2map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

3tn Heb “as he had done to Jericho and to its king, so he did to Ai and to its king.”

4tn Heb “and how.”

5tn This statement is subordinated to v. 1 in the Hebrew text, which reads literally, “When Adoni-Zedek…they feared greatly.” The subject of the plural verb at the beginning of v. 2 is probably the residents of Jerusalem.

6tn Heb “Come up to me and help me.”

7tn Heb “and they camped against Gibeon and fought against it.”

8tn Heb “do not let your hand drop from us.”

9tn Heb “your servants!”

10tn Heb “have gathered against us.”

11tn Heb “And Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the brave warriors.”

12tn Heb “I have given them into your hand.” The verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of the action.

13tn Heb “and not a man [or “one”] of them will stand before you.”

14tn Heb “Joshua came upon them suddenly, all the night he went up from Gilgal.”

15tn Or “caused to panic.”

16tn Heb “he.” The referent is probably Israel (mentioned at the end of the previous sentence in the verse; cf. NIV, NRSV), but it is also possible that the Lord should be understood as the referent (cf. NASB “and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon”), or even Joshua (cf. NEB “and Joshua defeated them utterly in Gibeon”).

17tn Heb “struck them down with a great striking down.”

18tn Or “ascent.”

19tn Heb “on the descent of.”

20tn Or “heaven” (also in v. 13). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

21tn Heb “Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day the Lord placed the Amorites before the sons of Israel and he said in the eyes of Israel.” It is uncertain whether the phrase “before the sons of Israel” modifies the verb “placed” (as in the present translation, “delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites”) or the verb “spoke” (“Joshua spoke to the Lord before the sons of Israel in the day the Lord delivered over the Amorites”).

22tn Heb “Is it not written down in the Scroll of the Upright One.” Many modern translations render, “the Scroll [or Book] of Jashar,” leaving the Hebrew name “Jashar” (which means “Upright One”) untranslated.

sn The Scroll of the Upright One was apparently an ancient Israelite collection of songs and prayers (see also 2 Sam 1:18).

23tn Heb “and did not hurry to set [for] about a full day.”

24tn Heb “listened to the voice of.”

25tn Heb “these five kings.”

26tn Heb “and appoint by it men to guard them.”

27tn Heb “But [as for] you, don’t stand still, chase after your enemies and attack them from the rear.”

28tn Or “enter into.”

29tn Heb “has given them into your hand.” The verbal form is a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of the action.

30tn Heb “When Joshua and the sons of Israel finished defeating them with a very great defeat until they were destroyed (now the survivors escaped to the fortified cities).” In the Hebrew text the initial temporal clause (“when Joshua…finished”) is subordinated to v. 21 (“the whole army returned”).

31tn Heb “all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua [at] Makkedah [in] peace.”

32tc Heb “No man.” The lamed (ל) prefixed to אִישׁ (’ish, “man”) is probably dittographic (note the immediately preceding יִשְׂרָאֵל [isra’el] which ends in lamed, ל); cf. the LXX.

33tn Heb “no man sharpened [or perhaps, “pointed”] his tongue against the sons of Israel.” Cf. NEB “not a man of the Israelites suffered so much as a scratch on his tongue,” which understands “sharpened” as “scratched” (referring to a minor wound). Most modern translations understand the Hebrew expression “sharpened his tongue” figuratively for opposition or threats against the Israelites.

34tn Heb “these five kings.”

35tn Heb “they did so.”

36tn Heb “these five kings.”

37map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

38tn Heb “Joshua.” The translation has replaced the proper name with the pronoun (“he”) because a repetition of the proper name here would be redundant according to English style.

39tn Or “Draw near.”

40tn Or “drew near.”

41tn Or perhaps “and don’t get discouraged!”

42tn Heb “struck them down and killed them.”

43sn For the legal background of the removal of the corpses before sundown, see Deut 21:22-23.

44tn Heb “to this very day.” The words “They remain” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

45map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

46tn Heb “Libnah.” Repetition of the proper name here would be redundant according to English style, so the pronoun (“it”) has been employed in the translation.

47tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

48tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

49tn Heb “He”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

50tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

51map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

52tn Heb “encamped against it.”

53tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

54tn Heb “people.”

55tn Heb “they encamped against it.”

56tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

57tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

58tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

59tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

60tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

61tn Heb “He”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

62tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

63tn Heb “He”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

64tn Heb “he”; the implied subject may be Israel, or Joshua (as the commanding general of the army).

65tn Heb “as he did to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, and as he did to Libnah and its king.” The clauses have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

66tn Or “foothills”; Heb “the Shephelah.”

67tn Heb “and Joshua struck them down, from Kadesh Barnea even to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, even to Gibeon.”

68tn Heb “at one time.”