Joshua 10

Jos 10:1 And it happened, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had 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,

Adoni-zedec - probably an official title of the Jebusite kings. This name signifies the Lord of justice or righteousness; and it has been conjectured that the Canaanitish kings assumed this name in imitation of that of the ancient patriarchal king of this city, Melchizedek, whose name signifies king of righteousness, or my righteous king: a supposition that is not improbable, when the celebrity of Melchizedek is considered. This may be a title of the Jebusite kings, as Pharaoh was of the Egyptian. Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. And he was the priest of the most high God. Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him.

Jerusalem - “foundation of peace.” The city belonged to the inheritance of Benjamin Joshua 18:28 and Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem; Gibeath, Kirjath; fourteen cities and their villages. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families but was on the very edge of the territory of Judah Joshua 15:8 And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the south side of the Jebusite. It is Jerusalem. And the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, at the end of the Valley of the Giants northward. Hence, it was the strong and war-like tribe of Judah which eventually captured the lower part of the city, most likely in the days of Joshua’s later conquests Judges 1:8 And the sons of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and had struck it with the edge of the sword, and had set the city on fire and after the warlike strength of the Jebusites had been weakened by the defeat in the open field, recorded in this chapter. The upper town, more especially the fortified hill of Zion, remained in the hands of the Jebusites, who accordingly kept a footing in the place, along with the men of Judah and Benjamin, even after the conquest Joshua 15:63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out. But the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem to this day. Judges 1:21 And the sons of Benjamin did not expel the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. But the Jebusites live with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day and would seem, indeed, to have so far, and no doubt gradually, regained possession of the whole, that Jerusalem was spoken of in the days of the Judges as a Jebusite city. David finally stormed “the stronghold of Zion,” and called it “the City of David” 2Samuel 5:6-9 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites, the people of the land. And one spoke to David saying, You shall not come in here, except the blind and the lame will turn you away; also saying, David cannot come in here. And David took the stronghold of Zion; it is the city of David. And David said on that day, Anyone who strikes the Jebusite, let him go by the water-shaft and take the lame and the blind, the hated of David's soul. On account of this they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. And David lived in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built all around, from Millo and inward. It was, probably, only after this conquest and the adoption by David of the city as the religious and political metropolis of the whole nation, that the name Jerusalem came into use 2Samuel 5:5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah in substitution for Jehus.

Jerusalem - Yerushalam. This word has been variously explained; if it be compounded of shalam, peace, perfection, etc., and raah, he saw, it may signify the vision of peace - or, he shall see peace or perfection.

Jos 10:2 they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all of its men were mighty.

Jos 10:3 And Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,

Jos 10:4 Come up to me, and help me, so that we may strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.

Jos 10:5 And the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves. And they went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon, and made war against it.

Therefore the five kings of the Amorites - This is a general name for the inhabitants of Canaan, otherwise called Canaanites; and it is very likely that they had this appellation because the Amorites were the most powerful tribe or nation in that country. For though they were chiefly Hittites that dwelt in Hebron, and Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; yet as the Amorites were the most powerful people in the land, and had dispersed themselves in the several parts of it, and seem to have the greatest authority in it, they were all called Amorites, and perhaps the kings of those cities were of them, and set over them by them; so we find that the Gibeonites, who were Hivites, are said to be of the remnant of the Amorite, 2 Samuel 21:2;

the five kings of the Amorites--The settlement of this powerful and warlike tribe lay within the confines of Moab; but having also acquired extensive possessions on the southwest of the Jordan, their name, as the ruling power, seems to have been given to the region generally (2Sa 21:2), although Hebron was inhabited by Hittites or Hivites (Jos 11:19), and Jerusalem by Jebusites (Jos 15:63).

Jos 10:6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Do not withhold your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us. For all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered against us.

Jos 10:7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of war.

Jos 10:8 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. There shall not a man of them stand before you.

And the Lord said unto Joshua - It is highly probable he consulted the Lord on this occasion, having some doubt on his mind, whether he should go to their assistance, since the league between them was obtained by fraud.

