As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites. As they fled before IsraelThis phrase indicates the retreat of the Amorite coalition forces in the face of Israel's military advance. The context is the battle where Joshua leads Israel against five Amorite kings. The Israelites' victory is attributed to divine intervention, emphasizing God's role in the conquest of Canaan. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God fighting for His people, as seen in Exodus 14:14. along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah
Beth-horon refers to two adjacent towns, Upper and Lower Beth-horon, strategically located on a ridge descending into the coastal plain. This route was significant for military campaigns, as it provided a natural path for retreat or advance. Azekah, another fortified city, is mentioned in the context of Judah's defense in Jeremiah 34:7. Archaeological evidence supports the historical existence of these locations, underscoring the biblical narrative's historical reliability. the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky
This divine intervention through hailstones is reminiscent of the plagues in Egypt (Exodus 9:22-26), where God used natural phenomena to achieve His purposes. The hailstones signify God's direct involvement in the battle, reinforcing His sovereignty over creation. This act also prefigures eschatological judgments, as seen in Revelation 16:21, where hailstones are used as instruments of divine wrath. and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites
This highlights the miraculous nature of the victory, attributing the success primarily to God's power rather than human effort. It serves as a reminder of the futility of opposing God's will and the assurance of His protection for His people. This theme is echoed in Psalm 44:3, which emphasizes that victories come not by human strength but by God's favor. The disproportionate impact of the hailstones underscores the message that God is the ultimate warrior for Israel, a type of Christ who secures victory for His people. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsraelitesThe people of God, led by Joshua, who were pursuing their enemies in battle. 2. Beth-horonA strategic location in the hill country of Ephraim, significant for its role in the battle. 3. AzekahAnother location in the Shephelah region of Judah, marking the path of the fleeing enemies. 4. The LORDThe God of Israel, who intervenes supernaturally in the battle. 5. HailstonesThe miraculous means by which God defeated more of the enemy than the Israelites did with the sword. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty in BattleGod is actively involved in the battles of His people, demonstrating His power and control over all circumstances. Divine InterventionThe LORD's use of hailstones shows that He can use any means to achieve His purposes, often beyond human understanding or capability. Trust in God's PowerBelievers can trust that God will fight for them and that His methods, though sometimes unexpected, are always effective. God's JudgmentThe hailstones serve as a reminder of God's righteous judgment against those who oppose Him and His people. Faith and ObedienceThe Israelites' pursuit of their enemies, in obedience to God's command, is met with divine assistance, encouraging believers to act in faith. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the event of God using hailstones in Joshua 10:11 demonstrate His sovereignty and power over creation? 2. In what ways can we see God's intervention in our own "battles" today, and how should this affect our faith and actions? 3. Compare the use of hailstones in Joshua 10:11 with their use in other parts of the Bible, such as Exodus 9 and Revelation 16. What do these instances teach us about God's character? 4. How can the Israelites' experience in this passage encourage us to trust in God's timing and methods, even when they are beyond our understanding? 5. Reflect on a time when you experienced a "divine intervention" in your life. How did it strengthen your faith, and how can you use that experience to encourage others? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 9:22-26The plague of hail in Egypt demonstrates God's power over nature and His ability to use it for His purposes. Psalm 18:12-14Describes God using hailstones and coals of fire as instruments of judgment, emphasizing His sovereignty. Revelation 16:21Hailstones are used as a form of divine judgment in the end times, showing a consistent theme of God's control over creation. People Adonizedec, Amorites, Debir, Eglon, Gibeon, Hoham, Horam, Israelites, Japhia, Jasher, Joshua, PiramPlaces Ai, Azekah, Beth-horon, Debir, Eglon, Gaza, Gezer, Gibeon, Gilgal, Hebron, Jarmuth, Jericho, Jerusalem, Kadesh-barnea, Lachish, Libnah, Makkedah, Negeb, Valley of AijalonTopics Azekah, Beth, Cast, Descent, Died, Fled, Hailstones, Horon, Hurled, Israelites, Killed, Large, Road, Sky, Stones, SwordsDictionary of Bible Themes Joshua 10:11 4272 sky
4828 hail
4855 weather, God's judgment Joshua 10:6-14 5608 warfare, strategies Joshua 10:10-11 5505 roads Library Five Kings in a Cave
TEXT: "And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight."--Joshua 10:24-25. The history of the …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas IscariotPraying Saints of the Old Testaments
The Holy Spirit will give to the praying saint the brightness of an immortal hope, the music of a deathless song, in His baptism and communion with the heart, He will give sweeter and more enlarged visions of heaven until the taste for other things will pall, and other visions will grow dim and distant. He will put notes of other worlds in human hearts until all earth's music is discord and songless.--Rev. E. M. Bounds Old Testament history is filled with accounts of praying saints. The leaders of …
Edward M. Bounds—Prayer and Praying Men Gibeon. Josh 10:06
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John Newton—Olney Hymns The Northern Coast of Judea. Beth-Horon.
