Joshua 10:20-21

‘ And so it was that when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were consumed, and the remnant who remained of them had entered into the walled (fenced) cities, all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace. None whetted his tongue against any of the children of Israel.'

At length the slaughter was over. All who had survived had by now reached their walled cities and taken refuge. There was no point in remaining there. So all the forces of Israel returned and gathered at Makkedah where Joshua had arranged to set up camp. They encountered no problems. No one sought to cause them trouble. ‘None whetted his tongue' means that no one showed any belligerence against them (compare Exodus 11:7).

The various battalions of Israelite troops had dealt with the enemy who had fled to their different cities. We are not told which one Joshua himself concentrated on, but he ensured that he was back at camp in order to welcome his victorious but exhausted troops. For ‘fenced cities' see Joshua 14:12; Joshua 19:35; Numbers 13:28; Numbers 32:17; Numbers 32:36.