And they captured it on that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword. And he devoted every person in it to destruction that day, as he had done to Lachish.
A good general knows how to follow up a victory, and Joshua seized his moment: he took six cities in swift succession, destroyed the armies sent to relieve them, and brought the whole southern country under Israel's hand. His failure to take Jerusalem and Jarmuth at once was a missed opportunity they would pay dearly to recover later.
AI summary
Commenting on Joshua 10:28-43
And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron,.... Which lay in the hill country, and therefore they are said to go up to it from Eglon, which lay lower; and, according to Bunting (g), it was sixteen miles from it: and they fought against it; it making some resistance at first, and did not surrender at once, as demanded. (g) Ibid.
The Lord God of Israel fought for Israel, and the victories came in rapid succession: Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir, and the army of Gezer all fell in a single sweep. The whole southern country passed into Joshua's hands because the Lord Himself was the true conqueror.
AI summary
Commenting on Joshua 10:28-42