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Joshua 10 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
Joshua 10:13 NASB
Some believe this is an exaggeration or a scientific event (eclipse, etc.). I believe neither. I think it was a miracle from the Lord. Amazingly, it was a prayer from Joshua that was answered to accomplish this unbelievable feat. As I read this, I wondered what was meant by the book of Jashar? The word Jasher actually means “upright.” It seems that this book was a collection of Hebrew songs that were composed in honor of the warriors of Israel who fought in battle. It is possibly mentioned here in Numbers…
Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, “Waheb in Suphah, And the wadis of the Arnon,
Numbers 21:14 NASB
And again in 2 Samuel…
Then David chanted with this lament over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar. 19 “Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!
2 Samuel 1:17-19 NASB
The power of this story is amazing and it surely lived on in Israel’s history as a day the Lord destroyed His enemies!