Battle the Alliance

The second assault against Ai was successful, but only after the sin of Achan was cleansed from Israel's camp (Joshua 7). The Israelites took the city and devoted its citizens to destruction, but keeping the animals and spoil for themselves(Joshua 8:1-29). Joshua then led the Israelites to renew their covenant with God to prove they had learned their lesson(Joshua 8:30-35). After this the Israelites were tricked into making peace with the Gibeonites. Even though this covenant of peace may have saved the Gibeonites from destruction they did become servants to the Israelites(Joshua 9).

The city of Gibeon would have been an important city in those days. But even so its rulers knew from observing the destruction of Ai & Jericho that they were no match for "the LORD you God," the God of the Israelites, Yahweh. We learn here in chapter 10 that the other kings of Canaan beyond the Jordan feared the loss of Gibeon so therefore made an alliance against the Israelites in hope to regain it. The kings that went up against Gibeon to regain the city were the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.

What follows is a magnificent battle, no because of Israel's might, but because of God's awesome intervention on behalf of Israel. So having defeated their enemies, Joshua ordered the Israelites to put their feet on the necks of the defeated kings as a symbol of their utter subjection and defeat before putting them to death.

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