Joshua 11:13

13 But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned.

Joshua 11:13 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 11:13

But as for the cities that stood still in their strength
Whose walls were not demolished when taken, as Kimchi and Jarchi interpret it, or that "stood upon their heaps" ^F25; upon an eminence, being built on hills and mountains:

Israel burned none of them;
but reserved them for their own habitations, being well fortified, and having no need of new walls being built to them, or being in a very agreeable situation:

save Hazor only, [that] did Joshua burn;
because it was the chief city where the scheme was formed, and the combination against Israel was made, and was the rendezvous of the confederate forces against them: the Jews have a tradition ^F26, that God said to Moses, and Moses said to Joshua, that he should burn it, and that only.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (Mlt le) "super tumulum eorum", Montanus; "quae erant in collibus et in tamulis sitae", V. L.
F26 Bereshit Rabba, sect. 81. fol. 71. 1.

Joshua 11:13 In-Context

11 And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor with fire.

12 So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.

13 But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned.

14 And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none breathing.

15 As the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew tel, a heap of successive city ruins