Bible Strands
Joshua 10:11
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The verse describes the Amorite coalition fleeing before Israel during Joshua’s pursuit, occurring immediately after the battle at Gibeon and just before Joshua’s prayer for extended daylight.
The words — The text specifies the flight path along the descent (בְּ/מוֹרַ֤ד, be./mo.Rad) from Beth-horon to Azekah.
The thread — The motif of divine hail as an instrument of judgment recurs in Exodus 9:22, while the theme of cosmic forces intervening in battle appears in Judges 5:20.
Why it lands — The text records that more enemy combatants died from hail than from Israelite swords, establishing that divine intervention determines battle outcomes independently of human military strength.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth–horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 28:2 Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground.
- Exodus 9:22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.”
- Judges 5:20 From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.
- Psalms 18:12 From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced—hailstones and coals of fire.
- Genesis 19:24 Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.
- Psalms 11:6 On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion.
- Psalms 77:17 The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth.
- Isaiah 30:30 And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard and His mighty arm to be revealed, striking in angry wrath with a flame of consuming fire, and with cloudburst, storm, and hailstones.
- Ezekiel 13:11 tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth.
- Revelation 11:19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.