Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
between the two was Ephes-dammim (1 Sam 17:1). Van de Velde has discovered the
latter in the ruins of Damûm , about an hour's journey east by south from Beit Nettif
(Mem. p. 290), and consequently imagines that Azekah is to be found in the village of
Ahbek , which stands upon a lofty mountain-top a mile and a half to the north of
Damûm, and about four of five miles N.N.E. of Shuweikeh, supposing this to be
Aphek. The statement in the Onom. ( s. v. Azeeka' ), ana'meson Eleutheropo'leoos
kai' Aili'as , agrees with this.
Makkedah is described in the Onom. as being eight Roman miles to the east of
Eleutheropolis, and hence Knobel supposes it to have been near Terkumieh , or
Morak; but he is wrong in his supposition, as in that case it would have been in the
hill-country or upon the mountains, whereas it was one of the towns in the plain (Josh
15:41). Van de Velde's conjecture (p. 332) is a much more probable one, viz., that it is
to be found in Summeil , a considerable village on an eminence in the plain, with a
large public well 110 feet deep and 11 feet in diameter, with strongly built walls of
hewn stones, where there is also part of an old wall, which to all appearance must
formerly have belonged to a large square castle built of uncemented stones,
resembling in some respects the oldest foundation wall of Beit Jibrin ( Rob. Pal. ii. p.
368). It is two hours and a half to the north-west of Beit Jibrin, and there Van de
Velde discovered the large cave (see at v. 16), which Robinson has not observed (see
his Journey through Syria and Palestine).
Verse 11. The large stones which the Lord threw upon the flying foe at the slope of
Bethhoron were hail-stones (see Isa 30:30), not stone-hail, or a shower of stones, but
a terrible hail-storm, in which hail fell upon the foe in pieces as large as stones (see
Wisd. 46:6), and slew a greater number of them than the swords of the Israelites. This
phenomenon, which resembled the terrible hail in Egypt (Ex 9:24), was manifestly a
miraculous occurrence produced by the omnipotent power of God, inasmuch as the
hail-stones slew the enemy without injuring the Israelites, who were pursuing them.
By this the Israelites were to be made to see that it was not their own power, but the
supernatural help of their God, which had given them the victory; whilst the enemy
discovered that it was not only the people of Israel, but the God of Israel, that had
devoted them to destruction.
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