In Hebrew all the verbs of this verse are in the singular, and the most natural understanding of the text is to take The LORD as the subject throughout (so Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible; see Bright). New English Bible introduces Joshua as the subject after the first verb; Revised Standard Version has “Israel”, and Good News Translation, New American Bible have The Israelites. The Hebrew text is concerned to show that the victory, as always, is really the Lord’s; the Israelites are able to win because he gives them the victory (verse 8).

Panic may be rendered “run away in fear” or “become afraid and start running in all directions.”

At the sight of Israel’s army may be translated “when they saw Israel’s army attacking them.”

In Hebrew the verb slaughtered translates a Hebrew idiomatic expression which signifies a great defeat (Revised Standard Version “slew them with a great slaughter”). In translation it may be necessary to provide slaughtered and pursued with two objects: “slaughtered some of them at Gibeon, and pursued the rest of them….”

Keeping up the attack may be better rendered as a complete sentence: “They kept on attacking the Amorites until they had gone as far south as the cities of Azekah and Makkedah.”

Beth Horon is northwest of Gibeon; there was a mountain pass there that led from the highlands to the flat country.Beth Horon was really two towns: Upper Beth Horon, about 8 kilometers northwest of Gibeon; the pass about 3 kilometers long, led to lower Beth Horon, about 210 meters lower down. The Israelites kept pursuing the enemy, who fled south toward Azekah and Makkedah. Since the Hebrew does indicate that the Lord is the subject throughout, one may want to stress this in translation:

• The LORD caused the Amorites to become afraid and run when they saw Israel’s army approaching. Then the LORD caused the Israelites to slaughter some of the Amorites at Gibeon, and he caused them to pursue the rest of the Amorites down the mountain pass at the city of Beth Horon. He gave the Israelites the power to keep on attacking the Amorites as far south as the cities of Azekah and Makkedah.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .