Yehoshua 10:19

19 And stop ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and attack them; allow them not to enter into their towns; for Hashem Eloheichem hath delivered them into your yad.

Yehoshua 10:19 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 10:19

And stay you not, [but] pursue after your enemies
That is, do not stay at this cave, but having placed a sufficient guard there, go in pursuit of the enemy, with as much celerity as possible:

and smite the hindmost of them;
their rear; or "tail" them ^F15, as the word is, cut off the tail of them:

suffer them not to enter their cities;
where they would not only be safe themselves for a while, but would be able to hold out against a siege for some time, and give much trouble to conquer them:

for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hands;
this he said to encourage them, and quicken them to the pursuit of them with all eagerness and vehemence. According to the Samaritan Chronicle ^F16, the signal or watchword was,

``God is strong in battle, God is his name.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (Mtba) "caudam eorum caedite", Pagninus, Vatablus, Masius, Drusius; "et decaudetis eos", Montanus; "decaudabitis eos", Munster.
F16 Apud Hottinger. Smegma, p. 509.

Yehoshua 10:19 In-Context

17 And it was told Yehoshua, saying, The five melachim are found hiding in a me’arah at Makkedah.

18 And Yehoshua said, Roll avanim gedolot upon the mouth of the me’arah, and post anashim by it to be shomer over them;

19 And stop ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and attack them; allow them not to enter into their towns; for Hashem Eloheichem hath delivered them into your yad.

20 And it came to pass, when Yehoshua and the Bnei Yisroel had made an end of striking them with a makkah gedolah me’od, until they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fortified cities.

21 And kol HaAm returned to the machaneh to Yehoshua at Makkedah in shalom; none moved his tongue against any of the Bnei Yisroel.