Joshua 10 · Verse 2

Joshua 10:2

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.
Joshua 10:2, King James Version

Joshua 10:2 in other translations

BSBSo Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
WEBthey were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
ASVthat 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.
YLTthat they are greatly afraid, because Gibeon is a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it is greater than Ai, and all its men--heroes.
DARBYthat they feared greatly; for Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
BBEHe was in great fear, because Gibeon was a great town, like one of the king's towns, greater than Ai, and all the men in it were men of war.
WebsterThat 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 of it were mighty.

What does Joshua 10:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 As 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, Jos 9:11, they mention no king, but simply state that they were sent by their elders and the inhabitants of their country; nor do we any where read of their king; and therefore we may naturally suppose that they had none.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 10:1-6

When sinners leave the service of Satan and the friendship of the world, that they make peace with God and join Israel, they must not marvel if the world hate them, if their former friends become foes. By such methods Satan discourages many who are convinced of their danger, and almost persuaded to be Christians, but fear the cross. These things should quicken us to apply to God for protection, help, and deliverance.

Read the full comment on Joshua 10:1-6 →

Joshua 10:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּֽירְא֣וּvai.yi.re.'Uand they were afraidH3372
מְאֹ֔דme.'OdveryH3966
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
עִ֤יר'ir[was] a cityH5892
גְּדוֹלָה֙ge.do.LahgreatH1419
גִּבְע֔וֹןgiv.'onGibeonH1391
כְּאַחַ֖תke.'a.Chatlike one ofH259
עָרֵ֣י'a.Rei[the] cities ofH5892
הַמַּמְלָכָ֑הha.mam.la.Khah<the> royaltyH4467
וְכִ֨יve.Khiand forH3588
הִ֤יאhi'itH1931
גְדוֹלָה֙ge.do.Lah[was] greatH1419
מִן\־min-more thanH4480
הָעַ֔יha.'Ai<the> AiH5857
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
אֲנָשֶׁ֖יהָ'a.na.Shei.hamen itsH582
גִּבֹּרִֽים\׃gi.bo.Rim[were] warriorsH1368

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 10:2

  • Deuteronomy 11:25

    There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.

  • Joshua 2:24

    And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

  • Exodus 15:14-16

    The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

  • Psalms 48:4-6

    For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

  • 2 Samuel 12:26

    And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

  • Hebrews 10:27

    But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

  • Revelation 6:15-17

    And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

  • Proverbs 1:26-27

    I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

  • 1 Samuel 27:5

    And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

  • Hebrews 10:31

    It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

  • Deuteronomy 28:10

    And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.

  • Proverbs 10:24

    The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they feared.
2:9-13,24; Ex 15:14-16; De 11:25; 28:10; Ps 48:4-6; Pr 1:26,27
Pr 10:24; Heb 10:27,31; Re 6:15-17
Gibeon.Gibeon was situated on an eminence, as its name imports, 40 furlongs north from Jerusalem, according to Josephus.
the royal cities. Heb. cities of the kingdom.
1Sa 27:5; 2Sa 12:26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 10:1

    Now it came to pass, when Adoni–zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;

  • Joshua 10:2

    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.

  • Joshua 10:3

    Wherefore Adoni–zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

Read all of Joshua 10

Joshua 10:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Tuvieron muy gran temor; porque Gabaón era una gran ciudad, como una de las ciudades reales, y mayor que Hai, y todos sus hombres fuertes.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
ils eurent une grande peur; car Gabaon était une grande ville, comme une des villes royales, et elle était plus grande qu’Aï, et tous ses hommes étaient vaillants.
German
Elberfelder 1871
da fürchteten sie sich sehr; denn Gibeon war eine große Stadt, wie eine der Königsstädte, und es war größer als Ai, und alle seine Männer waren Helden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
timuit valde. Urbs enim magna erat Gabaon, et una civitatum regalium, et major oppido Hai, omnesque bellatores ejus fortissimi.