Joshua 10:13 · Bible study
Joshua 10:13 Commentary: The Day the Sun Stood Still
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Did the sun literally stop? A study of Joshua 10:13 examining the miracle, the Book of Jashar, and what this verse teaches about God's power and prayer.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Yahweh answered Joshua’s prayer by prolonging daylight, enabling Israel to complete its victory over the Amorites.
- Key words: va.yi.dom (was still/silent), a.mad (stood still), ats (hastened). The sun “was silent” in its course; it did not hurry to set.
- Main debate: Whether the sun literally stopped (astronomical miracle) or the description is poetic for sustained light via natural means (optical miracle or extended twilight).
- Theological theme: God fights for His people and hears the prayers of His servants, using both supernatural and natural means.
- Best use: Teaching on prayer, God’s sovereignty over creation, and how to read Old Testament miracle narratives with both wonder and interpretive care.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? “So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
The sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Isn’t this written in the book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and didn’t hurry to go down about a whole day.
KJV King James Version 1769
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the nation had avenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and the sun standeth still, and the moon hath stood--till the nation taketh vengeance on its enemies; is it not written on the Book of the Upright, `and the sun standeth in the midst of the heavens, and hath not hasted to go in--as a perfect day?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the sun stood still, and the moon remained where it was, until the nation had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? And the sun remained standing in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a full day.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the sun and the moon stood still, till the people revenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of the just? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down the space of one day.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y el sol se detuvo y la luna se paró, hasta tanto que la gente se hubo vengado de sus enemigos. ¿ No está aquesto escrito en el libro de Jasher? Y el sol se paró en medio del cielo, y no se apresuró á ponerse casi un día entero.
E o sol se deteve e a lua se parou, Até tanto que a gente se havia vingado de seus inimigos. Não está este escrito no livro de Jasar? E o sol se parou em meio do céu, e não se apressou a se pôr quase um dia inteiro.
Et le soleil s’ arrêta, et la lune suspendit sa course, Jusqu’ à ce que la nation eût tiré vengeance de ses ennemis. Cela n’est-il pas écrit dans le livre du Juste? Le soleil s’ arrêta au milieu du ciel, et ne se hâta point de se coucher, presque tout un jour.
da stand die Sonne und der Mond still, bis daß sich das Volk an ihren Feinden rächte. Ist dies nicht geschrieben im Buch des Frommen? Also stand die Sonne mitten am Himmel und verzog unterzugehen beinahe einen ganzen Tag.
En de zon stond stil, en de maan bleef staan, totdat zich het volk aan zijn vijanden gewroken had. Is dit niet geschreven in het boek des oprechten? De zon nu stond stil in het midden des hemels, en haastte niet onder te gaan omtrent een volkomen dag.
E il sole si fermò, e la luna rimase la suo luogo, finché la nazione si fosse vendicata de’ suoi nemici. Questo non sta egli scritto nel libro del Giusto? E il sole si fermò in mezzo al cielo e non s’affrettò a tramontare per quasi un giorno intero.
I zastanowiło się słońce, a miesiąc stanął, aż się lud pomścił nad nieprzyjacioły swymi. Izali to nie jest napisano w księgach sprawiedliwego? Tedy stanęło słońce w pośród nieba, a nie pospieszyło się zachodzić, jakoby przez cały dzień.
И остановилось солнце, и луна стояла, доколе народ мстил врагам своим. Не это ли написано в книге Праведного: "стояло солнце среди неба и не спешило к западу почти целый день"?
於是日頭 停留，月亮 止住，直等 國民 向敵人 報仇。這事 豈不是 寫 在 雅煞珥 書上嗎？日頭 在天 當中 停住，不 急速 下落，約有一 日之久。
And the sun was at rest and the moon kept its place till the nation had given punishment to their attackers. (Is it not recorded in the book of Jashar?) So the sun kept its place in the middle of the heavens, and was waiting, and did not go down, for the space of a day.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joshua 10:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Joshua 10:13 describes an extraordinary event in which Yahweh answered Joshua's prayer by prolonging daylight so Israel could complete its victory over the Amorites. The core historical fact is not in dispute: the day was extended in a way that left a permanent impression on Israel's memory. The disputed question is how that extension happened. Barnes notes that older Jewish authorities and Christian fathers generally took the language literally as a suspension of the heavenly bodies, while many recent commentators see it as a poetic quotation from the Book of Jashar, a collection of heroic verse, and thus read the passage as figurative or optical. Keil & Delitzsch argue that the quotation is from a war-song, making the description poetically heightened rather than a precise astronomical record. Calvin, by contrast, insists the miracle was real and physical, rebuking those who try to explain it away on scientific or rational grounds. All sides, however, affirm the theological point: Yahweh listened to a man's voice and fought for Israel (v. 14).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal astronomical miracle: The plain reading of the text, the interpretive tradition of most pre-modern Jewish and Christian authorities, and the repeated ascription of the event as unique ('no day like it').
