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Gibeon is in the east and Aijalon is in the west, so this is a favorable celestial omen for Israel and an unfavorable omen for the Amorite coalition.

13 The sun stood still in the heavens; and the moon did likewise, so that the battle could continue until the Israelites had destroyed their enemies, just as it was written in the scroll of Jashar. The sun stalled in the sky for almost an entire day before it set. 14 There has never been another day like this before or since, when the Eternal so answered a person’s prayer, for the Eternal fought for the people of Israel.

God proves that He is greater than any of the local gods—that He is above all other gods—by these cosmic miracles. While today, of course, we know that the earth orbits the sun, not vice versa, the story is clear enough: only an all-powerful God can halt the sun and moon in their courses.

15 Joshua and the Israelites later returned to the camp at Gilgal,

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13 So the sun stood still,(A)
    and the moon stopped,
    till the nation avenged itself on[a] its enemies,

as it is written in the Book of Jashar.(B)

The sun stopped(C) in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting(D) for Israel!

15 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 10:13 Or nation triumphed over