And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
Put your feet upon the necks of these kings. This barbarous act of insolence was, according to the usage of ancient war, the favourite way of a conqueror displaying his complete victory over a fallen chief of the enemy (Deut. 38:29; 2 Samuel 22:41; Psalms 110:5; Malachi 4:3). Representations of the Assyrian monarch placing his foot on the neck of a prostrate captive are exhibited on a bas-relief found at Khorsabad (Botta, plate 82:: see Layard's 'Nineveh and its Remains,' 2:, p. 376).