- Poetic/optical interpretation: The passage is a quotation from a heroic song (Book of Jashar) that uses vivid poetic language; the Hebrew verb can mean 'was silent' rather than 'stopped,' and natural explanations such as a prolonged twilight or refractive light could meet the sense.
- Compromising view (extended daylight through natural means): Some commentators propose that God used a combination of the hailstorm (v. 11) and a natural prolongation of daylight (perhaps through refraction of sunlight) to give extra time, without stopping the earth's rotation.
What is clear: All sides agree that Yahweh powerfully answered Joshua's prayer and gave Israel the victory, demonstrating that God fights for His people and listens to the voice of a man.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the miracle | God extended the daylight so Israel could complete the victory. The event was extraordinary and providential. | Some hold it was a literal suspension of the earth's rotation (or the sun's apparent motion), while others see it as a poetic description of prolonged daylight through refraction, a long twilight, or natural timing. |
| The Book of Jashar | It is a collection of heroic songs and victory odes, quoted here and in 2 Samuel 1:18. | Some argue its poetic nature suggests the sun-still account is not meant to be read as exact history, while others reply that poetry can recount literal events with heightened language. |
| Silence of other ancient records | No uncontested extra-biblical records of a global day stoppage survive. | For some, this raises doubts about literal interpretation; for others, it simply reflects the thinness of chronological records from that era (the early second millennium BC is often called 'the obscure period'). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The battle at Gibeon took place during Israel's southern campaign after the conquest of Jericho and Ai. Joshua had made a covenant with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9), and when five Amorite kings attacked Gibeon for its alliance with Israel, Joshua marched all night from Gilgal to relieve them (v. 9). The battle involved a long pursuit down the Beth Horon descent, with Yahweh adding a hailstorm that killed more enemies than the sword (v. 11). At a critical moment, as the day was waning and the enemy still fleeing, Joshua spoke directly to Yahweh and then, in the sight of Israel, commanded the sun and moon to stand still.
The expression “Book of Jashar” (or Jasher) appears also in 2 Samuel 1:18, where it contains David's lament for Saul and Jonathan. The name likely means “the Book of the Upright” (יָשָׁר, yashar). Keil & Delitzsch and the Cambridge Bible agree that this was a collection of victory odes and hero songs, composed over time and used to celebrate Yahweh's mighty acts. The quotation of Joshua’s prayer and the sun’s response in vv. 12, 13a has a clear poetic parallelism (“Sun, stand still on Gibeon; Moon, stop in the valley of Aijalon”), which supports the idea that the narrative quotes an earlier song. This does not settle the question of whether the event was literal or figurative, poetry can describe real miracles, but it sets the passage within the tradition of Israel’s sung memory of divine intervention.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Joshua 10:13. The Masoretic Text is stable across manuscripts. The phrase “the sun stood still” (וַיִּדֹּם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ) is consistent, and the reference to the Book of Jashar appears in both this verse and 2 Samuel 1:18 with the same spelling.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, the miracle was celebrated as a sign of Joshua's favor with God. The Targum and many rabbinic commentators (Jarchi, Kimchi) treated it as a literal event, though Levi ben Gerson and Maimonides argued for a metaphorical interpretation to avoid perceived conflict with Moses's authority. Early Christian fathers (e.g., Origen, Augustine) also read it as a historical miracle, sometimes seeing it as a type of Christ's power over creation. During the Reformation, Calvin vigorously defended the literal interpretation, while Enlightenment-era critics began to press the scientific and literary arguments now common in scholarship. The debate continues among modern readers, with conservative scholars often defending the literal reading and others emphasizing the poetic, song-derived character of the passage.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The prayer that moved heaven: Joshua spoke to Yahweh in the heat of battle, and God responded by altering the order of creation. This shows that prayer is not passive; it engages the Creator directly.
- The day that had no equal: Verse 14 says there was no day like it before or since. This singular event reminds us that God is not bound by natural laws, He authored them and can suspend them for His purposes.
- The God who fights for His people: The sun stood still so that Israel could complete its judgment on the Amorites. The miracle itself is not the main point, the God who performs it is. He is a warrior on behalf of His covenant people.
Five-point outline
- God’s sovereignty over creation (the sun and moon obey His command).
- The role of human partnership (Joshua’s prayer, faith, and action).