This coast is marked out Joshua 18:12; where, at verse 14, are very many versions to be corrected, which render the sea; such are, the Syriac, the Seventy, the Vulgar, the Italian, ours, &c.: whence ariseth a sense of insuperable difficulty to a chorographical eye: when it should, indeed, be rendered of the west, as the Chaldee, Arabic, R. Solomon, &c. rightly do. We read of a double Beth-horon in the Old Testament, but one only under the second Temple... At that place that great Canaanitish army …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica Subterraneous Places. Mines. Caves.
Thus having taken some notice of the superficies of the land, let us a little search into its bowels. You may divide the subterraneous country into three parts: the metal mines, the caves, and the places of burial. This land was eminently noted for metal mines, so that "its stones," in very many places, "were iron, and out of its hills was digged brass," Deuteronomy 8:9. From these gain accrued to the Jews: but to the Christians, not seldom slavery and misery; being frequently condemned hither by …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Subjects of Study. Home Education in Israel; Female Education. Elementary Schools, Schoolmasters, and School Arrangements.
If a faithful picture of society in ancient Greece or Rome were to be presented to view, it is not easy to believe that even they who now most oppose the Bible could wish their aims success. For this, at any rate, may be asserted, without fear of gainsaying, that no other religion than that of the Bible has proved competent to control an advanced, or even an advancing, state of civilisation. Every other bound has been successively passed and submerged by the rising tide; how deep only the student …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 Meditations of the True Manner of Practising Piety on the Sabbath-Day.
Almighty God will have himself worshipped, not only in a private manner by private persons and families, but also in a more public sort, of all the godly joined together in a visible church; that by this means he may be known not only to be the God and Lord of every Singular person, but also of the creatures of the whole universal world. Question--But why do not we Christians under the New, keep the Sabbath on the same seventh day on which it was kept under the Old Testament? I answer--Because our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Divine Support and Protection
[What shall we say then to these things?] If God be for us, who can be against us? T he passions of joy or grief, of admiration or gratitude, are moderate when we are able to find words which fully describe their emotions. When they rise very high, language is too faint to express them; and the person is either lost in silence, or feels something which, after his most laboured efforts, is too big for utterance. We may often observe the Apostle Paul under this difficulty, when attempting to excite …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Joshua
The book of Joshua is the natural complement of the Pentateuch. Moses is dead, but the people are on the verge of the promised land, and the story of early Israel would be incomplete, did it not record the conquest of that land and her establishment upon it. The divine purpose moves restlessly on, until it is accomplished; so "after the death of Moses, Jehovah spake to Joshua," i. 1. The book falls naturally into three divisions: (a) the conquest of Canaan (i.-xii.), (b) the settlement of the …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Joshua 10:11 NIVJoshua 10:11 NLTJoshua 10:11 ESVJoshua 10:11 NASBJoshua 10:11 KJV
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