Commentators unanimously highlight that Joshua's actions, while severe, were not uncontrolled but were in strict obedience to God's law. By hanging the king, he enacted the curse described in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, but by taking the body down at sunset, he meticulously followed the command not to let the land be defiled. This demonstrates that even in the harsh reality of judgment, God's people are called to careful obedience.