While it highlights the total destruction of Makkedah and its king, the verse subtly points to continuity in God's judgment. By specifically mentioning Joshua treated the king of Makkedah "just as he had done to the king of Jericho," it reinforces that this wasn't a one-off event but a pattern of divine reckoning against those who defied God's people and His authority.
As for Makkedah, Joshua captured it on that day and struck it, and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse details the swift and complete conquest of Makkedah immediately following the miraculous defeat of the allied kings at Beth-horon. Joshua's campaign in southern Canaan is now in full swing, moving from one city to the next, demonstrating a relentless pursuit and application of God's command to utterly destroy the inhabitants. The immediate aftermath of this victory saw the execution of the five captured kings, serving as a stark prelude to the fate of Makkedah and its people.
Joshua's actions here are shocking to our modern sensibilities. Why such extreme measures, and what does it reveal about God's character and plan?
The conquest of Makkedah, including the utter destruction of its inhabitants and king, was not an act of random violence. It was a direct execution of God's judgment against the Canaanites, whose wickedness had reached a point of no return.
A Necessary Judgment
God had repeatedly warned the Canaanites and given them time to repent. Their persistent rebellion and idolatry, which included horrific practices like child sacrifice, warranted severe judgment. This wasn't about ethnic cleansing; it was about removing a deeply corrupting influence to protect His chosen people and preserve the purity of His redemptive plan.
Total Devotion
The phrase "devoted to destruction" (or "utterly destroyed") signifies that everything and everyone within the city was consecrated to God as a sacrifice of judgment. This meant nothing was to be kept as plunder, and no life was to be spared. This extreme measure served as a stark warning and a demonstration of God's absolute holiness and intolerance for sin.
Joshua repeated the fate of Makkedah's king exactly as it had been done to the king of Jericho. What's the significance of this parallel action?
The explicit comparison of Makkedah's destruction to that of Jericho highlights a pattern of divine judgment and reinforces the totality of God's decree.
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A Pattern of Judgment
Jericho was the first major city conquered by Israel in Canaan, and its destruction was a powerful, albeit terrifying, demonstration of God's power and His commitment to removing the Canaanites. By repeating the same action with Makkedah's king, Joshua signals that the judgment is consistent and applies to all who oppose God's people and His plan.
The Kings as Symbols
Both the king of Jericho and the king of Makkedah represented the entrenched opposition to God's will. Their complete annihilation, mirroring each other, underscored that resistance to God's sovereign authority would meet the same fate, regardless of when or where that resistance occurred.
Understand the original words
ḥāram · Hebrew Verb
In the context of ancient warfare and the conquest of Canaan, this refers to a divine mandate to completely destroy an entity (city, people, or possessions) as an offering of judgment to God, ensuring it was not used for idolatrous purposes.
peh ḥereb · Hebrew Noun phrase
A common biblical idiom for the total slaughter of an enemy by military force, symbolizing divine victory and judgment over the wicked.
The swift and complete destruction of Makkedah, mirroring Jericho, demonstrates the terrifying effectiveness of Israel's campaign and God's judgment on the Canaanites, setting a harsh tone for the conquest.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Enter the Promised Land
Led by Joshua after Moses' death, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, marking the beginning of their campaign to conquer Canaan.
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Jericho
The city of Jericho, the first major obstacle, was miraculously destroyed. Its king was killed, and all inhabitants were devoted to destruction as a precedent.
c. 1400 BC
Battle of Gibeon and the Long Day
A coalition of Canaanite kings attacked Gibeon. Joshua's forces, aided by a divine intervention that prolonged the day, routed the enemy.
c. 1400 BC
Capture and Execution of Five Kings
Joshua captured the five fleeing kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, who had hidden in a cave. They were publicly humiliated and then executed.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Conquest of Makkedah
On the same day as the execution of the five kings, Joshua captured the city of Makkedah, destroying its king and all inhabitants, mirroring the fate of Jericho.
c. 1400 BC
Continued Campaign in Southern Canaan
Following the events at Makkedah, Joshua continued his swift campaign, conquering Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir in rapid succession.
This passage describes the destruction of Jericho, mirroring the action taken against Makkedah and its king, highlighting a consistent pattern of divine judgment against enemy cities and their rulers in the conquest.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2This text provides the divine command and theological justification for the complete destruction of the Canaanites, which Joshua is carrying out, emphasizing God's intent for Israel to be a holy people, separate from the surrounding nations.
1 Samuel 15:3This passage shows a similar command given to Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, illustrating the severity of God's judgment on nations deemed irredeemable and the expectation of complete obedience from His people.
Psalm 149:6-9This psalm reflects on God's people executing vengeance and judgment on the nations, providing a poetic parallel to the military actions described in Joshua, including binding kings and nobles with chains.
calvinJoshua 10:15-28: "And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal."
And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.
Quum autem finem fecisset Josue, et filii Israel percutiendi plaga magna valde, donec consumerentur, et superstites qui evaserant ex ipsis ingressi essent urbes munitas.
And all the pe…
gillJoshua 10:28: "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."
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…
While it highlights the total destruction of Makkedah and its king, the verse subtly points to continuity in God's judgment. By specifically mentioning Joshua treated the king of Makkedah "just as he had done to the king of Jericho," it reinforces that this wasn't a one-off event but a pattern of divine reckoning against those who defied God's people and His authority.
This verse details the swift and complete conquest of Makkedah immediately following the miraculous defeat of the allied kings at Beth-horon. Joshua's campaign in southern Canaan is now in full swing, moving from one city to the next, demonstrating a relentless pursuit and application of God's command to utterly destroy the inhabitants. The immediate aftermath of this victory saw the execution of the five captured kings, serving as a stark prelude to the fate of Makkedah and its people.
This verse details the swift and complete conquest of Makkedah immediately following the miraculous defeat of the allied kings at Beth-horon. Joshua's campaign in southern Canaan is now in full swing, moving from one city to the next, demonstrating a relentless pursuit and application of God's command to utterly destroy the inhabitants. The immediate aftermath of this victory saw the execution of the five captured kings, serving as a stark prelude to the fate of Makkedah and its people.
"As for Makkedah, Joshua captured it on that day and struck it, and its king, with the edge of the sword. He devoted to destruction every person in it; he left none remaining. And he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the ki…" — While it highlights the total destruction of Makkedah and its king, the verse subtly points to continuity in God's judgment. By specifically mentioning Joshua treated the king of Makkedah "just as…
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Last reviewed October 2026
