Joshua 10:2

“That they feared greatly, etc.] The king of Jerusalem and his people, lest they should fall into the hands of the Israelites, and be used as Jericho and Ai, and the kings and inhabitants of them were, and that they would be the next that should fall a sacrifice to them; for Gibeon was fifty furlongs from Jerusalem, as Josephus says f159; and in another place he says f160 but forty, which were but five miles; and if fifty, but little more than six miles; according to Bunting f161, it was but four miles: and what added to their terror was, because Gibeon [was] a great city; being a metropolitan city, and having others subject to it; therefore the surrender of that to the Israelites might…”

“they feared greatly--The dread inspired by the rapid conquests of the Israelites had been immensely increased by the fact of a state so populous and so strong as Gibeon having found it expedient to submit to the power and the terms of the invaders. as one of the royal cities--Although itself a republic (Jos 9:3), it was large and well-fortified, like those places in which the chiefs of the country usually established their residence.”

“Thy - That is, he and his people, the king being spoken of Jos 10:1, as a publick person representing all his people. Royal cities - Either really a royal city, or equal to one of the royal cities, though it had no king, but seems to have been governed by elders, Jos 9:11. Joshua 10:3”

“10:2 Gibeon was apparently not one of the royal cities. Gibeon might have been subservient to Canaan-controlled Jerusalem before making the covenant with Joshua, or it might have been an independent town controlled by a few leading families.”

“they feared: Jos 2:9-13, Jos 2:24; Exo 15:14-16; Deu 11:25, Deu 28:10; Psa 48:4-6; Pro 1:26, Pro 1:27; Pro 10:24; Heb 10:27, Heb 10:31; Rev 6:15-17 Gibeon: Gibeon was situated on an eminence, as its name imports, 40 furlongs north from Jerusalem, according to Josephus. the royal cities: Heb. cities of the kingdom, Sa1 27:5; Sa2 12:26 Joshua 10:3”