Jos 10:9 And Joshua came to them suddenly, coming up from Gilgal all night.

went up from Gilgal all night - he chose the night for secrecy and surprise, and that he might be the sooner with the enemy, and to the assistance and relief of Gibeon; and as it was about nine or ten miles from Gilgal to Gibeon, it was easily performed in a night's march;

Jos 10:10 And Jehovah troubled them before Israel, and killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goes up to Beth-horon, and struck them to Azekah, and to Makkedah.

And the Lord discomfited them before Israel - Hebrew, "terrified," confounded the Amorite allies, probably by a fearful storm of lightning and thunder. So the word is usually employed 1Samuel 7:10 And it happened as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But Jehovah thundered with a great noise on that day on the Philistines, and troubled them. And they were beaten before Israel. Psalms 18:13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave forth His voice; hailstones and coals of fire. Psalms 144:6 Cast forth lightning and scatter them; shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.

Jehovah threw them into confusion - as He had promised in Exodus 23:27 I will send My fear before you, and will destroy all the people to whom you shall come. And I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you and in all probability, judging from Jos_10:11, by dreadful thunder and lightning.

and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron - there were two places of this name, the upper and the nether, both built by Sherah, the daughter or granddaughter of Ephraim, 1 Chronicles 7:24 And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the lower, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah therefore here so called by anticipation. It was about an hundred furlongs, or twelve miles and a half from Jerusalem, and from Gibeon thither, it was fifty furlongs, or six miles and a quarter; so far the kings were pursued by Joshua and his army, at least unto the ascent of it; for being built on a hill, it had an ascent on one side, and a descent on the other, after mentioned, and both were very narrow passages. Both the Beth-horons were secured by Solomon with strong fortifications 2Chronicles 8:5 And he built Beth-horon the upper and Beth-horon the lower, fenced cities with walls, gates, and bars It was in this pass that, according to Jewish traditions, the destruction of the host of Sennacherib took place 2Ki_19:35.

Jos 10:11 And it happened, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the descent of Bethhoron, Jehovah cast down great stones from the heavens on them to Azekah, and they died. The many who died from hailstones were more than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

hail-stones - not stone-hail, or a shower of stones, but a terrible hail-storm This phenomenon, which resembled the terrible hail in Egypt (Exo_9:24), was manifestly a miraculous occurrence produced by the omnipotent power of God, inasmuch as the hail-stones slew the enemy without injuring the Israelites, who were pursuing them. By this the Israelites were to be made to see that it was not their own power, but the supernatural help of their God, which had given them the victory; whilst the enemy discovered that it was not only the people of Israel, but the God of Israel, that had devoted them to destruction.

Jos 10:12 Then Joshua spoke to Jehovah in the day when Jehovah delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun! Stand still on Gibeon! And, moon, stand still in the valley of Aijalon!

Spoke Joshua - Being moved to beg it out of zeal to destroy God's enemies, and directed to it by the motion of God's spirit, and being filled with holy confidence of the success, he speaks the following words before the people, that that they might be witnesses.

In the sight - That is, in the presence and audience of Israel.

Over Gibeon - That is, in that place and posture in which now it stands towards, and looks upon Gibeon. Let it not go down lower, and by degrees, out of the sight of Gibeon. It may seem, that the sun, was declining, and Joshua perceiving that his work was great and long, and his time but short, begs of God the lengthening out of the day, and that the sun and moon might stop their course, He mentions two places, Gibeon and Ajalon, not as if the sun stood over the one and the moon over the other, which is absurd especially these places being so near the one to the other; but partly to vary the phrase, as is common in poetical passages; partly because he was in his march in the pursuit of his enemies, to pass from Gibeon to Ajalon; and he begs that he may have the help of longer light to pursue them, and to that end that the sun might stand still, and the moon also; not that he needed the moon's light, but because it was fit, either that both sun and moon should go, or that both should stand still to prevent disorder in the heavenly bodies. The prayer is thus exprest with authority, because it was not an ordinary prayer, but the prayer of a prophet, divinely inspired at this very time for this purpose.

Spoke Joshua - It is probable that Jos_10:12 and the first half of Jos_10:13 alone belong to the Book of Jasher and are poetical, and that the rest of this passage is prose. The writer of this fragment seems to have understood the words of the ancient song literally, and believed that an astronomical miracle really took place, by which the motion of the heavenly bodies was for some hours suspended.

