Joshua 10:10

10 And Jehovah discomfited them before Israel, and smote them [with] a great slaughter at Gibeon; and he chased them on the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them up to Azekah and Makkedah.

Joshua 10:10 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 10:10

And the Lord discomfited them before Israel
Disturbed, troubled, and frightened them, at the appearance and presence of the people of Israel; they were thrown into terror and confusion upon their approach, being so sudden and unexpected:

and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon;
by the Israelites, who came upon them suddenly:

and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron;
there were two places of this name, the upper and the nether, both built by Sherah, the daughter or granddaughter of Ephraim, ( 1 Chronicles 7:24 ) ; therefore here so called by anticipation. It was about an hundred furlongs, or twelve miles and a half, according to Josephus ^F15, from Jerusalem, which agrees with Eusebius and Jerom; and from Gibeon thither, it was fifty furlongs, or six miles and a quarter; so far the kings were pursued by Joshua and his army, at least unto the ascent of it; for being built on a hill, it had an ascent on one side, and a descent on the other, after mentioned, and both were very narrow passages; of the former it is said in the Talmud ^F16, that if two camels go up the ascent to Bethhoron, they both fall; upon which the gloss says, it is a narrow place, and there is no way to turn to the right hand, or the left:

and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah;
the former of which is placed by Jerom ^F17 between Eleutheropolis and Jerusalem, and was a village in his days, and the other eight miles from Eleutheropolis, and both in the tribe of Judah, see ( Joshua 15:35 Joshua 15:41 ) ; according to Bunting {r}, they were both eight miles from Jerusalem towards the west.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F15 Antiqu. l. 20. c. 4. sect. 4.
F16 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 32. 2.
F17 De loc. Heb. fol. 88. A. & 93. C.
F18 Travels p. 98.

Joshua 10:10 In-Context

8 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Fear them not; for into thy hand have I given them: not a man of them shall stand before thee.

9 And Joshua came upon them suddenly; he went up from Gilgal all night.

10 And Jehovah discomfited them before Israel, and smote them [with] a great slaughter at Gibeon; and he chased them on the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them up to Azekah and Makkedah.

11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, -- they were at the descent of Beth-horon, -- that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven upon them up to Azekah, and they died. They were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel had slain with the sword.

12 Then spoke Joshua to Jehovah in the day when Jehovah gave up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand still upon Gibeon; And thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon!