Yehoshua 10:11

11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Yisroel, and were in the going down to Beit-Choron, that Hashem cast down avanim gedolot from Shomayim upon them unto Azekah, and they died; they were more which died with avnei habarad (hailstones) than they whom the Bnei Yisroel slaughtered with the cherev.

Yehoshua 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 ) .

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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.

Yehoshua 10:11 In-Context

9 Yehoshua therefore came unto them pitom, and went up from Gilgal kol halailah.

10 And Hashem threw them into confusion before Yisroel, and struck them with a makkah gedolah at Giv’on, and pursued them along the derech that goeth up to Beit-Choron, and cut them down to Azekah, and to Makkedah.

11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Yisroel, and were in the going down to Beit-Choron, that Hashem cast down avanim gedolot from Shomayim upon them unto Azekah, and they died; they were more which died with avnei habarad (hailstones) than they whom the Bnei Yisroel slaughtered with the cherev.

12 Then spoke Yehoshua to Hashem in the day when Hashem delivered up HaEmori before the Bnei Yisroel, and he said in the sight of Yisroel, Shemesh, stand thou still upon Giv’on; and thou, Yarei’ach, in the Emek Ayalon.

13 And the shemesh stood still, the yarei’ach stopped, until the Goy had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the Sefer HaYasher? So the shemesh stood still in the middle of Shomayim, and hastened not to go down about a yom tamim (whole day).