Joshua 10:40

“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, etc.] That part of the land of Canaan which lay southward, and consisted of hills and vales; which abounded with springs, and was a well watered country, and agrees with the description Moses gives of it, though he never saw it, (<050807>Deuteronomy 8:7); he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed; that is, all human creatures; for as for the cattle, they were spared as a prey: as the Lord God of Israel commanded; this law is extant, (<052016>Deuteronomy 20:16); and which is here observed to clear the Israelites from the charge of cruelty and…”

“See Joshua 9:1. “The south” was the Negeb Numbers 13:17. Render “the springs” “slopes.” The word here means the district of undulating ground between “the vale” (or שׁפלה shephêlâh) last named and “the hills.” return to 'Top of Page'”

“All that breathed - That is, all mankind, they reserved the cattle for their own uses. As God had commanded - This is added for the vindication of the Israelites, whom God would not have to suffer in their reputation for executing his commands; and therefore he acquits them of that cruelty, which they might be thought guilty of, and ascribes it to his own just indignation. And hereby was typified the final destruction of all the impenitent enemies of the Lord Jesus, who having slighted the riches of his grace, must for ever feel the weight of his wrath. Joshua 10:41”

“10:40 Joshua’s southern campaign cleared the way for the southern tribes to occupy this whole region when the settlement process began. • the western foothills: See study note on Deut 1:7.”

“all the country: Josh. 15:21-63, Jos 18:21-28, Jos 19:1-8, Jos 19:40-48 utterly: Jos 10:35, Jos 10:37; Kg1 15:29; Psa 9:17; Th2 1:7-9 as the Lord: Jos 6:17, Jos 8:2, Jos 8:27, Jos 9:24; Exo 23:31-33, Exo 34:12; Deu 7:2-16, Deu 26:16, Deu 26:17 Joshua 10:41”

“Summary of the Conquest of the Whole of Southern Canaan. - In the further prosecution of his victory over the five allied kings, Joshua smote the whole land, i.e., the whole of the south of Canaan from Gibeon onwards, in all its districts, namely the mountains ( Jos 15:48), the Negeb (the south land, Jos 15:21), the lowlands ( Jos 15:33), and the slopes, i.e., the hill region ( Jos 12:8, and comm. on Num 21:15), and all the kings of these different districts, banning every living thing (כּל־נשׁמה = כּל־נפשׁ, Jos 10:28, Jos 10:30, i.e., all the men; vid., Deu 7:1-2; Deu 20:16. He smote them from Kadesh-barnea, on the southern boundary of Canaan ( Jos 15:3; see at Num 12:16), to Gaza (see at…”