Joshua 10:27 At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.

◄ Joshua 10:27 ►

New International Version
At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the poles and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.

New Living Translation
As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding. Then they covered the opening of the cave with a pile of large rocks, which remains to this very day.

English Standard Version
But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Berean Standard Bible
At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
So it was at the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid large stones against the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.

New American Standard Bible
Then it came about at sunset that Joshua gave the command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day.

NASB 1995
It came about at sunset that Joshua gave a command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day.

NASB 1977
And it came about at sunset that Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened that at sunset Joshua gave a command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them down into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day.

Amplified Bible
At sunset Joshua gave a command, and they took the bodies down from the trees and threw them into the cave where the kings had hidden themselves, and placed large stones over the mouth of the cave, [where they remain] to this very day.

Christian Standard Bible
At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are still there today.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.

American Standard Version
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 hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, unto this very day.

Contemporary English Version
he told some of his troops, "Take the bodies down and throw them into the cave where the kings were found. Cover the entrance to the cave with big rocks." Joshua's troops obeyed his orders, and those rocks are still there.

English Revised Version
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 hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, unto this very day.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the sun went down, Joshua gave the order to take them down from the poles. Then they threw them into the cave where they had been hiding and put large stones over the mouth of the cave. These stones are still there today.

Good News Translation
At sundown Joshua gave orders, and their bodies were taken down and thrown into the same cave where they had hidden earlier. Large stones were placed at the entrance to the cave, and they are still there.

International Standard Version
When evening had come, Joshua gave a command to remove the bodies from the gallows and bury them in the cave where they had hidden. The army sealed the mouth of the cave with large stones that remain there to this very day.

Majority Standard Bible
At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.

NET Bible
At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take them down from the trees. They threw them into the cave where they had hidden and piled large stones over the mouth of the cave. (They remain to this very day.)

New Heart English Bible
It happened 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 in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass at the time of the setting of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, and cast them into the cave in which they had been hid, and laid great stones upon the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.

World English Bible
At the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and threw them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, at the time of the going in of the sun, Joshua has commanded, and they take them down from off the trees, and cast them into the cave where they had been hid, and put great stones on the mouth of the cave until this very day.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, at the time of the going in of the sun, Joshua hath commanded, and they take them down from off the trees, and cast them unto the cave where they had been hid, and put great stones on the mouth of the cave till this very day.

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be at the time of the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they will take them down from the trees and cast them into the cave where they were hid there; and they will put great stones upon the mouth of the cave till this self-same day.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the sun was down, he commanded the soldiers to take them down from the gibbets. And after they were taken down, they cast them into the cave where they had lain hid, and put great stones at the mouth thereof, which remain until this day.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when the sun had set, he instructed his assistants that they should take them down from the gallows. And having been taken down, they cast them into the cave, where they had lain hidden, and they set vast stones at its mouth, which remain, even to the present.

New American Bible
At sunset Joshua commanded that they be taken down from the trees and be thrown into the cave where they had hidden; over the mouth of the cave large stones were placed, which remain until this very day.

New Revised Standard Version
At sunset Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves; they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, and cast them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and laid large stones at the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And at the time of the setting of the sun, Yeshua commanded and they took them down from the trees for crosses, and they cast them into the cave in which they had been hiding, and they placed great stones on the mouth of the cave until today

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, unto this very day.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass toward the setting of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, and cast them into the cave into which they had fled for refuge, and rolled stones to the cave, which remain till this day.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Victory at Makkedah
…26After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there until evening. 27 At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day. 28On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 21:22-23
If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, / you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Numbers 25:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that His fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

2 Samuel 21:6-9
let seven of his male descendants be delivered to us so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” “I will give them to you,” said the king. / Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul. / But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, as well as the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. ...

John 19:31
It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.

Acts 5:30
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.

Acts 10:39
We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,

1 Samuel 31:10-13
They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan. / When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, / all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there. ...

2 Samuel 4:12
So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

1 Kings 21:13
And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

Matthew 27:5
So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Matthew 27:38
Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and the other on His left.

Mark 15:24-25
And they crucified Him. They also divided His garments by casting lots to decide what each of them would take. / It was the third hour when they crucified Him.

Luke 23:33
When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.

John 19:18
There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle.

Treasury of Scripture

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.

they took

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.

Deuteronomy 21:23
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.

2 Samuel 18:17
And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

until this very day

Joshua 4:9
And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

Joshua 7:26
And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

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Joshua 10

1. Five kings war against Gibeon
6. Joshua rescues it
10. God fights against them with hailstones
12. The sun and moon stand still at the word of Joshua
16. The five kings are murdered in a cave
22. They are brought forth
24. scornfully used
26. and hanged
28. Seven kings more are conquered
43. Joshua returns to Gilgal

Berean Study Bible

At sunset
The phrase "at sunset" signifies the end of a day, a time often associated with closure and completion in biblical narratives. In Hebrew culture, the day begins at sunset, so this moment marks both an end and a beginning. It reflects the completion of God's judgment on the Canaanite kings and the transition to a new phase of Israel's conquest. The setting sun can symbolize the end of the kings' reign and the darkness that comes with their defeat, contrasting with the light of God's guidance for Israel.

