Joshua 10:20

18 So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them.

19 But you, do not stop there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Do not let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”

So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities.

21 The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites.

22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities.
KJV
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.
WEB
When Joshua and the children of Israel had finished killing them with a very great slaughter until they were consumed, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,
ASV
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, and the remnant which remained of them had entered into the fortified cities,
DARBY
And it came to pass when Joshua and the children of Israel had ended smiting them with a very great slaughter, until they were consumed, that the remnant which remained of them entered into fortified cities;
BLB
And it came to pass [that] Joshua and the sons of Israel made an end of striking them with a very great slaughter, until they had finished, and the remnant of them escaped and entered into the fortified cities.
ÅB
Da nå Josva og Israels barn hadde voldt et meget stort mannefall blant dem og rent gjort ende på dem, så bare noen få av dem kom seg unna og slapp inn i de faste byer,
OTB
Da Josva og israelittene hadde slått dem med et stort nederlag, inntil de var ødelagt, og de overlevende som hadde flyktet hadde kommet inn i befestede byer,
B1930
Da nu Josva og Israels barn hadde voldt et meget stort mannefall blandt dem og rent gjort ende på dem, så bare nogen få av dem kom sig unda og slapp inn i de faste byer,

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Joshua 8:24

    When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.

    Read in context
  • 2 Samuel 20:6

    And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”

    Read in context
  • Joshua 10:10

    And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 20:16

    However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.

    Read in context
  • 2 Chronicles 13:17

    Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 8:14

    Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

    Read in context