Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
In all probability the battle took place quite early in the morning, as Joshua had
marched from Gilgal the night before, and fell quite suddenly upon the enemy (v. 9).
But after the conflict had lasted for some hours, and Joshua began to be anxious lest
he should be unable to overcome the enemy before night came on, he addressed the
prayer to the Lord to lengthen out the day, and in a short time saw his prayer so far
fulfilled, that the sun still stood high up in the sky when the enemy was put to flight.
We take for granted that these words were spoken by Joshua before the terrible hailstorm
which fell upon the enemy in their flight, when they were near Bethhoron,
which is about two hours from Gibeon, and smote them to Azekah. There is nothing
to prevent our assuming this. The fact, that in the historical account the hail is
mentioned before the desire expressed by Joshua and the fulfilment of that desire,
may be explained on the simple ground, that the historian, following the order of
importance, relates the principal incident in connection with the battle first, before
proceeding to the special point to be cited from the book of the righteous. taamiym
(OT:8549) kªyowm (OT:3117), "towards (about, or as it were) a whole day," neither
signifies "when the day was ended" ( Clericus ), nor "as it usually does when the day
is perfected or absolutely finished" ( Rosenmüller ); but the sun did not hasten or
press to go down, delayed its setting, almost a whole day ( "day" being the time
between sunrise and sunset).
What conception are we to form of this miraculous event? It is not stated that the sun
actually stood still in one spot in the heavens-say, for instance, in the zenith. And if
the expression, "the sun stood still in the midst of heaven," which is added as an
explanation of wayidowm (OT:1826), is so pressed as to mean that the sun as
miraculously stopped in its course, this is hardly reconcilable with laabow' (OT:935)
'aats (OT:213) lo' (OT:3808), "it hasted not to go down," as these words, if taken
literally, merely denote a slower motion on the part of the sun, as many of the
Rabbins have observed. All that is clearly affirmed in vv. 12 and 13 is, that at
Joshua's word the sun remained standing in the sky for almost a whole day longer. To
this there is added, in v. 14, "There was no day like that before it, or after it, that
Jehovah hearkened to the voice of a man; for Jehovah fought for Israel." This
expression must not be pressed too far, as the analogous passages ("there was none
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