Joshua gave the command
Joshua, as the leader appointed by God after Moses, acts with divine authority. His command reflects obedience to God's will and the fulfillment of His promises to Israel. The Hebrew root for "command" (צָוָה, tsavah) implies a directive that is not merely a suggestion but an authoritative order, underscoring Joshua's role as God's chosen leader.

that they be taken down from the trees
The act of taking the bodies down from the trees is significant in the context of Deuteronomy 21:22-23, which instructs that a hanged body should not remain on a tree overnight. This adherence to the law demonstrates Israel's commitment to God's commandments, even in the treatment of their enemies. It also reflects a respect for the dignity of human life, even in death, aligning with the broader biblical principle of justice tempered with mercy.

and thrown into the cave where they had hidden
The cave, initially a place of refuge for the kings, becomes their tomb. This ironic twist highlights the futility of opposing God's will. The Hebrew word for "cave" (מְעָרָה, me'arah) often denotes a place of hiding or refuge, yet here it becomes a symbol of divine retribution. The act of throwing them into the cave signifies the finality of their defeat and the inescapability of God's judgment.

Then they placed large stones over the mouth of the cave
Placing large stones over the cave's mouth serves both a practical and symbolic purpose. Practically, it ensures the kings' bodies remain undisturbed, while symbolically, it represents the sealing of their fate. The use of stones in biblical narratives often signifies permanence and memorialization, as seen in other contexts where stones are used to mark significant events or covenants.

where the remains are to this day
This phrase underscores the historical reliability of the account, suggesting that the site was known and could be verified by the original audience. It serves as a testament to God's faithfulness in delivering Israel's enemies into their hands. The enduring presence of the remains acts as a physical reminder of God's power and the fulfillment of His promises, encouraging future generations to trust in His sovereignty.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 27. - At the time of the going down of the sun. See Deuteronomy 21:23. Joshua set the example to the Israelites of a strict observance of the law. And we may observe that this law is only to be found in Deuteronomy. On the "Deuteronomist" theory we have to suppose that the Deuteronomist, with a lynx eye to the chance of recommending the provisions which he had invented, and to the importance of representing Joshua as a strict observer of them, inserted this piece of detail with an obvious purpose. It is a wonder that this should be almost the only "Deuteronomist" precept thus emphasised. We find it noticed above (Joshua 8:29), and in both cases the obvious explanation is that this sign of triumph made a great impression on those who witnessed it, and that it was carried out in strict fulfilment of enactments already existing. On the other hand, as we have seen, there is no attempt in Joshua 8:30-35 to emphasise thus the obedience to the command in Deuteronomy 27:2-8. It is from minute details of this kind, which escape the superficial observer, that the authenticity of the Book of Deuteronomy is established. Until this very day. The form of the expression here is singularly different from the expression found elsewhere when the meaning suggested by the Authorized Version is to be conveyed. But for the word עַד we should translate "on the self-same day," as in Genesis 7:13, etc. עַד may be a slip of the pen for עַל which is seldom, if ever, used of time (only, if at all, in Psalm 48:15, and Proverbs 25:11), though the idiom is found in Arabic, in Greek (as in ἐπ ἤματι), in German (as in auf den Tag.) and in English, "on that day;" or we may, with Keil, refer back to ver. 18, and trans. late "they cast them into the cave where they had been hid, and where they had placed great stones unto that very day." For there may have been an interval of several days between the confinement of the kings in the cave and their death at the hands of Joshua. See note on ver. 21.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

At sunset
בּ֣וֹא (bō·w)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

Joshua
יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

ordered
צִוָּ֤ה (ṣiw·wāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

that they be taken down
וַיֹּֽרִידוּם֙ (way·yō·rî·ḏūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

from
מֵעַ֣ל (mê·‘al)
Preposition-m
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the trees
הָעֵצִ֔ים (hā·‘ê·ṣîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

and thrown
וַיַּ֨שְׁלִכֻ֔ם (way·yaš·li·ḵum)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away

into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the cave
הַמְּעָרָ֖ה (ham·mə·‘ā·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4631: A cavern

in which
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

they had hidden.
נֶחְבְּאוּ־ (neḥ·bə·’ū-)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2244: To withdraw, hide

Then large
גְּדֹלוֹת֙ (gə·ḏō·lō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

stones
אֲבָנִ֤ים (’ă·ḇā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 68: A stone

were placed
וַיָּשִׂ֜מוּ (way·yā·śi·mū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the mouth
פִּ֣י (pî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

of the cave,
הַמְּעָרָ֔ה (ham·mə·‘ā·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4631: A cavern

and the stones
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

are there to this
הַזֶּֽה׃ (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

day.
הַיּ֥וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

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OT History: Joshua 10:27 It happened at the time (Josh. Jos)