Josua 10:11

11 Und es geschah, als sie vor Israel flohen, sie stiegen hinunter von Beth-Horon da warf Jehova große Steine vom Himmel auf sie herab, bis Aseka, daß sie starben. Es waren derer, welche durch die Hagelsteine starben, mehr als derer, welche die Kinder Israel mit dem Schwerte töteten.

Josua 10:11 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 10:11

And it came to pass, as they fled before Israel, [and] were
in the going down to Bethhoron
The descent of it on that side towards Azekah, and which was also a very narrow passage, of which Josephus ^F19 makes mention. The Jews say ^F20, that the going down of Bethhoron was the place where the army of Sennacherib fell:

that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto
Azekah, and they died;
the Septuagint version calls them hailstones; and so they are called in the next clause; and that such sometimes have fallen as to kill men and cattle, is certain from the plague of hail in Egypt, ( Exodus 9:19 Exodus 9:25 ) ; and some in very late times ^F21 have been known to fall, which were from eight, nine, and twelve inches about, some bigger than the eggs of turkeys, and some half a pound weight, (See Gill on Revelation 16:21); but these seem to be proper stones, such as did not melt away as hailstones do; though so called, because they fell from heaven, as they do, but remained, and still remain, according to the notion the Jews have of them; for they say ^F23 whoever sees these great stones, in the going down to Bethhoron, is bound to bless; and frequent mention is made by historians of showers of stones being rained. Livy ^F24 speaks of such a shower when King Tullus conquered the Sabines; and of another ^F25, when Scipio succeeded at Carthage; and Pomponius Mela ^F26 relates, that when Hercules fought with the sons of Neptune, and darts failed him, he obtained of Jupiter to rains shower of stones, which lay spread in great abundance; and some ^F1 think it refers to this fact in Joshua's time, who is supposed to be the same with the Tyrian Hercules ^F2, from hence also called Saxanus ^F3; and in memory of this there are stony camps in various places, called by his name ^F4:

[they were] more which died with hailstones than [they] whom the
children of Israel slew with the sword;
but what was the number of each of them is not said; it was doubtless very great, since there was an utter destruction and consumption of them, ( Joshua 10:20 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F19 De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 19. sect. 7, 8.
F20 Gloss. in T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 54. 2.
F21 Vid. Louthorp. Abridg. Philosoph. vol. 2. p. 144, 146.
F23 T. Bab. Betacot, fol. 54. 1.
F24 L. 1. p. 17.
F25 L. 30. c. 30.
F26 De Orbis Situ, l. 2. c. 5.
F1 Vossius de Origin. Idol. c. 1. sect. 16.
F2 See Gale's Court of the Gentiles, l. 2. c. 5.
F3 Dickins. Delph. Phoenic. c. 4. p. 42.
F4 Sanford de Descens. Christi, l. 1. sect. 20. p. 35.

Josua 10:11 In-Context

9 Und Josua kam plötzlich über sie; die ganze Nacht zog er von Gilgal hinauf.

10 Und Jehova verwirrte sie vor Israel; und er richtete eine große Niederlage unter ihnen an zu Gibeon und jagte ihnen nach auf dem Wege der Anhöhe von Beth-Horon und schlug sie bis Aseka und bis Makkeda.

11 Und es geschah, als sie vor Israel flohen, sie stiegen hinunter von Beth-Horon da warf Jehova große Steine vom Himmel auf sie herab, bis Aseka, daß sie starben. Es waren derer, welche durch die Hagelsteine starben, mehr als derer, welche die Kinder Israel mit dem Schwerte töteten.

12 Damals redete Josua zu Jehova, an dem Tage, da Jehova die Amoriter vor den Kindern Israel dahingab, und sprach vor den Augen Israels: Sonne, stehe still zu Gibeon; und du, Mond, im Tale Ajjalon!

13 Und die Sonne stand still, und der Mond blieb stehen, bis die Nation sich an ihren Feinden gerächt hatte. (Ist das nicht geschrieben im Buche Jaschar?) Und die Sonne blieb mitten am Himmel stehen und eilte nicht zum Untergang, ungefähr einen ganzen Tag.