Joshua 10:19

19 vos autem nolite stare sed persequimini hostes et extremos quosque fugientium caedite ne dimittatis eos urbium suarum intrare praesidia quos tradidit Dominus Deus in manus vestras

Joshua 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.''


FOOTNOTES:

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

Joshua 10:19 In-Context

17 nuntiatumque est Iosue quod inventi essent quinque reges latentes in spelunca Maceda
18 qui praecepit sociis et ait volvite saxa ingentia ad os speluncae et ponite viros industrios qui clausos custodiant
19 vos autem nolite stare sed persequimini hostes et extremos quosque fugientium caedite ne dimittatis eos urbium suarum intrare praesidia quos tradidit Dominus Deus in manus vestras
20 caesis igitur adversariis plaga magna et usque ad internicionem paene consumptis hii qui Israhel effugere potuerunt ingressi sunt civitates munitas
21 reversusque est omnis exercitus ad Iosue in Maceda ubi tunc erant castra sani et integro numero nullusque contra filios Israhel muttire ausus est
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.