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 that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies. He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors. 3So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. 4“Come and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.”

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 2:9“I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror.
• Exodus 15:14The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia.
• Deuteronomy 11:25No one will be able to stand against you, for the Lord your God will cause the people to fear and dread you, as he promised, wherever you go in the whole land.
• Deuteronomy 28:10Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.
• Psalms 48:4The kings of the earth joined forces and advanced against the city.
• Proverbs 1:26So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
• Proverbs 10:24The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted.
• Hebrews 10:27There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.
• Revelation 6:15Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
• Joshua 10:40So Joshua conquered the whole region—the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.
• 1 Samuel 27:5One day David said to Achish, “If it is all right with you, we would rather live in one of the country towns instead of here in the royal city.”
• 2 Samuel 12:26Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications.

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