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

And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

Slew them, or, he slew them; either God or Israel; for God’ s work is described . At Gibeon, Heb. in Gibeon; not in the city, but in the territory belonging to it; as Joshua is said to be in Jericho, .

Joshua 10:10 And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.Ver. 10. And the Lord discomfited them.] It is he that giveth victory, as the Romans also acknowledged by presenting a palm, in that case, to their Jupiter, so other nations,

(10) Beth-horon—is identified as Beit’ Ur. Azekah—is unknown. Makkedah.—Probably el-Moghβr. (11) Great stones from heaven.—Compare Job 38:22-23, “Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?” The employment of the artillery of heaven against Jehovah’s enemies was there foretold by Himself. (12-15)—The whole of this paragraph appears to be a quotation from the Book of Jasher. That book is mentioned also in 2 Samuel 1:18, where the lament of David over Saul and Jonathan appears to be a citation from it. We may compare Numbers 21:14; Numbers 21:27, where reference is made to poetical passages either current among the people (as national ballads) or actually written. The name Jasher (upright) is not taken as the name of an author, and what it refers to no one knows. From the fact that all the passages cited in this way are more or less poetical, we may infer that there was a poetical literature among the Hebrews (partly written, partly unwritten) from which the inspired writers occasionally made extracts. The songs of Moses, including the ninetieth Psalm, belong to this literature. The fact that the great miracle of the Book of Joshua is recorded in this form is, to those who believe that Joshua was the original author of the book, a remarkable proof of the impression which the miracle had’ made upon the minds of the people. Even before the death of the hero of the story, it had come to be told in a set form of words, in which the ear could tolerate no alteration. As in later times they sang, “Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands,” so. they appear to have recited the deed of Joshua. “Then spake Joshua to the Lord.” The form of the original sentence, “Then speaketh Joshua,” &c., is suitable to this view. (12) And he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still . . .—It is not impossible to read thus: “And he said, In the sight of Israel sun in Gibeon be thou still (dumb); and, moon, in the valley of Ajalon.” But we do not seem to gain anything by supposing that the miracle was only apparent—i.e., that the light of the sun and moon was retained in its position, while the heavenly bodies themselves—viz., earth, moon, and sun—maintained their actual course (for the sun moves). Nor, again, can we accept the view of some, that it was the night, not the day, that was specially prolonged. The word used for the sun’s standing still is peculiar, and signifies to be dumb or silent. We may compare with this metaphor the words of Psa 19:3-4, “There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” Joshua’s command was that the sun should for the time silence that penetrating voice, and be dumb from those all-prevailing words.

Verse 10. Slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon] Multitudes of them fell in the onset; after which they fled, and the Israelites pursued them by the way of Beth-horon. There were two cities of this name, the upper and lower, both in the tribe of Ephraim, and built by Sherah, the daughter of Ephraim, 1 Chronicles 7:24. The situation of these two cities is not exactly known. To Azekah, and unto Makkedah.] These two cities were in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:35-41.

10. And the Lord discomfited them] “As often before and after,” so now, “not a man could stand before the awe and the panic of the sudden sound of the terrible shout, the sudden appearance of that undaunted host who came with the assurance not to fear, nor to be dismayed, but to be strong and of a good courage, for the Lord had delivered their enemies into their hands.” Comp. Judges 4:15; 1 Samuel 7:10; 2 Samuel 22:15. discomfited] Comp. Exodus 17:13, “And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword;” 1 Samuel 7:10, “but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them;” 2 Samuel 22:15, “he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.” Discomfit comes from Fr. déconfire, It. sconfiggere, to rout, whence the substantive sconfitia, the original of all being the Latin configere, to fasten together; whence discomfit primarily signifies to unfasten; then to disintegrate, or break up a mass into the parts of which it is composed. Hence to break up an army, to disperse it. before Israel] In Exodus 23:27, the promise is given that God will always do so before the foes of Israel. up to Beth-horon] or “the House of caves” Notice the expression “along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon.” It was the first stage of the flight—in the long ascent from Gibeon towards Beth-horon the upper. to Azekah] which lay in the Shephelah or rich agricultural plain. It was near Shochoh, and between the two places the Philistines encamped before the battle in which Goliath was killed (1 Samuel 17:1). It was afterwards fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:9), was still standing at the time of the Babylonish invasion (Jeremiah 34:7), and was reoccupied by the Jews after their return from the Captivity (Nehemiah 11:30). unto Makkedah] Porter would identify it with a ruin on the northern slope of the Wady es Sunt, bearing the somewhat similar name of el-Klediah. Van de Velde would place it at Sumeil, a village standing on a low hill 6 or 7 miles N. W. of Beth-Jebrin.

Beth-horon - The two places of this name, the upper and the lower Beth-horon (marginal reference), are identified with the villages Beit-ur el Foka (the upper) and Beit-ur et Tahta (the lower):

THE GREAT BATTLE OF GIBEON AND BETH-HORON, Joshua 10:10-11.[“The battle of Beth-boron, or Gibeon,” says Stanley, “was one of the most important in the history of the world; and yet so profound has