He had hesitated for a moment whether to aid the Gibeonites in
their distress, but the words of God sufficed to recall him to his
duty. God said to him: "If thou dost not bring near them that are far
off, thou wilt remove them that are near by." (37) God granted
Joshua peculiar favor in his conflict with the assailants of the
Gibeonites. The hot hailstones which, at Moses' intercession, had
remained suspended in the air when they were about to fall upon
the Egyptians, were now cast down upon the Canaanites. (38)
Then happened the great wonder of the sun's standing still, the
sixth (39) of the great wonders since the creation of the world.

The battle took place on a Friday. Joshua knew it would pain the
people deeply to be compelled to desecrate the holy Sabbath day.
Besides, he noticed that the heathen were using sorcery to make
the heavenly hosts intercede for them in the fight against the
Israelites. He, therefore, pronounced the Name of the Lord, and the
sun, moon and stars stood still. (40) The sun at first refused to
obey Joshua's behest, seeing that he was older than man by two
days. Joshua replied that there was no reason why a free-born
youth should refrain from enjoining silence upon an old slave
whom he owns, and had not God given heaven and earth to our
father Abraham? (41) Nay, more than this, had not the sun himself
bowed down like a slave before Joseph? "But," said the sun, "who
will praise God if I am silent?" (42) Whereupon Joshua: "Be thou
silent, and I will intone a song of praise." (43) And he sang thus:

1. Thou hast done mighty things, O Lord, Thou has performed
great deeds. Who is like unto Thee? My lips shall sing unto Thy
name.