What Does Joshua 10:12 Mean in the King James?
Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The command translated “stand still” also carries the sense “be silent,” making the sun’s halt a hush as well as a pause.
THE MEANING
You see a victory whose violence stays visible: the LORD gives the Amorites before Israel, while Joshua commands the sun above Gibeon and the moon above Ajalon. Human speech, divine action, and the addressed sky occupy the same moment.
THE ROOT
דּוֹם
dom
GROWS FROM
דמם
d-m-m
Be silent, become still, cease.
The command translated “stand still” is דּוֹם (dom), from דמם (damam): to be silent or still. English makes the posture easy to picture; the Hebrew also lets you hear a hush in the command.
ALSO GROWS
damam: Be silent or still; cease.
דָּמַם
This verb family lets the command carry the sense of quieting as well as stopping.
dumiyyah: Silence, quiet waiting.
דּוּמִיָּה
This related form appears in Psalm 62:1, where the KJV renders it “waiteth”; silence and waiting meet in the root.
נָתַן
nathan
GROWS FROM
נתן
n-t-n
Give, set, place.
The Hebrew verb beneath “delivered up” is נָתַן (nathan), meaning give, set, or place. The verse presents the Amorites as placed before Israel by the LORD, naming the source of the battle’s outcome while the violence remains explicit.
ALSO GROWS
mattanah: Gift, present.
מַתָּנָה
This noun from the same root carries giving into the form of what is given.
Nethinim: Those given or assigned for service.
נְתִינִים
The name for a group assigned to temple service preserves the root’s sense of being given to a place or purpose.
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ
Yehoshua
GROWS FROM
ישע
y-sh-ʿ
Deliver; bring out of constriction into spaciousness.
Joshua’s name bears the nature of deliverance, formed from יָשַׁע (yasha) with the divine name: the LORD delivers. Here that deliverance is concrete and partisan, Israel’s advance coincides with the Amorites being handed over.
ALSO GROWS
yeshuah: Deliverance.
יְשׁוּעָה
This noun names the deliverance carried in Joshua’s name and in the victory the verse describes.
moshia: Deliverer, one who brings out.
מוֹשִׁיעַ
This related form makes the root’s action personal: the one who delivers.
THE PATTERN
Scripture repeatedly makes stillness a spoken command within danger, addressing the visible world where the threat unfolds.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.THE THREAD
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.Psalm 37:7 uses the same root, דמם (damam), behind “Rest” to name quieting before the LORD. Joshua’s command carries that word into the sky above a violent battle, so “stand still” also resonates with silence.
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