Joshua 10 · Verse 26

Joshua 10:26

And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
Joshua 10:26, King James Version

Joshua 10:26 in other translations

BSBAfter this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there until evening.
WEBAfterward Joshua struck them, put them to death, and hanged them on five trees. They were hanging on the trees until the evening.
ASVAnd afterward Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
YLTand Joshua smiteth them afterwards, and putteth them to death, and hangeth them on five trees; and they are hanging on the trees till the evening.
DARBYAnd afterwards Joshua smote them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.
BBEThen Joshua had them put to death, hanging them on five trees, where they were till evening.
WebsterAnd afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

What does Joshua 10:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 10:16-27

Jos 10:16-27. The Five Kings Hanged. 16-27. these five kings ... hid themselves in a cave--Hebrew, "the cave." at Makkedah--The pursuit was continued, without interruption, to Makkedah at the foot of the western mountains, where Joshua seems to have halted with the main body of his troops while a detachment was sent forward to scour the country in pursuit of the remaining stragglers, a few of whom succeeded in…

Read the full comment on Joshua 10:16-27 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 Smote - slew - and hanged them on five trees - Hanging alive seems a barbarous custom: among the Hebrews, criminals were first deprived of life; this was the debt required by justice: then they were hanged up, perhaps generally by the hands, not by the neck; this was done by way of example, to deter others from committing the crimes for which those had suffered: but they were never permitted to hang thus exposed all night, as this could have answered no purpose, either of justice or example, as they could not be seen in the night-season. One day also was deemed enough for their exposure, it being thought sufficient to show the public that justice had been executed; and to have exhibited them longer would have appeared to be a barbarous cruelty which attempted to extend punishment beyond the possible requisitions of justice. See the note on Deu 21:23.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 10:15-27

None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. This shows their perfect safety. The kings were called to an account, as rebels against the Israel of God. Refuges of lies will but secure for God's judgment. God punished the abominable wickedness of these kings, the measure of whose iniquity was now full. And by this public act of justice, done upon these ringleaders of the Canaanites in sin, he would…

Read the full comment on Joshua 10:15-27 →

Joshua 10:26 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.

וַיַּכֵּ֨םvai.ya.Kemand he struck themH5221
יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַye.ho.Shu.a'JoshuaH3091
אַֽחֲרֵי\־'a.cha.rei-afterH310
כֵן֙khenthusH3651
וַיְמִיתֵ֔םvay.mi.Temand he killed themH4191
וַיִּתְלֵ֕םvai.yit.Lemand he hanged themH8518
עַ֖ל'alonH5921
חֲמִשָּׁ֣הcha.mi.ShahfiveH2568
עֵצִ֑ים'e.TzimtreesH6086
וַיִּֽהְי֛וּvai.yih.Yuand they wereH1961
תְּלוּיִ֥םte.lu.YimhangedH8518
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הָעֵצִ֖יםha.'e.Tzimthe treesH6086
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
הָעָֽרֶב\׃ha.'A.revthe eveningH6153

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

Cross references for Joshua 10:26

  • Joshua 8:29

    And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.

  • Matthew 27:25

    Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

  • Galatians 3:13

    Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

  • 2 Samuel 21:9

    And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

  • Deuteronomy 21:22-23

    And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

  • Esther 2:23

    And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

  • Numbers 25:4

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.

  • Esther 7:9-10

    And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.

  • 1 Samuel 15:33

    And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

  • 2 Samuel 21:6

    Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, whom the Lord did choose. And the king said, I will give them.

  • Judges 8:21

    Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Joshua.
Jud 8:21; 1Sa 15:33
hanged.
8:29; Nu 25:4; De 21:22,23; 2Sa 21:6,9; Es 2:23; 7:9,10; Mt 27:25
Ga 3:13

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

Context

  • Joshua 10:25

    And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

  • Joshua 10:26

    And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

  • Joshua 10:27

    And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.

Read all of Joshua 10

Joshua 10:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y después de esto Josué los hirió y los mató, é hízolos colgar en cinco maderos: y quedaron colgados en los maderos hasta la tarde.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et après cela Josué les frappa et les fit mourir, et il les pendit à cinq arbres; et ils pendirent aux arbres jusqu’au soir.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und danach erschlug Josua sie und tötete sie und hängte sie an fünf Bäume; und sie hingen an den Bäumen bis zum Abend.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Percussitque Josue, et interfecit eos, atque suspendit super quinque stipites: fueruntque suspensi usque ad vesperum.