The Meaning of Joshua 10:11 Explained

Joshua 10:11

KJV: And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, 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.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, in their fleeing from the face of Israel -- they are in the descent of Beth-Horon -- and Jehovah hath cast upon them great stones out of the heavens, unto Azekah, and they die; more are they who have died by the hailstones than they whom the sons of Israel have slain by the sword.

Darby: And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven upon them up to Azekah, and they died. They were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel had slain with the sword.

ASV: And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, as they fled  from before  Israel,  [and] were in the going down  to Bethhoron,  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. 

What does Joshua 10:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 10:1-14 - "the Lord Fought For Israel"
The honor of Israel was implicated in this attack on their confederates, and Joshua went to their assistance. The deception which had been practiced on him did not alienate his help. Before he started he was assured of victory, but this did not make him slothful. See Joshua 10:7. But it was by his faith, courage and obedience that this and other victories were won. What may not one man do when God is with him! Paganini once broke all his strings but one; then, holding up his violin, he said, "One string and Paganini."
A terrific storm burst on the fugitives as they crossed the high ridge of Beth-horon and descended in full flight to the plain. We are not called upon to explain the miracle of the sun and moon. The prolongation of daylight was probably due to some cause like that which yields the after-glow of sunset and the optical refractions seen in high latitudes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 10

1  Five kings war against Gibeon
6  Joshua rescues it
10  God fights against them with hailstones
12  The sun and moon stand still at the word of Joshua
16  The five kings are murdered in a cave
22  They are brought forth
24  scornfully used
26  and hanged
28  Seven kings more are conquered
43  Joshua returns to Gilgal

What do the individual words in Joshua 10:11 mean?

And it came to pass as they fled before Israel they [were] on the descent of Beth Horon that Yahweh cast down on them hailstones large from heaven as far as Azekah and they died [There were] more who died from the hailstones than killed the sons of Israel with the sword -
וַיְהִ֞י בְּנֻסָ֣ם ׀ מִפְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הֵ֞ם בְּמוֹרַ֤ד בֵּית־ חוֹרֹן֙ וַֽיהוָ֡ה הִשְׁלִ֣יךְ עֲלֵיהֶם֩ אֲבָנִ֨ים גְּדֹל֧וֹת מִן־ הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם עַד־ עֲזֵקָ֖ה וַיָּמֻ֑תוּ רַבִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־ מֵ֙תוּ֙ בְּאַבְנֵ֣י הַבָּרָ֔ד מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָרְג֛וּ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בֶּחָֽרֶב ס

וַיְהִ֞י  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בְּנֻסָ֣ם ׀  as  they  fled 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
מִפְּנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הֵ֞ם  they  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
בְּמוֹרַ֤ד  on  the  descent 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֹורָד  
Sense: descent, slope, steep place, hanging work, bevelled work.
חוֹרֹן֙  Beth  Horon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־חֹורֹון 
Sense: two towns in Ephraim.
וַֽיהוָ֡ה  that  Yahweh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הִשְׁלִ֣יךְ  cast  down 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
עֲלֵיהֶם֩  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֲבָנִ֨ים  hailstones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
גְּדֹל֧וֹת  large 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
עַד־  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
עֲזֵקָ֖ה  Azekah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲזֵקָה  
Sense: a town in the lowlands of Judah.
וַיָּמֻ֑תוּ  and  they  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
רַבִּ֗ים  [There  were]  more 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
מֵ֙תוּ֙  died 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
הַבָּרָ֔ד  the  hailstones 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּרָד  
Sense: hail.
מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר  than 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הָרְג֛וּ  killed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
בְּנֵ֥י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בֶּחָֽרֶב  with  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation