Joshua 10:28 Commentary: The Devotion of Makkedah to Destruction

This verse belongs to the larger narrative of the southern campaign (Joshua 10:28, 43). Earlier that day, Joshua had defeated a coalition of five Amorite kings at Beth-horon, where the Lord cast down hailstones and made the sun stand still. The kings fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah. Joshua ordered the cave sealed with stones, then pursued the fleeing armies (vv. 16, 21). After the pursuit, he executed the kings and displayed their bodies as a sign of God’s victory (vv. 22, 27). Only then did he turn to the fortified town of Makkedah itself.

The expression “struck it with the edge of the sword” (lepi cherev) appears repeatedly in this section (see also vv. 30, 32, 35, 37, 39), signaling a pattern of complete conquest. The verb hecherim (he utterly destroyed) carries the technical sense of placing under the ban, devoting the entire population to God as an act of judgment (Leviticus 27:28, 29). Deuteronomy 20:16, 17 commanded Israel to “save alive nothing that breathes” in these cities, because the inhabitants were part of nations that God was dispossessing on account of their wickedness (Deuteronomy 9:4, 5). The cattle and material goods, however, could be taken as plunder (Joshua 8:27; Keil and Delitzsch).

Makkedah’s location, somewhere in the Shephelah near Beth-horon, made it a strategic stronghold. The conquest of the king, and the explicit comparison to Jericho, reinforces that this was God’s judgment, not mere human warfare. Joshua’s swift obedience and the repeated statement “he left no one remaining” underscore the thoroughness of the divine commission.

Keil and Delitzsch note a textual variant in the phrase “he utterly destroyed them.” Several manuscripts and editions read ‘otah (feminine singular, “it”) instead of ‘otam (masculine plural, “them”), which would shift the object from the people to the city itself. The reading “them” is supported by the majority of manuscripts and is followed by most modern translations. No other significant variants affect this verse in the consulted sources.

Throughout church history, this verse has been a focal point for discussions of divine judgment. Early Christian writers such as Origen and Augustine saw the conquest as a type of the soul’s battle against sin and of the church’s spiritual warfare. The Reformers, including Calvin and Luther, emphasized God’s justice in punishing the Canaanites and his faithfulness to Israel. In the Wesleyan tradition, Wesley read the passage as a demonstration of God’s power and swift justice. Modern readers often struggle with the violence, leading to a range of responses: some maintain a literal historical reading, others allegorize the destruction as the believer’s putting to death of sinful desires, and others question the historical accuracy while still finding a theological message of God’s holiness. The verse continues to challenge readers to see God’s mercy and judgment together.

Three-point outline

1. Victory follows obedience. Joshua did not rest after the miraculous day; he pressed the campaign, taking the fortified city and its king.
2. Divine judgment is thorough. No survivors remain, a sobering picture of God’s holiness and the extent of his judgment on sin.
3. Continuity with the past. The king of Makkedah receives the same fate as Jericho, showing that God’s commands hold consistent force.

Five-point outline

1. God’s deliverance enables further conquest.
2. Joshua acts on that deliverance by attacking the city.
3. The city is struck with the edge of the sword: a standard of complete destruction.
4. The king is subjected to the same judgment as his people.
5. The pattern recalls Jericho, God’s firstfruits of conquest.

Illustration hooks

• A cancer surgery that removes every malignant cell to save the body; anything left behind grows back. Here God removes the culture of rebellion from the land entirely.
• A team that wins the championship game and then systematically beats every other contender in the following weeks; the decisive victory at Beth-horon opened the door for the capture of city after city.
• A court that issues a death sentence for high treason and ensures it is carried out fully; there is no parole, no clemency for a crime against the sovereign.

Questions your congregation is asking

• Why did God command the total destruction of these cities?
• How can a loving God order such violence?
• Does this passage have any application for Christians today?

This passage confronts us with a side of God that many find troubling. The destruction of Makkedah is not an isolated act; it fits within a larger biblical story of judgment and redemption. As we study, we should allow the tension to challenge our assumptions while remembering that the full revelation of God’s character appears in Jesus Christ. The conquest narrative, difficult as it is, shows us that God takes sin seriously and that he acts in history to establish his kingdom.

Discussion questions

1. Read Joshua 10:28 and list every action Joshua takes. What do these repeated phrases tell you about the nature of this conquest?
2. Why does the text compare the treatment of Makkedah’s king to that of Jericho? What does this comparison emphasize?
3. Look at Deuteronomy 20:16, 17. How does that command shape your understanding of what Joshua does here?
4. Some Christians struggle with the violence in Joshua. If a group member asks, “Is this just ancient tribal warfare dressed up as religion,” how would you respond using the context of Canaanite sin?
5. The New Testament speaks of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10, 12) and “taking every thought captive.” In what ways does the conquest serve as a model for our battle against sin, not physically, but spiritually?
6. What does this passage reveal about God’s holiness? How does that complement what we know about his love and mercy?
7. If Joshua is a type of Christ (the name “Joshua” is the same as “Jesus” in Greek), how does this conquest point forward to the ultimate victory of Jesus over all his enemies?