Definition: 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.
Explanation: Okay, let's break down this verse from Joshua 10:4. Itās a pretty important and somewhat surprising passage in the Bible! Here's what it means in simple terms: Basically, itās a request for help from Joshua to attack Gibeon. Letās unpack it piece by piece: āCome up unto meā¦ā : This is a formal way of saying "I need your help." Joshua is asking for someone to come close to him. āā¦and help meā¦ā : Heās explicitly stating that he needs assistance. "...that we may smite Gibeon..." : This is the core of the message. āSmiteā means to defeat or punish. Joshua wants to attack and defeat the city of Gibeon. "...for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel." : This is a crucial part. Itās saying that before this request, there was a period of peace between Joshua and the Israelites. This peace wasn't just accidental; it was established through a treaty or agreement. So, the whole verse means: "Joshua needs your help to defeat Gibeon because there was previously a peaceful agreement between him and the Israelites." Whatās the big deal? This is significant because it shows that God's plan often involves resolving conflict through diplomacy and compromise. It suggests that Joshua wasn't just focused on war, but also on maintaining peace ā a powerful thing in its own right. In short: Joshua is asking for someone to help him fight Gibeon, but heās also acknowledging that there was already an agreement between him and the Israelites that made it possible. Do you want me to explain any of these parts in more detail? Perhaps you'd like me to: Give you a historical context (where this verse appears)? Explain the significance of the "peace" part?