The rumors of miraculous events accompanying the departure from Egypt and the conquest of the lands across the Jordan River created a deep psychological echo, casting a paralyzing terror over the inhabitants of Canaan. Even before a single sword was drawn in direct combat, the news of God's might and the sight of the Israelite army in the distance were enough to completely break the local spirit.
The fear gripping the region stemmed from two defining events. The first was the splitting of the Red Sea, a miracle so dramatic that its impact reached Jericho even forty years later. This event was not merely a practical solution to save the Israelites, as God could easily have led them through a different route. Rather, its ultimate purpose was to broadcast God's deep affection for Israel to the entire world. It proved that the plagues brought upon Egypt were not just a punishment for Pharaoh's pride, but a profound act of love for His people [חומת אנך].
The second event, much closer in both time and location, was the victory over the two Amorite kings. This defeat was characterized by absolute destruction, leaving no survivors [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The realization that battles with the Israelites ended in total annihilation is what truly caused the hearts of the Canaanites to melt, as they understood that they too would face complete ruin with no hope of escape [אלשיך].
Beyond the physical threat, the inhabitants of the land recognized that they were facing a cosmic and spiritual campaign. The primary approach among commentators is that the Canaanites realized God operates simultaneously on two planes: He first subdues the spiritual forces of the nations in the heavens, and only after stripping these heavenly princes of their power does He bring down the nations themselves on earth [אלשיך]. Building on this, some explain that the Red Sea represented the power of the moon, while the Amorite kings drew their strength from the sun through spells. These sweeping victories proved to the people of Canaan that the Israelites had conquered the most powerful cosmic forces in existence [אהבת יהונתן].
Grasping that God controls both the heavens above and the earth below triggered a complete threefold collapse within the Canaanites. Their bodies froze and lost all physical strength, their minds lost the ability to think of any practical solution, and their spirits completely faded away, unable to offer any support to their failing bodies or minds [אלשיך]. Ultimately, this recognition of God's absolute supremacy forced them into a deep philosophical realization. They understood that everything existing in the heavens and on earth is limited, complex, and has a clear beginning, which serves as undeniable proof of the existence and unity of a Supreme Creator who brought all things into being [אהבת יהונתן].