10:11a
As they fled before Israel: This verse is a flashback. It provides additional information about what happened in 10:10. The word they refers to the Amorite armies.
fled before Israel: The clause fled before Israel indicates that the Amorite armies turned and ran away from the Israelite army.
10:11b
along the descent from Beth-horon: The phrase the descent from Beth-horon indicates that the Amorite armies ran down from the mountain pass. Starting from Upper Beth-horon, they ran southwest and down out of the hill country.
the descent from Beth-horon: There is an interpretation issue with this phrase.
(1) This means the descent of Beth-horon, or the way down from Beth-horon. For example:
on the road down from Beth Horon (New International Version)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, NET Bible, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), New Revised Standard Version, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Revised English Bible)
(2) This mean the ascent of Beth-horon. For example:
while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon (English Standard Version)
(English Standard Version, Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The Hebrew text is clear and it is best to follow it. In verse 10 the Amorite army fled from the Israelites at Gibeon town and followed the road up the mountain slope to Beth-horon town. This was at the peak of the pass through the mountains. In verse 11 the Amorite army then fled through the mountain pass and downhill to the foothills and plains below.
10:11c
to Azekah: The phrase to Azekah indicates that the hail continued to fall on the Amorite armies all the way to Azekah. The distance that the Amorite armies ran away from the Israelites was about twenty miles.
the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as large hailstones refers to lumps of hail. Hail is ice that comes down from the sky. Hail storms occur about five to eight times per year in Palestine.
the sky: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sky can also be translated “heaven.” For example:
the Lord threw down great stones from heaven upon them (Revised Standard Version)
10:11d
more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites: Here is another way to translate this phrase:
the hailstones killed more of the enemy soldiers than the Israelites killed with their swords
more of them were killed: The clause more of them were killed shows the result of the hailstorm. It may be clearer in some languages to make the connection between the hail and their death explicit. For example:
because of that, they died
-or-
and the hail killed them
by the swords of the Israelites: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as by the swords is an idiom. This is a Hebrew idiom. It means that they killed the people.
Here is another way to translate this Hebrew idiom:
more were killed by the hailstones than by the Israelites (Good News Translation)
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