Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 10:9
Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, [and] went up from Gilgal all night.
9. came unto them suddenly ] He marched the whole night, and in the morning, “when the sun rose behind him, he was already in the open ground at the foot of the heights of Gibeon, where the kings were encamped.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 9. Joshua – came unto them suddenly] This he did by a forced march during the night, for he went up from Gilgal all night; from Gilgal to Gibeon was about eighteen or twenty miles; and, having fallen so unexpectedly on these confederate kings, they were immediately thrown into confusion.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Though assured by God of the victory, yet he useth all prudent means, and surpriseth them. It is not said that he went from Gilgal to Gibeon in a nights space, but only that he travelled all night; unto which you may add part either of the foregoing or of the following day.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. Joshua therefore came upon themsuddenlyThis is explained in the following clause, where he isdescribed as having accomplished, by a forced march of picked men, inone night, a distance of twenty-six miles, which, according to theslow pace of Eastern armies and caravans, had formerly been a threedays’ journey (Jos 9:17).
Jos 10:10;Jos 10:11. GODFIGHTS AGAINST THEMWITH HAILSTONES.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly,…. Which no doubt threw them into consternation and confusion:
[and] went up from Gilgal all night; he chose the night for secrecy and surprise, and that he might be the sooner with the enemy, and to the assistance and relief of Gibeon; and as it was about nine or ten miles from Gilgal to Gibeon, it was easily performed in a night’s march;
[See comments on Jos 9:6].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) And went up.Better thus, And Joshua came upon them suddenly; (for) all the night he had marched (come up) from Gilgal. The expression went up is geographically correct, because the line of march from Gilgal to Gibeon is an ascent the whole way.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Suddenly Because Joshua believed the words of Jehovah he made a bold and sudden movement. Great faith is essential to a great captain.
Went up from Gilgal all night He had marched over this route several times before, and was familiar with it. The distance from Gilgal to Gibeon was about the same as that from Gilgal to Ai, fifteen miles. See Jos 8:9, note. This night march was a memorable prelude to the most astounding miracle of history.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ Joshua therefore came on them suddenly, for he went up from Gilgal all night. And YHWH discomfited them before Israel and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and to Makkedah, and so it was that as they fled from before Israel, while they were on the descent from Bethhoron, YHWH cast down great stones from heaven on them, to Azekah, and they died. They were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.’
Joshua made a sudden surprise attack, having travelled by forced marches through the night for the purpose, and would have caught the enemy napping, something which resulted in great slaughter and a precipitate flight They chased them up the ascent of Bethoron, while some of the Canaanite forces fought a rearguard action to allow their comrades to escape. But there was no escape from YHWH, for as their comrades sought to escape down the descent on the other side of Bethhoron, great hailstones fell from heaven and decimated the fleeing forces, so much so that more died by this means than in the actual fighting.
Note the combining of the activity of YHWH with the people of Israel. In one sense it was all the work of YHWH, in another much of it was the activity of Israel. Great hailstones the size to kill a man, especially when they were descending hazardous paths, fell on the retreating troops. Such huge hailstorms have been known in the Mediterranean region where hailstones weighing more than twelve pounds each have been known to fall (compare Rev 16:21). Defeat in this way was devastating for the Amorites. One of their main gods was Baal, Lord of rain and of storm. Yet here he seemed unable to help them against the might of YHWH.
The site of Azekah is unknown but its signal lights could be seen from Lachish in the days of Sennacherib of Assyria.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
See how the soldiers of Joshua encountered the fatigues of the night. And shall not the followers of the Lamb endure hardness, as good soldiers of Jesus Christ? 2Ti 2:3 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jos 10:9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, [and] went up from Gilgal all night.
Ver. 9. And went up from Gilgal all night. ] He marched all night, and fought all day for these Gibeonites; of whose faithfulness he might well have doubted. They took not so much pains in coming to deceive him as he in going to deliver them. It is the noblest victory to “overcome evil with good.”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
all night: 1Sa 11:9-11, Pro 22:29, Pro 24:11, Pro 24:12, Ecc 9:10, 2Ti 2:3, 2Ti 4:2
Reciprocal: Jos 11:7 – suddenly 1Sa 14:36 – Let us go 1Sa 25:34 – hasted Neh 2:12 – I arose
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 10:9. Joshua came unto them suddenly Though assured by God of the victory, yet he uses all prudent means. And went up from Gilgal all night It is not said that he went from Gilgal to Gibeon in a nights space, but only that he travelled all night; unto which you may add part either of the foregoing or of the following day. It is true, God had promised that he would, without fail, deliver the enemies into his hand. But Gods promises are intended, not to slacken, but to quicken our endeavours. He that believeth, doth not make haste to anticipate providence; but doth make haste to attend it, with a diligent, not a distrustful speed.