Joshua 10:3

3 So King Adoni Zedek of Jerusalem sent [this message] to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon:

Joshua 10:3 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 10:3

Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of
Hebron
Which, according to Jerom F4 was twenty two miles from Jerusalem; it was an ancient city built seven years before Zoan in Egypt; (See Gill on Genesis 13:18) and (See Gill on Numbers 13:22):

and unto Piram king of Jarmuth;
a city which fell to the lot of Judah, as did Hebron, ( Joshua 15:35 Joshua 15:54 ) ; according to Jerom F5, it was four miles distant from Eleutheropolis; according to Procopius F6 fourteen, about the village Eshtaol, near to which Samson was buried, ( Judges 16:31 ) ; but Jerom F7 speaks of a city called Jermus, in the tribe of Judah, which seems to be the same with this; and which he says in his day was a village, that went by the name of Jermucha, ten miles from Eleutheropolis, as you go to Aelia or Jerusalem; and as Eleutheropolis lay twenty miles from Jerusalem, this place must be ten miles from it, lying between them both:

and unto Japhia king of Lachish;
which the above writer says F8 was a city in the tribe of Judah, and in his time a village, seven miles from Eleutheropolis, as you go to Daroma, or the south; and, according to Bunting F9, it lay between Eleutheropolis and Hebron, and was twenty miles from Jerusalem towards the southwest:

and unto Debir king of Eglon;
which the Septuagint version calls Odollam or Adullam; and Jerom, following this version, makes Eglon the same with Adullam, when it is certain they were different places, and had distinct kings over them, ( Joshua 12:12 Joshua 12:15 ) ; and which he says F11 in his time was a very large village, twelve miles from Eleutheropolis to the east; and, according to Bunting F12 it was twelve miles from Jerusalem southward. To these four kings the king of Jerusalem sent:

saying;
as follows.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 De loc. Heb. fol. 87. E.
F5 lb. fol. 92. H.
F6 Apud Reland. Palestin. Illustrat. l. 2. p. 505.
F7 Ut supra, (De loc. Heb. fol. 92.) I.
F8 Ib. M.
F9 Travels, p. 99.
F11 De loc. Heb. fol. 91. A.
F12 Travels, p. 92.

Joshua 10:3 In-Context

1 King Adoni Zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and claimed it for the LORD the same way he had destroyed Jericho and its king. He also heard that the people of Gibeon had made peace with the people of Israel and were living with them.
2 He and his people were terribly afraid because Gibeon was a large city. It was like one of the royal cities, larger than Ai. All its men were warriors.
3 So King Adoni Zedek of Jerusalem sent [this message] to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon:
4 "Come, help me destroy Gibeon because it has made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel."
5 So the five Amorite kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon combined their armies. They marched to Gibeon, camped there, and attacked it.
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