Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish and laid siege to it and fought against it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights Joshua's relentless pursuit of conquest, moving immediately from one city to the next. It's easy to overlook that this wasn't just a quick hop, but a strategic movement implying the swift fall of Libnah allowed for this rapid advance, demonstrating the sheer momentum of Israel's campaign.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish and laid siege to it and fought against it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following the conquest of Libnah, Joshua and the entire Israelite army immediately advanced southwest towards the fortified city of Lachish. They laid siege to it and began their assault, marking the next stage in their rapid subjugation of southern Canaan. This relentless momentum is driven by God's direct intervention, allowing Israel to conquer city after city in quick succession.
How could Joshua's army take city after city with such speed?
The text emphasizes the astonishing pace of Joshua's military campaign. After conquering Libnah, they immediately moved to Lachish and besieged it. The commentaries highlight that this rapid succession of victories – taking cities in a single day or the next day – was beyond human capability alone. This wasn't just skilled generalship; it was a divine intervention, showcasing God's power to grant swift victory. The fact that God 'delivered' these cities into Israel's hand signifies His active participation, making the conquests 'incredible and unexpected' and clearly beyond 'human agency.'
Why such total destruction of the inhabitants?
The campaign described in Joshua 10 involved the complete annihilation of the cities and their peoples. Commentaries note that this severity, which might seem harsh by modern standards, was a direct command from God. It was a demonstration of God's profound hatred for the Canaanites' deep-seated idolatry and abominations. This judgment was not arbitrary but a consequence of their prolonged wickedness, a divine mandate to cleanse the land. Joshua was not acting out of personal cruelty but out of obedience to God's explicit instructions, serving as an instrument of divine justice.
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tsur · Hebrew Verb
A military action where an army surrounds a city to cut off supplies and force surrender or create a breach in the walls. In the conquest narrative, it signifies the persistent and systematic approach of Israel under divine command.
This verse captures a moment within a whirlwind military campaign. The swift, successive captures of cities like Libnah and Lachish highlight the divinely aided speed of Joshua's conquest, demonstrating God's active participation in securing the land for Israel.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites enter Canaan
Following their exodus from Egypt and 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, crossed the Jordan River and began the conquest of Canaan.
c. 1400 BC
Battle of Jericho and Ai
The initial conquest began with the miraculous fall of Jericho and the subsequent capture of Ai, establishing a foothold in the land.
c. 1400 BC
Gibeonite Deception
The Gibeonites secured a treaty with Joshua through trickery, creating an alliance that the Israelites were bound to uphold.
c. 1400 BC
Confederacy of Southern Kings
In response to the Gibeonite alliance and the growing threat of Israel, five Amorite kings in southern Canaan formed a coalition to fight against Joshua.
c. 1400 BC
Battle of Makkedah
Joshua decisively defeated the confederate kings in battle, leading to the capture and execution of the five kings and a swift conquest of surrounding cities.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Conquest of Libnah and Lachish
Following the victory at Makkedah, Joshua and the Israelite army continued their rapid advance, capturing and destroying the cities of Libnah and then Lachish.
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Eglon, Hebron, and Debir
The campaign pressed on with the swift conquest of Eglon, Hebron, and Debir, completing the subjugation of southern Canaan.
This passage describes God's command to drive out the nations from the Promised Land, setting the stage for the extensive military campaigns Joshua was undertaking.
Joshua 10:28This verse immediately precedes the one in question, showing the systematic conquest of cities by Joshua, with this verse detailing the continued push into Lachish.
Judges 1:10This verse shows that even after Joshua's conquest, some remnants of the Canaanites remained, and the Israelites had to continue fighting them, highlighting the ongoing nature of the struggle for the land.
Psalm 44:3This psalm reflects on God's power in giving Israel victory, directly mirroring the narrative in Joshua where God's intervention was the reason for their success against fortified cities.
1 Samuel 15:3This passage recalls God's command through Moses to utterly destroy the Amalekites, a principle of judgment and eradication that was applied by Joshua to the cities of Canaan in this chapter.
calvinJoshua 10:29-43: "Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:"
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.
Tradiditque Jehova illam etiam in manum Israel, et regem ejus, et percussit eam acie gladii, omnemque animam quae erat i…
gillJoshua 10:31: "And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:"
And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish,.... Which, according to Bunting (d), was eight miles from Libnah, and twenty miles from Jerusalem to the southwest of this city; see Joshua 10:5 , and encamped against it, and fought against it; for it seems this city stood out, and would not surrender at once, which obliged Joshua to encamp ab…
This verse highlights Joshua's relentless pursuit of conquest, moving immediately from one city to the next. It's easy to overlook that this wasn't just a quick hop, but a strategic movement implying the swift fall of Libnah allowed for this rapid advance, demonstrating the sheer momentum of Israel's campaign.
Following the conquest of Libnah, Joshua and the entire Israelite army immediately advanced southwest towards the fortified city of Lachish. They laid siege to it and began their assault, marking the next stage in their rapid subjugation of southern Canaan. This relentless momentum is driven by God's direct intervention, allowing Israel to conquer city after city in quick succession.
Following the conquest of Libnah, Joshua and the entire Israelite army immediately advanced southwest towards the fortified city of Lachish. They laid siege to it and began their assault, marking the next stage in their rapid subjugation of southern Canaan. This relentless momentum is driven by God's direct intervention, allowing Israel to conquer city after city in quick succession.
"Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Libnah to Lachish and laid siege to it and fought against it." — This verse highlights Joshua's relentless pursuit of conquest, moving immediately from one city to the next. It's easy to overlook that this wasn't just a quick hop, but a strategic movement implying…
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Last reviewed October 2026