And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:
Joshua leading Israel in conquest of the land belongs to the account of Israel's battles and conquest of several small kingdoms in Canaan, with Debir among the towns attacked by Joshua's army. The return to Debir with all Israel and renewed attack was part of that work of victory in which the Captain of Jehovah's hosts was with Israel, while Israel's failures to trust brought defeat and delayed possession of the land. That return and fighting against it was part of a thorough conquest in which Joshua took the whole land, with not a city making peace except the Hivites of Gibeon; the day was never counted won while a single enemy breathed, but the work continued until they were consumed, leaving none remaining and destroying all that breathed. Sparing the inhabitants of those Canaanite kingdoms and allowing their corrupting influence to continue would have been a perversion of mercy.
In this chapter, including this verse's context in Joshua 10:28-39, souls means people, the entire man or whole person, not immortal or never-dying beings; the souls slain in its cities mean all the persons slain there, the people destroyed in the conquered cities being spoken of as souls. Those people described as souls in these towns were slain with the sword and could be killed, so human souls are mortal and not inherently deathless, and a soul can be lifeless and dead. Soul here means a person, not a separate inner man breathed into the body; souls are persons called dead souls in the original, and Adam himself was a lifeless soul before the breath of life entered him and became a living soul when it entered.
The same thoroughness that lived in the camp, marched all night to save Gibeon, and sought a day of double length rather than quit before the work was done requires fighting for the freedom of schools until of all the debts there are left none remaining.
Joshua leading Israel in conquest of the land belongs to the account of Israel's battles and conquest of several small kingdoms in Canaan, with Debir among the towns attacked by Joshua's army. The return to Debir with all Israel and renewed attack was part of that work of victory in which the Captain of Jehovah's hosts was with Israel, while Israel's failures to trust brought defeat and delayed possession of the land. That return and fighting against it was part of a thorough conquest in which Joshua took the whole land, with not a city making peace except the Hivites of Gibeon; the day was never counted won while a single enemy breathed, but the work continued until they were consumed, leaving none remaining and destroying all that breathed. Sparing the inhabitants of those Canaanite kingdoms and allowing their corrupting influence to continue would have been a perversion of mercy.
In this chapter, including this verse's context in Joshua 10:28-39, souls means people, the entire man or whole person, not immortal or never-dying beings; the souls slain in its cities mean all the persons slain there, the people destroyed in the conquered cities being spoken of as souls. Those people described as souls in these towns were slain with the sword and could be killed, so human souls are mortal and not inherently deathless, and a soul can be lifeless and dead. Soul here means a person, not a separate inner man breathed into the body; souls are persons called dead souls in the original, and Adam himself was a lifeless soul before the breath of life entered him and became a living soul when it entered.
The same thoroughness that lived in the camp, marched all night to save Gibeon, and sought a day of double length rather than quit before the work was done requires fighting for the freedom of schools until of all the debts there are left none remaining.