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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 10:7-14

Here, I. Joshua resolves to assist the Gibeonites, and God encourages him in this resolve. 1. He ascended from Gilgal (Josh. 10:7), that is, he designed, determined, and prepared for, this expedition to relieve Gibeon, for it is probable it was before he stirred a step that God spoke to him to encourage him. It was generous and just in Joshua to help his new allies, though perhaps the king of Jerusalem, when he attacked them, little thought that Joshua would be so ready to help them, but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 10:11

And it came to pass, as they fled before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron ,.... The descent of it on that side towards Azekah, and which was also a very narrow passage, of which Josephus F19 De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 19. sect. 7, 8. makes mention. The Jews say F20 Gloss. in T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 54. 2. , that the going down of Bethhoron was the place where the army of Sennacherib fell: that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 10:12

Then spake Joshua to the Lord ,.... In prayer, and entreated as follows, that the sun and moon might stand still, until the victory was complete; though the Jewish writers interpret it of a song; so the Targum, then Joshua praised, or sung praise, as in the Targum on Song of Solomon 1:1 ; and which is approved of by Jarchi and Kimchi: in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel ; the five kings of the Amorites, and their armies, Joshua 10:5 , ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 10:11

The Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them - Some have contended that stones, in the common acceptation of the word, are intended here; and that the term hail-stones is only used to point out the celerity of their fall, and their quantity. That stones have fallen from the clouds, if not from a greater height, is a most incontestable fact. That these have fallen in different parts of the world is also true; the East Indies, America, France, Germany, England,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 10:12

Then spake Joshua to the Lord - Though Joshua saw that the enemies of his people were put to flight, yet he well knew that all which escaped would rally again, and that he should be obliged to meet them once more in the field of battle if permitted now to escape; finding that the day was drawing towards a close, he feared that he should not have time sufficient to complete the destruction of the confederate armies; in this moment, being suddenly inspired with Divine confidence, he... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 10:12

Verse 12 12.Then spoke Joshua to the Lord, etc Such is the literal reading, but some expound it as meaning before Jehovah: for to speak to God, who, as piety dictates, is to be suppliantly petitioned, seems to be little in accordance with the modesty of faith, and it is immediately subjoined that Joshua addressed his words to the sun. I have no doubt that by the former clause prayer or vow is denoted, and that the latter is an expression of confidence after he was heard: for to command the sun... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 10:1-43

The great victory and its results. Many of the considerations which this passage suggests have been already anticipated. Thus the celerity of Joshua's march (verse 9) suggests the same set of ideas as Joshua 4:10 . The destruction of the cities teaches the same lessons as the destruction of Jericho; while the miraculous interposition in the battle of Beth-horon is hardly to be distinguished, as a source of spiritual instruction, from the destruction of Jericho. Again, the confederacy... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 10:8-11

The battle of Beth-horon and its lessons. It may seem as if there was too much carnage about this account for Scripture purposes. Yet it is well to dwell on it. Dean Stanley treats this battle as the Marathon of the religious history of the world. It was the crisis in which the hosts who were, unconsciously to some extent, fighting for truth, righteousness, progress, and liberty, met with those fighting, to some extent unconsciously, for a depraved religion, licentious morals, for... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 10:8-11

The victory over the five kings. The battle against the five kings is the most remarkable episode in the conquest of the Canaanites. Israel might well have had cause to tremble in presence of such allied enemies. But Divine aid gives it a signal victory. That aid comes under two forms: 1 . It consists, first, in a miraculous intervention of the Divine power, which sends down a fierce storm of hailstones upon the Canaanitish armies, and so lengthens out the day as to make the conflict... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 10:11

Great stones from heaven. Calmet has taken great trouble to collect evidence for showers of actual stones from heaven upon the enemies of Israel. But the next sentence of the verse states that they were hailstones, אַבְנֵי בָרָד . And even if there were not sufficient evidence of the fall of hailstones large enough to do great destruction to man and beast, we might fall back upon the theory that this was a miraculous hailstorm, since the whole history teems with miraculous... read more

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