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.