Joshua 10:10

10 and the Lord troubled them from the face of Israel, and all-brake (them) with great vengeance in Gibeon. And Joshua pursued them by the way of the ascending of Bethhoron, and smote till to Azekah and Makkedah. (and the Lord confounded them before the Israelites, and destroyed them with great vengeance in Gibeon. And Joshua pursued them by way of the ascent to Bethhoron, and struck them down unto 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 the Lord said to Joshua, Dread thou not them (Do not thou fear them), for I have given them into thine hands; and none of them shall be able to against-stand thee.

9 Therefore Joshua felled suddenly on them, and went up all that night from Gilgal; (And so Joshua fell suddenly upon them, after going up all that night from Gilgal;)

10 and the Lord troubled them from the face of Israel, and all-brake (them) with great vengeance in Gibeon. And Joshua pursued them by the way of the ascending of Bethhoron, and smote till to Azekah and Makkedah. (and the Lord confounded them before the Israelites, and destroyed them with great vengeance in Gibeon. And Joshua pursued them by way of the ascent to Bethhoron, and struck them down unto Azekah and Makkedah.)

11 And when they fled the sons of Israel, and were in the going down of Bethhoron, the Lord sent great stones upon them from heaven, till they came to Azekah; and many more were dead by the hailstones, than they which the sons of Israel killed with sword. (And when they fled from the Israelites, and were on the descent from Bethhoron, the Lord sent great hailstones upon them from the heavens, until they came to Azekah; and many more died from the hailstones, than they whom the Israelites killed with their swords.)

12 Then Joshua spake to the Lord, in the day in which he betook Amorites in the sight of the sons of Israel; and Joshua said before the people, Sun, be thou not moved against Gibeon, and the moon, against the valley of Ajalon. (And Joshua spoke to the Lord, on the day in which he delivered the Amorites into the hands of the Israelites; and Joshua said before the people, Sun, stand thou still over Gibeon, and Moon, stand thou still over the Ajalon Valley.)