Giosué 10:10

10 E l’Eterno li mise in rotta davanti ad Israele, che fe’ loro subire una grande sconfitta presso Gabaon, li inseguì per la via che sale a Beth-Horon, e li batté fino ad Azeka e a Makkeda.

Giosué 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.

Giosué 10:10 In-Context

8 E l’Eterno disse a Giosuè: "Non li temere, perché io li ho dati in poter tuo; nessun di loro potrà starti a fronte".

9 E Giosuè piombò loro addosso all’improvviso: avea marciato tutta la notte da Ghilgal.

10 E l’Eterno li mise in rotta davanti ad Israele, che fe’ loro subire una grande sconfitta presso Gabaon, li inseguì per la via che sale a Beth-Horon, e li batté fino ad Azeka e a Makkeda.

11 Mentre fuggivano d’innanzi a Israele ed erano alla scesa di Beth-Horon, l’Eterno fe’ cader dal cielo su loro delle grosse pietre fino ad Azeka, ed essi perirono; quelli che morirono per le pietre della grandinata furon più numerosi di quelli che i figliuoli d’Israele uccisero con la spada.

12 Allora Giosuè parlò all’Eterno, il giorno che l’Eterno diede gli Amorei in potere de’ figliuoli d’Israele, e disse in presenza d’Israele: "Sole, fermati su Gabaon, e tu, luna, sulla valle d’Aialon!"