So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

JOSHUA 10:40KJV
Know the Bible

Joshua 10:40 (KJV)

What does Joshua 10:40 mean?

Joshua 10:40 describes how Joshua and the Israelites defeated and destroyed all the people and kings in the hill country, the south, the valleys, and the springs, leaving no survivors, just as the LORD God of Israel had commanded. This verse sums up the totality and thoroughness of Joshua’s military campaign in that region.

In this part of the book of Joshua, the narrator is recounting Joshua’s conquest of southern Canaan. The verse emphasizes that Joshua’s actions were in direct obedience to God’s command, highlighting both the scope of the conquest and the seriousness with which Joshua followed those instructions. The mention of different regions—hills, south, valleys, and springs—shows that no area was left untouched.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 10:40

  • The word for “destroyed” is הַחֲרֵם (ḥērem, transliterated as "destroyed" or "devoted to destruction"), which often means to completely set apart or eliminate something, usually as an act of judgment or dedication to God. This term underscores the total nature of what Joshua was commanded to do.
  • The word for “breathed” is נְשָׁמָה (neshamah, transliterated as "breathed"), which refers to any living being with breath, making clear that the destruction included all living creatures, not just the people.
  • The word for “commanded” is צָוָה (tsavah, transliterated as "commanded"), which stresses that Joshua’s actions were not arbitrary but were carried out in response to a direct order from the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH).

Why Joshua 10:40 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the conquest was not just a series of battles but a complete campaign covering every part of the southern region, fulfilling a specific divine command.
  • It helps readers understand the seriousness with which Joshua and the Israelites approached God’s instructions, showing obedience even when the command was difficult.
  • The verse connects to the broader narrative by summarizing the results of several battles, setting the stage for the continued conquest of the land in the following chapters.

Where else these words appear

“springs” Hebrew H794 · used in 6 verses

  • Deuteronomy 3:17 The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward.
  • Deuteronomy 4:49 And all the plain on this side Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.
  • Joshua 12:8 In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

“vale” Hebrew H8219 · used in 19 verses

  • Deuteronomy 1:7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
  • Judges 1:9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.
  • 2 Chronicles 28:18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

“breathed” Hebrew H5397 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
  • 1 Kings 17:17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
  • Psalms 18:15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

“remaining” Hebrew H8300 · used in 28 verses

  • Numbers 21:35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
  • Joshua 10:37 And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
  • Isaiah 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.