The Meaning of Joshua 10:26 Explained

Joshua 10:26

KJV: And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

YLT: and Joshua smiteth them afterwards, and putteth them to death, and hangeth them on five trees; and they are hanging on the trees till the evening.

Darby: And afterwards Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

ASV: And afterward Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And afterward  Joshua  smote  them, and slew  them, and hanged  them on five  trees:  and they were hanging  upon the trees  until the evening. 

What does Joshua 10:26 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 10:15-27 - 40-43, Joshua's Victories Over Israel's Foes
The cave of Makkedah was a perpetual reminder of this wonderful victory which God gave His people. The details as to the placing of the princes' feet on the necks of their foes are related with this precision to indicate the completeness of the conquest. So at the end of this age; see 1 Corinthians 15:25. We may therefore appropriate Joshua's words about the enemies of the Church and ourselves. See Joshua 10:25.
Joshua's career was one of unbroken success, because the Lord went before him, delivering kings and armies, cities and peoples, into his hands. It was a war of utter extermination; but God's justice had waited long, Genesis 15:16, and this was the only way of stamping out the infection. The lesson for us is that no quarter can be given in the inner war. All our thoughts must be brought into captivity, 2 Corinthians 10:5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 10

1  Five kings war against Gibeon
6  Joshua rescues it
10  God fights against them with hailstones
12  The sun and moon stand still at the word of Joshua
16  The five kings are murdered in a cave
22  They are brought forth
24  scornfully used
26  and hanged
28  Seven kings more are conquered
43  Joshua returns to Gilgal

What do the individual words in Joshua 10:26 mean?

and struck them Joshua afterward afterward and killed them and hanged them on five trees and they were hanging on the trees until evening
וַיַּכֵּ֨ם יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ אַֽחֲרֵי־ כֵן֙ וַיְמִיתֵ֔ם וַיִּתְלֵ֕ם עַ֖ל חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה עֵצִ֑ים וַיִּֽהְי֛וּ תְּלוּיִ֥ם עַל־ הָעֵצִ֖ים עַד־ הָעָֽרֶב

וַיַּכֵּ֨ם  and  struck  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
אַֽחֲרֵי־  afterward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
כֵן֙  afterward 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
וַיְמִיתֵ֔ם  and  killed  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וַיִּתְלֵ֕ם  and  hanged  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּלָה  
Sense: to hang.
חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה  five 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: חָמֵשׁ  
Sense: five.
עֵצִ֑ים  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
וַיִּֽהְי֛וּ  and  they  were 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תְּלוּיִ֥ם  hanging 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: תָּלָה  
Sense: to hang.
הָעֵצִ֖ים  the  trees 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הָעָֽרֶב  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.