Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
Verse 8. The Lord then renewed the assurance of His help in this particular war, in
which Joshua was about to fight for the first time with several allied kings of Canaan
(cf. Josh 2:24; 6:2; 8:1,18).
Verse 9. Joshua came suddenly upon them (the enemy), as he had marched the whole
night from Gilgal, i.e., had accomplished the entire distance in a night. Jiljilia is fully
fifteen miles from el-Jib.
Verse 10. "Jehovah threw them into confusion," as He had promised in Ex 23:27,
and in all probability, judging from v. 11, by dreadful thunder and lightning (vid., 1
Sam 7:10; Ps 18:15; 144:6: it is different in Ex 14:24). "Israel smote them in a great
slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Bethhoron," i.e.,
Upper Bethhoron ( Beit Ur, el-Foka ), which was nearest to Gibeon, only four hours
distant on the north-west, on a lofty promontory between two valleys, one on the
north, the other on the south, and was separated from Lower Bethhoron, which lies
further west, by a long steep pass, from which the ascent to Upper Bethhoron is very
steep and rocky, though the rock has been cut away in many places now, and a path
made by means of steps (see Rob. Pal. iii. p. 59). This pass between the two places
leads downwards from Gibeon towards the western plain, and was called sometimes
the ascent, or going up to Bethhoron, and sometimes the descent, or going down from
it (v. 11), ana'basis kai' kata'basis Baithooroo'n (1 Macc. 3:16, 24).
Israel smote the enemy still further, "to Azekah and Makkedah:" so far were they
pursued and beaten after the battle (cf. vv. 16, 21). If we compare v. 11, according to
which the enemy was smitten, from Bethhoron to Azekah, by a violent fall of hail, it
is very evident that the two places were on the west of Bethhoron. And it is in perfect
harmony with this that we find both places described as being in the lowland; Azekah
in the hill-country between the mountains and the plain (Josh 15:35), Makkedah in
the plain itself (ch. 15:41). Azekah , which was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chron
11:9), besieged by Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 34:7), and still inhabited after the captivity
(Neh 11:30), was not far from Socoh, according to Josh 15:35; whilst sideways
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