Chapter 10: The conquering of many cities

1.      The kings prepare to battle Givon for making a treaty with Israel:

• King of Jerusalem prepares for battle: When Adoni Tzedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard of the conquest of Aiy and Jericho and their total destruction, he became very fearful. This fear was increased when he heard that the Givonites made a treaty with the Jewish people, as Givon was a very large metropolitan, much greater than Aiy, and containing many warriors. He therefore decided to make a coalition of cities and kings to wage war against Givon.
• A coalition army is made: He sent a message to five kings; Hoham the king of Hebron, Piram the king of Yarmus, Yafia the king of Lakish and Dvir the king of Eglon, asking them to join him in battle to fight the Givonites who made a peace treaty with the Jewish people. They acquiesced to his request and the five kings went off to battle the Givonites.

2.      The Jewish people defend Givon and defeat the Amorite nations:

• Givonites send urgent request of help: The Givonites sent an urgent message to Yehoshua, telling him of the imminent battle that will be waged against them by the five kings, and asked for Yehoshua to defend them, as they are now his servants.
• Yehoshua receives Divine permission to wage war: Yehoshua acquiesced to the request and left Gilgal together with the entire army and its warriors. Hashem appeared to Yehoshua and promised him victory and that they should not fear.
• The surprise attack: Yehoshua traveled at night from Gilgul to stage upon them a surprise attack. Hashem gave them over to the hands of Israel and they were smitten in Givon. The Jews chased after them towards Beis Choron and smote them until Azeika and Makeida.
• G-d throws boulders from heaven onto the enemy: As the enemy ran away, G-d threw upon them great boulders from heaven, and they died. In fact, there were more people killed with the hailing stones than the Jewish people killed with the sword.
• The sun remains standing: Yehoshua asked Hashem on that day [for the sun to stop] and he said to the Jewish people that the sun remained standing in Givon, and the moon in the valley of Ayalon. The sun and moon stood, remaining stationary from their orbit, and remained standing in the heavens until the enemy could be killed. The sun stood in the center of the heavens for a full day [of 24 hours[1]]. This entire story is written in Sefer Hayashar. There was no day like this ever in history, neither before nor later, for G-d to hear the voice of man [to stop the sun], as G-d fought for Israel.
• Yehoshua and the Jewish people returned to the camp, to Gilgal [after the entire battle was finished[2]].

[1] Metzudos David 10:13

[2] Metzudos David 10:15