Joshua 10:10

10 And Yahweh threw them into panic before Israel, who struck them [with] a great blow at Gibeon and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as 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.

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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 Yahweh said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand; {no one will withstand you}.

9 Joshua came upon them suddenly {by marching up} all night from Gilgal.

10 And Yahweh threw them into panic before Israel, who struck them [with] a great blow at Gibeon and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

11 And as they were fleeing from Israel, [they were] on the slope of Beth-horon, and Yahweh threw huge stones from the heavens on them as far as Azekah; and more died by the hail stones than those whom the {Israelites} killed by the sword.

12 Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh, on the day Yahweh gave the Amorites over to the {Israelites}, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun in Gibeon, stand still, and moon, in the valley of Aijalon."

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "he"