Joshua 11:10

10 At that time Joshua turned back. He captured Hazor. He killed its king with his sword. Hazor was the most important city in all of those kingdoms.

Joshua 11:10 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 11:10

And Joshua at that time turned back and took Hazor
After he had chased the Canaanites to the places mentioned, he returned to Hazor, near to which Joshua first fell upon them, but through the pursuit he was led on many miles beyond it: Bunting says ^F23, it was thirty two miles from Sidon:

and smote the king thereof with the sword;
who, very probably, upon the surprise at the waters of Merom, fled to his capital for safety; but that being taken by Joshua, he was slain by him with the sword:

for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms;
before mentioned, ( Joshua 11:1 ) ; but not of all the land of Canaan: Jerom ^F24 says, it was the metropolis of all the kingdoms of the Philistines; and though they were not now subject to it, and had kings of their own, yet it appears that the king of this place was in great authority, and regard was paid unto him; and this seems to be the reason why Joshua hasted to take this city, slay the king of it, and burn it with fire, because it had been the principal in this war, and might, if not prevented, raise new troubles; wherefore, as a precaution to that, and to deter the rest, he hastened the conquest and destruction of it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Travels, p. 96.
F24 De loc. Heb. fol. 88. B.

Joshua 11:10 In-Context

8 The LORD handed them over to Israel. Israel won the battle over them. They hunted them down all the way to Greater Sidon. They chased them to Misrephoth Maim. They chased them to the Valley of Mizpah in the east. Not one of them was left alive.

9 Joshua did to them what the LORD had directed him to do. He cut the legs of their horses. He burned up their chariots.

10 At that time Joshua turned back. He captured Hazor. He killed its king with his sword. Hazor was the most important city in all of those kingdoms.

11 The army of Israel killed everyone in Hazor with their swords. Its people had been set apart to the LORD in a special way to be destroyed. Israel's army didn't spare anything that breathed. Then Joshua burned up the city.

12 Joshua took all of those royal cities and their kings. He and his men killed everyone in those cities with their swords. He totally destroyed them. He did just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded.