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Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Joshua 10:2

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adoni-Zedek;   Armies;   Cities;   Confederacies;   Jerusalem;   War;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amorites, the;   Canaanites, the;   Cities;   Gibeonites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Adonizedek;   Beth-Horon;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gibeon;   Joshua the son of nun;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Adoni-Zedec;   Gibeon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ai;   Gibeon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ai;   Amorites;   Gibeon;   Japhia;   Joshua, the Book of;   Lord;   Mighty Men;   Royal City;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Adoni-Bezek;   Adoni-Zedek;   Israel;   Joshua;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Adonizedec ;   Ai, Hai ;   Gibeon ;   Jebusites ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Adonizedek;   Journeyings of israel from egypt to canaan;   Lachish;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Adonize'dek;   A'i;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gibeon;   Hoham;   Joshua, Book of;   Palestine;   Royal;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Adonizedek;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jebusites;   Palestine;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed because Gibeon was a large city like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
Hebrew Names Version
that they feared greatly, because Giv`on 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.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
he became very afraid because Gibeon was a very large city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty warriors.
English Standard Version
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 Century Version
Adoni-Zedek and his people were very afraid because of this. Gibeon was not a little town like Ai; it was a large city, as big as a city that had a king, and all its men were good fighters.
New English Translation
All Jerusalem was terrified because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors.
Amplified Bible
he [and his people] 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.
New American Standard Bible
that 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 mighty.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then they feared exceedingly: for Gibeon was a great citie, as one of the royall cities: for it was greater then Ai, and all the men thereof were mightie.
Legacy Standard Bible
they feared exceedingly 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.
Contemporary English Version
This frightened Adonizedek and his people. They knew that Gibeon was a large town, as big as the towns that had kings, and even bigger than the town of Ai had been. And all of the men of Gibeon were warriors.
Complete Jewish Bible
his people became greatly alarmed; because Giv‘on was as large as one of the royal cities, larger than ‘Ai, and all its men were courageous.
Darby Translation
that 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.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Adoni Zedek and his people were very frightened. Gibeon was not a small town like Ai. It was a very big city—as big as any royal city. And all the men in that city were good fighters, so the king was afraid.
George Lamsa Translation
He feared greatly, because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities, and it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
Good News Translation
The people of Jerusalem were greatly alarmed at this because Gibeon was as large as any of the cities that had a king; it was larger than Ai, and its men were good fighters.
Literal Translation
they were greatly afraid 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.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For Gibeon was a greate cite, like as one of the kynges cities, and greater then Hai, and all the citesyns therof were men of armes.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
He 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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They feared exceedingly, for Gibeon was a great citie as any citie of the kingdome, and was greater then Ai, & all the men therof were very mightie.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
That they feared greatly because Gibeon was a great citie, as one of the royall cities, and because it was greater then Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
then they were greatly terrified by them, for the king knew that Gabaon was a great city, as one of the chief cities, and all its men were mighty.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
So 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 warriors.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Adonysedech dredde greetli; for Gabaon was a greet citee, and oon of the kyngis citees, and grettere than the citee of Hai, and alle the fiyteris therof weren most stronge.
Young's Literal Translation
that 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.
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
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 of it [were] mighty.
World English Bible
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 of it were mighty.
New Living Translation
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.
New Life Bible
He was very much afraid. Because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the cities of a king. It was larger than Ai. All its men were strong.
New Revised Standard
he became greatly frightened, because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities, and was larger than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
then feared they 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:
Douay-Rheims Bible
He was exceedingly afraid. For Gabaon was a great city, and one of the royal cities, and greater than the town of Hai, and all its fighting men were most valiant.
Revised Standard Version
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 mighty.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
that 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 mighty.

Contextual Overview

1 Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it--as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king--and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 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. 3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 "Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel." 5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it. 6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, "Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they feared: Joshua 2:9-13, Joshua 2:24, Exodus 15:14-16, Deuteronomy 11:25, Deuteronomy 28:10, Psalms 48:4-6, Proverbs 1:26, Proverbs 1:27, Proverbs 10:24, Hebrews 10:27, Hebrews 10:31, Revelation 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, 1 Samuel 27:5, 2 Samuel 12:26

Reciprocal: Joshua 9:1 - all the kings Joshua 9:3 - Gibeon Joshua 9:17 - Gibeon Joshua 10:41 - Gibeon Joshua 18:25 - Gibeon 2 Samuel 2:12 - Gibeon 1 Kings 3:4 - Gibeon 1 Chronicles 6:60 - thirteen cities

Cross-References

Genesis 10:5
From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
Genesis 10:7
The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
Genesis 10:12
and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).
Genesis 10:14
Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim).
Genesis 10:21
And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder.
Isaiah 66:19
I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul Jeremiah 46:9).">[fn] and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.
Ezekiel 27:7
Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail; Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.
Ezekiel 27:19
Dan and Javan paid for your wares, traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise.
Ezekiel 38:6
Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops--many people are with you.
Ezekiel 38:15
Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That they feared greatly,.... The king of Jerusalem and his people, lest they should fall into the hands of the Israelites, and be used as Jericho and Ai, and the kings and inhabitants of them were, and that they would be the next that should fall a sacrifice to them; for Gibeon was fifty furlongs from Jerusalem, as Josephus says a; and in another place he says b but forty, which were but five miles; and if fifty, but little more than six miles; according to Bunting c, it was but four miles: and what added to their terror was,

because Gibeon [was] a great city; being a metropolitan city, and having others subject to it; therefore the surrender of that to the Israelites might intimidate other cities, and lead them by example to do the like, and so of bad consequence:

as one of the royal cities; the Vulgate Latin version omits the note of similitude, and reads, "and one of the royal cities"; and sometimes "caph" or "as" is not a note of likeness, but of reality; yet as we nowhere read of a king of Gibeon, the sense may be, that though it was not a royal seat, it was equal to those that were, and like one, being a metropolitan city: and

because it [was] greater than Ai: had more inhabitants in it, and perhaps better fortified:

and all the men thereof [were] mighty; men of strength, courage, and valour, warlike men, and therefore for such a city to yield so easily, and in such a base, mean, and cowardly way, was setting a very bad example.

a De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 19. sect. 1. b Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. sect. 7. c Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 98.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 10:2. 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, Joshua 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.


 
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