Joshua 10:28-43

Joshua 10:28-43

[28] And that day  Joshua  took  Makkedah,  and smote  it with the edge  of the sword,  and the king  thereof he utterly destroyed,  them, and all the souls  that were therein; he let  none remain:  and he did  to the king  of Makkedah  as he did  unto the king  of Jericho.  [29] Then Joshua  passed  from Makkedah,  and all Israel  with him, unto Libnah,  and fought  against Libnah:  [30] And the LORD  delivered  it also, and the king  thereof, into the hand  of Israel;  and he smote  it with the edge  of the sword,  and all the souls  that were therein; he let  none remain  in it; but did  unto the king  thereof as he did  unto the king  of Jericho.  [31] And Joshua  passed  from Libnah,  and all Israel  with him, unto Lachish,  and encamped  against it, and fought  against it: [32] And the LORD  delivered  Lachish  into the hand  of Israel,  which took  it on the second  day,  and smote  it with the edge  of the sword,  and all the souls  that were therein, according to all that he had done  to Libnah.  [33] Then Horam  king  of Gezer  came up  to help  Lachish;  and Joshua  smote  him and his people,  until he had left  him none remaining.  [34] And from Lachish  Joshua  passed  unto Eglon,  and all Israel  with him; and they encamped  against it, and fought  [35] And they took  it on that day,  and smote  it with the edge  of the sword,  and all the souls  that were therein he utterly destroyed  that day,  according to all that he had done  to Lachish.  [36] And Joshua  went up  from Eglon,  and all Israel  with him, unto Hebron;  and they fought  [37] And they took  it, and smote  it with the edge  of the sword,  and the king  thereof, and all the cities  thereof, and all the souls  that were therein; he left  none remaining,  according to all that he had done  to Eglon;  but destroyed  it utterly, and all the souls  that were therein. [38] And Joshua  returned,  and all Israel  with him, to Debir;  and fought  [39] And he took  it, and the king  thereof, and all the cities  thereof; and they smote  them with the edge  of the sword,  and utterly destroyed  all the souls  that were therein; he left  none remaining:  as he had done  to Hebron,  so he did  to Debir,  and to the king  thereof; as he had done  also to Libnah,  and to her king.  [40] 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.  [41] And Joshua  smote  them from Kadeshbarnea  even unto Gaza,  and all the country  of Goshen,  even unto Gibeon.  [42] And all these kings  and their land  did Joshua  take  at one  time,  because the LORD  God  of Israel  fought  for Israel.  [43] And Joshua  returned,  and all Israel  with him, unto the camp  to Gilgal. 

What does Joshua 10:28-43 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

To this point Israel"s victories had taken place in central Canaan. God"s strategy was to give His people a base of operation in the middle part of the land first. From there they could then advance to the South and then to the North. The writer summarized the southern campaign in this section of verses.