Joshua 10:32

• Lachish was the most important of the six cities captured at this time. It was defended so well that Joshua needed two days to capture it.

• Gezer was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Lachish. Lachish and Gezer might have had a mutual treaty to aid each other.

Joshua led the Israelites through southern Canaan. They captured several important cities but did not burn them. God had promised that Israel would live in cities they had not built (Deuteronomy 6:10).

Gibeon and its neighboring cities were on a plateau (high flat place) north of Jerusalem (see study note on 7:2). With Gibeon now as an ally with Israel, Israel controlled the plateau and the central hill country near Gibeon. Historically, controlling the plateau often meant controlling the hill country. The kings of Canaan had to conquer Gibeon, or they would fail.

This second major section of the book records Joshua's southern and northern campaigns against two coalitions of kings from Canaan. Joshua's victories allowed Israel to settle the hill country from Galilee in the north to the Negev in the south.