The valley of Ajalon - “the valley of the gazelles.”

Jos 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stood still, until the people had avenged themselves on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? And the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens, and did not hasten to go down about a whole day.

Book of Jasher - The book of the upright. It is generally admitted, that Jos_10:12-15 contain a quotation from the “book of Jasher,” mentioned in Jos_10:13. This quotation, and the reference to the work itself, are analogous to the notice of “the book of the wars of the Lord,” in Num_21:14, and to the strophes of a song which are there interwoven with the historical narrative; the object being, not to confirm the historical account by referring to an earlier source, but simply to set forth before other generations the powerful impression which was made upon the congregation by these mighty acts of the Lord. The “book of Jasher,” i.e., book of the upright, or righteous man, that is to say, of the true members of the theocracy, or godly men. Jasher, the righteous is used to denote the genuine Israelite, in the same sense as in Num_23:10, where Balaam calls the Israelites “the righteous,” inasmuch as Jehovah, the righteous and upright one (Deu_32:4), had called them to be His people, and to walk in His righteousness. In addition to this passage, the “book of the righteous (Jasher)” is also mentioned in 2Sa_1:18, as a work in which was to be found David's elegy upon Saul and Jonathan. From this fact it has been justly inferred, that the book was a collection of odes in praise of certain heroes of the theocracy, with historical notices of their achievements interwoven, and that the collection was formed by degrees; so that the reference to this work is neither a proof that the passage has been interpolated by a later hand, nor that the work was composed at a very late period. That the passage quoted from this work is extracted from a song is evident enough, both from the poetical form of the composition, and also from the parallelism of the sentences.

in the midst of heaven - seems to intimate that the sun was at that time on the meridian of Gibeon, somewhere above the horizon, very probably this was about noon, and consequently had one half of its course to run; and this sense of the place has been strongly contended for as essential to the miracle, for the greater display of the glory of God:

Book of Jasher - This book was probably a collection of national odes celebrating the heroes of the theocracy and their achievements, and is referred to again as containing the dirge composed by David over Saul and Jonathan. Some Jewish sources claim this is the book of Genesis, others the book of Deuteronomy, others the book of Judges; the Targum interprets it of the book of the law.

Book of Jasher - This book was written and published before Joshua wrote his, and so is fitly alluded here. But this, as well as some other historical books, is lost, not being a canonical book, and therefore not preserved by the Jews with the same care as they were.

Jos 10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that Jehovah listened to the voice of a man. For Jehovah fought for Israel.

And there was no day like that, before it, or after it - Which must be understood as referring not to natural days, but to miraculous and extraordinary ones: never was there such a day as this, occasioned by the sun standing still. There was no period of time in which the sun was kept so long above the horizon as on that occasion.

And there was no day like that, before it, or after it - standard phrase seen elsewhere in the bible. 2 Kings 18:5 He trusted in Jehovah, the God of Israel, and after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. 2 Kings 23:25 And there was no king like him before him, who turned to Jehovah with all his heart and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses. And after him none rose up like him.

Jos 10:15 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

This verse is missing in the Septuagint version.

And Joshua returned - Joshua’s return to Gilgal was not until after he had, by the storm and capture of the principal cities of south Canaan, completed the conquest of which the victory at Gibeon was only the beginning. Joshua 10:43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

unto the camp to Gilgal - The Israelite army did not return to the camp at Gilgal till after the hanging of the five kings and the destruction of their cities. Not upon the same day, but after he had dispatched the matter which here follows; as appears by Jos_10:43, where the very same words are repeated. And they are put here to close the general discourse of the fight which begun Jos_10:10, and ends here; which being done he particularly describes some remarkable passages, and closes them with the same words.

Jos 10:16 But these five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

Jos 10:17 And it was told to Joshua, saying, The five kings have been found hidden in a cave at Makkedah.

Jos 10:18 And Joshua said, Roll great stones on the mouth of the cave, and set men by it in order to keep them.

Jos 10:19 And do not stay. Pursue your enemies and strike the ones who are behind. Do not allow them to enter into their cities. For Jehovah your God has delivered them into your hand.

