Joshua 10:3

3 So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and 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 Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies.
2 He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors.
3 So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon.
4 “Come and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.”
5 So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.