Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
They merely express this thought: no other day like this, which God so miraculously
lengthened, ever occurred either before or afterwards. So much, therefore, is obvious
enough from the words, that the writer of the old song, and also the author of the
book of Joshua, who inserted the passage in his narrative, were convinced that the
day was miraculously prolonged. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that it is
not stated that God lengthened that day at the request of Joshua almost an entire day,
or that He made the sun stand still almost a whole day, but simply that God
hearkened to the voice of Joshua, i.e., did not permit the sun to go down till Israel had
avenged itself upon its enemies. This distinction is not without importance: for a
miraculous prolongation of the day would take place not only if the sun's course or
sun's setting was delayed for several hours by the omnipotent power of God, and the
day extended from twelve to eighteen or twenty hours, but also if the day seemed to
Joshua and all Israel to be miraculously prolonged; because the work accomplished
on that day was so great, that it would have required almost two days to accomplish it
without supernatural aid.
It is not easy to decide between these two opposite views; in fact, it is quite
impossible if we go to the root of the matter. When we are not in circumstances to
measure the length of the day by the clock, it is very easy to mistake its actual length,
especially in the midst of the pressure of business or work. The Israelites at that time
had neither sun-clocks nor any other kind of clock; and during the confusion of the
battle it is hardly likely that Joshua, or any one else who was engaged in the conflict,
would watch the shadow of the sun and its changes, either by a tree or any other
object, so as to discover that the sun had actually stood still, from the fact that for
hours the shadow had neither moved nor altered in length. Under such circumstances,
therefore, it was quite impossible for the Israelites to decide whether it was in reality,
or only in their own imagination, that the day was longer than others.
To this there must be added the poetical character of the verses before us. When
David celebrates the miraculous deliverance which he had received from the Lord, in
these words, "In my distress I called upon the Lord.... He
heard my voice out of His temple.... He bowed the heavens also, and came down....
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