As commentators point out, verse 15 does not fit here. The campaign against the Amorite forces is still going on and ends only in verse 39. After the summary statement in verses 40-42, the Israelites return to camp at Gilgal (verse 43, which is identical with verse 15). Bright thinks that by mistake a copyist included the statement in verse 43 here after verse 14 because the endings of verse 14 and 42 are similar. Both verses 15 and 43 are omitted from the Septuagint.
Although this verse may not fit well here, it is obviously a part of the text and must remain. Its absence from the Septuagint represents an attempt of the Greek translators to smooth over the problem. However, if After this is translated more specifically, the problem is at least minimized: “After their victory” or “After Joshua and his men had defeated the Amorites.”
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 .
Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal: The phrase all Israel refers to the Israelite army. It may be more natural in some languages to translate the two subjects, Joshua and all Israel, as one compound phrase. For example:
then Joshua and the entire Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal
General Comment on 10:6–15
These verses tell the story of the battle against the Amorites, which is completed in verse 15. Verses 16–21 tell the story of the five Amorite kings who fled and hid in a cave. The Contemporary English Version supplies some implicit information with verse 15:
After the battle, Joshua and the Israelites went back to their camp at Gilgal. (Contemporary English Version)
This implicit information may help to clarify the transition between verse 15 and 16.
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