Jos 10:20 And it happened, when Joshua and the sons of Israel had made an end of killing them with a very great slaughter until they were gone, the rest of those who remained entered into fortified cities.

Jos 10:21 And all the people returned in peace to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah. None moved his tongue against any of the sons of Israel.

none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel - as to curse them, reproach them, and speak ill of them, for invading them, and using them in the manner they did, such was the terror that was upon them. The whole transaction of this important day had been carried on so evidently under the direction of God that there was not the least murmuring, nor cause for it, among them, for their enemies were all discomfited. There is an expression similar to this, Exodus 11:7 But against any of the sons of Israel not even a dog shall move his tongue, against man or beast, so that you may know that Jehovah puts a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

Jos 10:22 And Joshua said, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.

Jos 10:23 And they did so, and brought those five kings out of the cave to him: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.

Jos 10:24 And it happened, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel. And he said to the commanders of the men of war who had gone with him, Draw near, set your feet on the necks of these kings. And they drew near and put their feet on their necks.

set your feet on the necks of these kings - The fact that the military leaders set their feet at Joshua's command upon the necks of the conquered kings, was not a sign of barbarity, but was a symbolical act, a sign of complete subjugation, which was customary in this sense. It was also intended in this instance to stimulate the Israelites to further conflict with the Canaanites. This is stated in the words of Joshua (Jos_10:25): “Fear not, nor be dismayed (vid., Jos_1:9; Jos_8:1); for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies.”

Jos 10:25 And Joshua said to them, Do not fear nor be dismayed. Be strong and of good courage. For so shall Jehovah do to all your enemies against whom you fight.

Jos 10:26 And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees. And they were hanging on the trees until the evening.

hanged them on five trees - Jos_8:29 and Deuteronomy 21:22-23 And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and if he is put to death and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree. But you shall surely bury him that day (for he that is hanged is accursed of God), so that your land may not be defiled, which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance. Compare to Jesus’ death on the cross. He bore our sins, was crucified on a cross, and was buried that day.

Tree - Es means pole and tree. The kings could have been hung on trees, or on poles set up for this purpose.

Jos 10:27 And it happened 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 been hidden, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.

at the time of the going down of the sun - Which was the time fixed by the law of God for taking down bodies that were hanged, Deuteronomy 21:23;

they took them down off the trees - not from, any respect to them, but that they might not defile the land, as dead bodies in a ceremonial sense did, Deuteronomy 21:23; and this Joshua was the more careful of, as they were just entered into it, and were taking possession of it:

threw them into the cave in which they had been hidden - Thus that which they thought would have been their shelter, was made their prison first, and then their grave.

Jos 10:28 And that day Joshua took Makkedah and struck it with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed the king of it, them, and every soul in it. He let none remain. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he did to the king of Jericho.

Jos 10:29 And Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.

Libnah - The word means “white” or “distinct,” and undoubtedly points to some natural feature of the spot. It was in the southern part of the hill-country of Judah Jos_15:42, and was one of the cities afterward assigned to the priests Joshua 21:13 And to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron and its open lands as a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah and its open lands. Later the city revolted from Judah in the reign of Joram 2Kings 8:22 Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. Sennacherib besieged it, after he had been obliged to raise the siege of Lachish. See 2Kings 19:8 And the chief cupbearer returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish. Isaiah 37:8 So the chief of the cupbearers returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah. For he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.

Jos 10:30 And Jehovah delivered it also, and its king, into the hand of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul in it. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he did to the king of Jericho.

Jos 10:31 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and camped against it, and fought against it.

Jos 10:32 And Jehovah delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

Lachish - no mention is made of its king, because he was one of the five kings that had been hanged up; so that at the taking of this city there was no king.

Jos 10:33 Then Horam, king of Gezer, came up to help Lachish. And Joshua struck him and his people until he had left him none remaining.

