That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
They were terrified because Gibeon was a large and important city, like one of the royal capital cities. It was even bigger than Ai, and all its men were strong warriors.
The writer is describing how the enemies of Israel were filled with fear because Gibeon, a powerful city with mighty warriors, had joined Israel's side.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Joshua, the Israelites were conquering the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership after their exodus from Egypt. The Gibeonites, who lived in a large and powerful city, had tricked the Israelites into a peace treaty to avoid being destroyed. This alliance caused the kings of nearby Amorite cities, such as Jerusalem, to fear greatly because Gibeon's size and strength, which surpassed even Ai, made it a significant threat to their own territories.
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