- The meaning of extended time (God’s timing is perfect, but He can stretch a day if needed).
- The testimony recorded in Scripture (the Book of Jashar and Joshua’s account corroborate the event).
- The call to remember (the day was unique, but all of God’s works are worthy of praise).
Illustration hooks
- The runner’s second wind: A marathon runner who feels spent, then finds unexpected energy to finish the course. The sun’s “second wind” gave Israel the daylight to complete what God had started.
- The deadline that gets extended: A student given extra time on an exam because of an emergency. God didn’t just give a second chance, He stretched the day itself so His people could finish the work.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did this really happen, or is it just a story? How should I read miracle accounts in the Old Testament?
- If the sun stood still, why don’t we have records from other ancient civilizations of such a massive event?
- Does God still intervene in nature like this today, or was that only for biblical times?
Leading a Discussion
The story of the sun standing still is one of the most dramatic miracles in the Bible. It raises honest questions about science, history, and how we read Scripture. But at its heart, it points to a God who hears the cries of His people and acts with power on their behalf. As you discuss this passage, try to hold both the wonder of the miracle and the humility of not knowing exactly how it worked.
Discussion questions
- Read Joshua 10:12, 14. What stands out to you about Joshua’s prayer? Why do you think he spoke to the sun directly?
- The passage quotes the “Book of Jashar.” Why do you think the author included this source? Does it affect how you read the account?
- Some Christians read this as a literal stopping of the earth’s rotation; others see it as poetic language for an extended day through natural means (like a long twilight or refracting light). What are the strengths of each view?
- Verse 14 says “Yahweh listened to the voice of a man.” What does this tell us about prayer and God’s willingness to respond to human requests?
- How does this passage challenge or strengthen your view of God’s power over creation? Does it change how you think about miracles today?
- If the event was poetic, does that make it less true? What does “true” mean in a poetic vs. historical context?
- What is one practical way this passage can shape how you pray in a difficult situation this week?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 21:14 | Therefore it is said in The Book of the Wars of Yahweh, “Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon, |
| Numbers 31:2 | “Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” |
| Joshua 10:11 | As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, Yahweh hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword. |
| Joshua 10:14 | There was no day like that before it or after it, that Yahweh listened to the voice of a man; for Yahweh fought for Israel. |
| Judges 5:2 | “Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh! |
| Judges 16:28 | Samson called to Yahweh, and said, “Lord Yahweh, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once, God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” |
| II Samuel 1:18 | (and he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar): |
| Esther 8:13 | A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that the Jews should be ready for that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes treats the passage as a poetic extract from the ancient Book of Jasher, embedded in the prose narrative by a later hand. He notes that recent commentators read the sun standing still as bold poetical language for answered prayer, not a literal suspension of the earth's motion. The absence of any record of such a worldwide phenomenon strengthens that case.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists the miracle was real: the sun was already setting when Joshua commanded it to stop, and it halted in full view rather than being repositioned to a specific spot. He dismisses attempts to explain the event naturally, arguing that the day was simply prolonged through the entire night.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the account uses the same vivid, poetic language found in other Old Testament passages describing God’s power over nature. The reference to the Book of Jasher shows it was a collection of national heroic songs, not a scientific explanation. How the daylight was prolonged is simply not told.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And the Sunne abode, and the moone stood still, vntill the people auenged themselues vpon their enemies: (Is not this written in the booke of Iasher?) so the Sunne abode in the middes of the heauen, and hasted not to goe downe for a whole day.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill does not try to reconcile this miracle with the Copernican system. Instead, he points to historical parallels in Chinese records and the battle of Mulberg, explores Jewish traditions about the book of Jasher, and calculates the length of the day, noting that the Apocrypha says it became as long as two days.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch reads the sun-stopping passage as a poetic quotation from the Book of Jasher embedded in the historical narrative. Joshua did not command the sun but prayed to God to lengthen the day, and the mention of the moon suggests both were visible in the morning sky, not at sunset.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the sun standing still at Gibeon is not a literal astronomical miracle but a poetical fragment from the Book of the Upright. The language is figurative, like stars fighting against Sisera, celebrating Joshua’s bold faith and God’s help, not a literal interruption of the cosmos.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that Joshua spoke the command for the sun and moon to halt openly in the sight of all Israel, and God hearkened directly to a human voice. This miracle was
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that Joshua asked only for the sun to stand still, not the moon; the moon's pause was an incidental result to keep order among the heavenly bodies. He also notes that this miracle's absence from pagan records is unsurprising, since all events before the Trojan war are considered obscure by ancient historians. "A whole day" means a full artificial day from sunrise to sunset.