Fighting and destroying in Joshua 10

We are reading Joshua in our staff meetings this year, and we were in the second half of Joshua 10 today (10:29-43). There is a lot of repetition in this chapter, but then a surprising flip at the end.

Essentially there are three elements which are repeated almost word-for-word:

A: And Joshua crossed over/went up/returned, and all Israel with him (29,31,34,36,38,43)

B: And he/they fought them/her (29,31,34,36,38,42)

C: He did not leave in her/for him a remnant (30,33,37,39,40)

There are other elements also repeated, such as the verbs for smiting (נכה) and proscribing/devoting to destruction (חרם). But each of these longer elements are almost the same, albeit with some minor variation. Until, that is the final time. 

The pattern looks like this:

29-30 ABC

31-33 ABC

34-35 AB

36-37 ABC

38-39 ABC

40-43 CBA

I don't think there's much to make of the missing C in the third cycle as חרם sort of plays the same role. Furthermore the C in the second cycle doesn't really belong with the AB but is a summary statement, similarly to the C in the final cycle.

But what is of especial interest is 42-43 and the switch from AB to BA, because there is a key difference. Every other time the subject of B is Joshua/Israel. This final time, however, as the Shephelah is tidied up, the reader is reminded that it is not Joshua but "Yhwh, the God of Israel, who fought for Israel." Not that they needed to be reminded, but the victories were only given to Israel because Yhwh fought for Israel. They fought and destroyed according to the command of Yhwh (40) and in reward for their obedience Yhwh fought for them, ensuring them total victory. 

That something different is going on is highlighted by this reversal in the final verses, and what that something is, is made clear with a new subject (Yhwh) and a new syntax (transposing the verb from a fronted wayyiqtol to the penultimate position).