Joshua also smote the king of Gezer, who had come with his people - Nothing is said about the capture of the town of Gezer. According to Joshua 16:10 And they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. But the Canaanites live among the Ephraimites until this day, and serve under tribute and Judges 1:29 And Ephraim did not expel the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them, it was still in the possession of the Canaanites when the land was divided, though this alone is not sufficient to prove that Joshua did not conquer it, as so many of the conquered towns were occupied by the Canaanites again after the Israelites had withdrawn. But its situation makes it very probable that Joshua did not conquer it at that time, as it was too much out of his road, and too far from Lachish. It is very frequently mentioned. David pursued the Philistines to Gezer (Gazer), after they had been defeated at Gibeon or Geba (2Sa_5:25; 1Ch_14:16). At a later period it was conquered by Pharaoh, and presented to his daughter, who was married to Solomon; and Solomon built or fortified it (1Ki_9:16-17). Gezer lies on the southern border of the tribe of Ephraim Jos_16:3. It was considerably to the northward of Joshua’s present line of operations, and does not appear to have been captured at this time. He contented himself for the present with repulsing the attack made upon him, killed Horam (compare Jos_12:12), inflicting a severe defeat upon his people, and then continued to pursue his conquests over the confederated kings and their allies in south Canaan.

Jos 10:34 And from Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him. And they camped against it and fought against it.

Jos 10:35 And they took it in that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword; and every soul in it he completely destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

and smote it with the edge of the sword - made an utter devastation of all its inhabitants:

Eglon - its king being one of the five that had been hanged, Joshua 10:26.

Jos 10:36 And Joshua went on from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron. And they fought against it.

From Eglon - he went up from the lowland to the mountains, attacked Hebron and took it, and did to this town and its king, and the towns belonging to it, as he had already done to the others. The king of Hebron (verse 39) cannot of course be the one who was taken in the cave of Makkedah and put to death there, but more likely his successor.

Hebron - It appears that the city of Hebron had fallen back into the hands of the Canaanites, for it was again taken from them by the tribe of Judah, Judges 1:10 And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (and the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba). And they killed Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. Debir had also fallen into their hands, for it was reconquered by Othniel, the son-in-law of Caleb, Judges 1:11-13 And from there he went against those who lived in Debir. And the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher. And Caleb said, He who strikes Kirjath-sepher and takes it, I will give Achsah my daughter to him for a wife. And Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz, took it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.

Jos 10:37 And they took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king, and all its cities, and every soul in it. He left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but destroyed it, and all the souls that were in it.

the king - From Jos_10:23, we learn that the king of Hebron was one of the five whom Joshua slew and hanged on five trees at Makkedah. This slaying of the king of Hebron, therefore, must either refer to what had already been done, or the Hebronites had set up another, whom Joshua now slew when he took the city.

Jos 10:38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it.

Jos 10:39 And he took it, and its king, and all its cities. And they struck them with the edge of the sword, and destroyed every soul in it. He left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king, as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king.

and all the cities thereof - For this also was a royal city, and had others dependent on it.

Jos 10:40 And Joshua struck all the land, the hills, and the south, and the valley, and the springs, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but destroyed all that breathed, as Jehovah, the God of Israel commanded.

as the Lord God of Israel commanded - this law is extant, Deuteronomy 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes; and which is here observed to clear the Israelites from the charge of cruelty and inhumanity; since what they did was not of themselves, nor from a private spirit of revenge, nor a greedy desire after the substance of the inhabitants; but in obedience to the command of God, and who ordered this as a righteous punishment of those people for their gross abominations of idolatry, incest, &c. see Leviticus 18:1.

The south – one commentator says this is the Negeb

Destroyed all that breathed - That is, all mankind, they reserved the cattle for their own uses.

Jos 10:41 And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea even to Gaza, and all the land of Goshen, even to Gibeon.

Goshen - has not been identified. It was in the southern part of the territory of Judah, and is, of course, quite distinct from the Goshen of Gen_46:28.

Jos 10:42 And Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because Jehovah, the God of Israel fought for Israel.

did Joshua take at one time - Not in one day, but in a very short time, as the history clearly shows.

Jos 10:43 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp to Gilgal.

And Joshua returned - After all these kings and their cities had been taken by him although it is also said in Joshua 10:15, before the history of those facts. Gilgal, where the body of the people were left, and where was the tabernacle of the Lord; and no doubt he and Israel with him gave public praise and thanksgiving there for the signal victories they had obtained over the Canaanites.