Gilgal, Joshua caught them by surprise.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly; for he went up from Gilgal all the night.

KJV

Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.

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This verse in Joshua 10

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly,.... Which no doubt threw them into consternation and confusion: and went up from Gilgal all night; he chose the night for secrecy and surprise, and that he might be the sooner with the enemy, and to the assistance and relief of Gibeon; and as it was about nine or ten miles from Gilgal to Gibeon, it was easily performed in a night's march; See Gill on Jos 9:6.

This site's exposition

Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand

on Joshua 10:8-9

The promise is close to the word Moses received about Og at Deuteronomy 3:2, and Joshua heard the same before Ai at 8:1. Gilgal lies near the Jordan and Gibeon in the hills, so the army covers roughly twenty miles uphill in the dark and strikes by surprise.

This site's exposition

marching all night

The length of the night march is disputed. Adam Clarke puts Gilgal eighteen or twenty miles from Gibeon, while John Gill puts it at nine or ten, an easy night's march. Clarke holds that the surprise threw the five kings into confusion at once, which is how verse 10 begins.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

But why needed Joshua to put himself and his men so much to the stretch? Had not God promised him that without fail he would deliver the enemies into his hand? It is true he had; but God's promises are intended, not to slacken and supersede, but to quicken and encourage our endeavours.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Joshua - came unto them suddenly - This he did by a forced march during the night, for he went up from Gilgal all night; from Gilgal to Gibeon was about eighteen or twenty miles; and, having fallen so unexpectedly on these confederate kings, they were immediately thrown into confusion.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

GOD FIGHTS AGAINST THEM WITH HAILSTONES. 10, 11. the Lord discomfited them--Hebrew, "terrified," confounded the Amorite allies, probably by a fearful storm of lightning and thunder. So the word is usually employed (1Sa 7:10;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

The words behind it

9 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיָּבֹ֧אand he came

    vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times

  • אֲלֵיהֶ֛םto them

    ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times

  • יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַJoshua

    yehoshua'H3091 →218 times

  • פִּתְאֹ֑םsuddenly

    pitomH6597 →

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • הַלַּ֕יְלָהthe night

    halaylahH3915 →233 times

  • עָלָ֖הhe had gone up

    ʾalahH5927 →890 times

  • מִן־from

    min-H4480 →1188 times

  • הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃<the> Gilgal

    hagilgalH1537 →41 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

9 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.3 worksProverbs 22:29Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.3 works2 Timothy 2:3Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.3 worksProverbs 24:11–12Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.3 worksJoshua 11:7So by the waters of Merom, Joshua and his whole army came upon them suddenly and attacked them,3 works1 Samuel 11:9–11So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” And when the messengers relayed this to the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.2 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Samuel 25:34Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light.”2 works2 Timothy 4:2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.1 worksNehemiah 2:12I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.-1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Ecclesiastes 9:10

    Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

    it leads to

    • Colossians 3:23

      Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,

    • Ephesians 5:16

      redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

    • Romans 12:11

      Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

    • Psalms 6:5

      For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?

    • Ecclesiastes 11:6

      Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.

  • Through

    2 Timothy 2:3

    Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 12:2–3

      Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand…

    • James 1:12

      Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

  • Through

    Proverbs 22:29

    Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 11:28

      Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.

Where this verse is studied

About Joshua

Joshua Commands the Sun to Stand Still — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Joshua Commands the Sun to Stand Still — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Joshua: the study guide →Read Joshua 10 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Joshua 10 →