Joshua 10:2

Joshua 10:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
• New International Version (NIV)He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters.
• English Standard Version (ESV)he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
• New King James Version (NKJV)that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.

Context of Joshua 10:2

1Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua captured Ai and annihilated it and its king as he did Jericho and its king. He also heard how the people of Gibeon made peace with Israel and lived among them. All Jerusalem was terrified because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors. 3So King Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon: 4“Come to my aid so we can attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”

Joshua 10:2 word by word

וַיִּֽירְא֣וּ מְאֹ֔ד כִּ֣י עִ֤יר גְּדוֹלָה֙ גִּבְע֔וֹן כְּאַחַ֖ת עָרֵ֣י הַמַּמְלָכָ֑ה וְכִ֨י הִ֤יא גְדוֹלָה֙ מִן־הָעַ֔י וְכָל־אֲנָשֶׁ֖יהָ גִּבֹּרִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• That they fearedיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• greatlyמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• because Gibeonגִּבְעוֹןgib‛ôn · GibeonH1391
• a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• as oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• of the royalמַמְלָכָהmamlâkâh · kingdomH4467
• than Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
• and all the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• mightyגִּבּוֹרgibbôr gibbôr · mighty manH1368

Cross-references for Joshua 10:2

• Joshua 2:9She said to the men, “I know the Lord is handing this land over to you. We are absolutely terrified of you, and all who live in the land are cringing before you.
• Exodus 15:14The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.
• Deuteronomy 11:25Nobody will be able to resist you; the Lord your God will spread the fear and terror of you over the whole land on which you walk, just as he promised you.
• Deuteronomy 28:10Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you belong to the Lord, and they will respect you.
• Psalms 48:4For look, the kings assemble; they advance together.
• Proverbs 1:26so I myself will laugh when disaster strikes you, I will mock when what you dread comes,
• Proverbs 10:24What the wicked fears will come on him; what the righteous desire will be granted.
• Hebrews 10:27but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume God’s enemies.
• Revelation 6:15Then the kings of the earth, the very important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
• Joshua 10:40Joshua defeated the whole land, including the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivors. He annihilated everything that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.
• 1 Samuel 27:5David said to Achish, “If I have found favor with you, let me be given a place in one of the country towns so that I can live there. Why should your servant settle in the royal city with you?”
• 2 Samuel 12:26So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city.

Commentaries on Joshua 10:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2As one of the royal cities - Not a regal city, but great, well inhabited and well fortified, as those cities which served for the royal residence generally were. It does not appear that the Gibeonites had any king - they seem to have been a small but powerful republic, all the men thereof were mighty, merely governed by their elders: for in their address to Joshua, Joshua 9:11, they mention no king, but simply state that they were sent by their elders and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Gibeon was apparently not a royal city. It may have been under the control of Canaan. They controlled Jerusalem before Gibeon made a covenant with Joshua. Or Gibeon could have been an independent town led by a few leading families.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. they feared greatly--The dread inspired by the rapid conquests of the Israelites had been immensely increased by the fact of a state so populous and so strong as Gibeon having found it expedient to submit to the power and the terms of the invaders. as one of the royal cities--Although itself a republic (Jos 9:3), it was large and well-fortified, like those places in which the chiefs of the country usually established their residence.Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 10:2

• Adoni-Zedek
• Armies
• Cities
• Confederacies
• Jerusalem
• War

In the dictionaries

• Ai
• Gibeon
• Gibeon, Gibeonite
• Adonizedec
• Eglon (2)
• Exodus, the Book of
• Hoham
• Jerusalem
• Joshua, Book of
• Lachish

Commentaries on Joshua 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings