Joshua 10:19

But you, do not stop there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Do not let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Joshua issues this command to the Israelite army during the daylight battle against the five Amorite kings' coalition. He speaks immediately after ordering guards posted over the cave holding the defeated rulers.

The words — The Hebrew אַל־תַּעֲמֹדוּ (al-ta'amodu) commands "do not delay," and זִנַּבְתֶּם (zinnabtem) literally means "attack from behind." These terms specify a continuous, unbroken pursuit rather than a tactical halt.

The thread — The motif of relentless pursuit appears in Psalms 18:37, where the speaker does not turn back until enemies are consumed, and in 2 Samuel 17:13, which describes dragging down fortified cities after a retreat. Joshua 10:20 records the direct outcome as the slaughter continues until only survivors flee to their cities.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate, total action to prevent enemy regrouping before divine deliverance can be fully realized. It requires the reader to treat partial obedience as failure and to press forward until the stated objective is complete.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאַתֶּם֙ve./'a.Temand/ you אַֽל־'al-may not תַּעֲמֹ֔דוּta.'a.Mo.duyou delay רִדְפוּ֙rid.Fupursue אַחֲרֵ֣י'a.cha.Reiafter אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֔ם'o.ye.vei./Khemenemies/ your וְזִנַּבְתֶּ֖םve./zi.nav.Temand/ you will attack in [the] rear אוֹתָ֑ם'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them אַֽל־'al-may not תִּתְּנ֗וּםti.te.Nu/myou permit/ them לָבוֹא֙la./Vo'to/ go אֶל־'el-into עָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם'a.rei./Hemcities/ their כִּ֧יkifor נְתָנָ֛םne.ta.Na/mhe has given/ them יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your בְּיֶדְכֶֽם׃be./yed./Khemin/ hand/ your

King James Version

And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand.

Cross-references

Psalms 18:37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
Joshua 10:20 So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities.
2 Samuel 17:13 If he retreats to a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not even a pebble can be found there.”
2 Samuel 20:6 And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
Isaiah 9:14 So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day.
Jeremiah 8:14 Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.
Jeremiah 48:10 Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.