Joshua 10:24

24 After they had brought the five kings to Y'hoshua, he summoned all the men of Isra'el and said to the commanders of the soldiers who had gone with him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." They came and put their feet on their necks.

Joshua 10:24 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 10:24

And it came to pass, when they brought out these kings unto
Joshua
And set them before him, and he had passed sentence on them:

that he called for all the men of Israel;
that is, for the chief men, the principal officers of the army:

and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him;
the chiliarchs and centurions, the captains of thousands and hundreds, of the several regiments in the army who went out to battle with him, and under him:

come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings;
not in a contemptuous and insulting manner, not through vanity and haughtiness, but for the mortification of the kings; and as a token of their extreme subjection, and as a proper punishment for their crimes of idolatry, tyranny, and cruelty; and by way of terror to others of the kings of Canaan that should fight against them, and as a pledge and confirmation of the subjection of the rest, as well as to fulfil the promises and predictions of God, ( Deuteronomy 33:29 ) ; and which was done not of himself, but by the order, and according to the will of God:

and they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them;
as Joshua ordered them, and in obedience to him their general.

Joshua 10:24 In-Context

22 Then Y'hoshua said, "Open up the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.
23 They did it; they brought the five kings out to him - the kings of Yerushalayim, Hevron, Yarmut, Lakhish and 'Eglon.
24 After they had brought the five kings to Y'hoshua, he summoned all the men of Isra'el and said to the commanders of the soldiers who had gone with him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." They came and put their feet on their necks.
25 Y'hoshua said to them, "Don't be afraid or confused, but be strong and bold, because this is what ADONAI will do to all your enemies that you fight against."
26 With that, Y'hoshua struck them and put them to death, hanging them on five trees, where they remained hanging until evening.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.