The Meaning of Joshua 10:4 Explained

Joshua 10:4

KJV: Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.

YLT: 'Come up unto me, and help me, and we smite Gibeon, for it hath made peace with Joshua, and with the sons of Israel.'

Darby: Come up to me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.

ASV: Come up unto me, and help me, and let us smite Gibeon; for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Come up  unto me, and help  me, that we may smite  Gibeon:  for it hath made peace  with Joshua  and with the children  of Israel. 

What does Joshua 10:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 10:1-14 - "the Lord Fought For Israel"
The honor of Israel was implicated in this attack on their confederates, and Joshua went to their assistance. The deception which had been practiced on him did not alienate his help. Before he started he was assured of victory, but this did not make him slothful. See Joshua 10:7. But it was by his faith, courage and obedience that this and other victories were won. What may not one man do when God is with him! Paganini once broke all his strings but one; then, holding up his violin, he said, "One string and Paganini."
A terrific storm burst on the fugitives as they crossed the high ridge of Beth-horon and descended in full flight to the plain. We are not called upon to explain the miracle of the sun and moon. The prolongation of daylight was probably due to some cause like that which yields the after-glow of sunset and the optical refractions seen in high latitudes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 10

1  Five kings war against Gibeon
6  Joshua rescues it
10  God fights against them with hailstones
12  The sun and moon stand still at the word of Joshua
16  The five kings are murdered in a cave
22  They are brought forth
24  scornfully used
26  and hanged
28  Seven kings more are conquered
43  Joshua returns to Gilgal

What do the individual words in Joshua 10:4 mean?

come up to me and help me that we may attack - Gibeon for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel
עֲלֽוּ־ אֵלַ֣י וְעִזְרֻ֔נִי וְנַכֶּ֖ה אֶת־ גִּבְע֑וֹן כִּֽי־ הִשְׁלִ֥ימָה אֶת־ יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ וְאֶת־ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

עֲלֽוּ־  come  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אֵלַ֣י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְעִזְרֻ֔נִי  and  help  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural, first person common singular
Root: עָזַר  
Sense: to help, succour, support.
וְנַכֶּ֖ה  that  we  may  attack 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
גִּבְע֑וֹן  Gibeon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּבְעֹן  
Sense: a Levitical city of Benjamin, modern ‘el-Jib’, which lies 5 miles or 8 km from Jerusalem.
הִשְׁלִ֥ימָה  it  has  made  peace 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: .
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
וְאֶת־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
בְּנֵ֥י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.