Yehoshua 11:10

10 And Yehoshua at that time turned back, and took Chatzor, and struck down the melech thereof with the cherev; for Chatzor formerly had been the rosh kol hamamlachot haelleh.

Yehoshua 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.

Yehoshua 11:10 In-Context

8 And Hashem delivered them into the yad Yisroel, who struck them down, and pursued them unto Tzidon Rabbah, and unto Misrefot-Mayim, and unto the Valley of Mitzpeh eastward; and they struck them down, until they left them none sarid (remaining).

9 And Yehoshua did unto them just as Hashem directed him; he lamed their susim, and burned their merkevot with eish.

10 And Yehoshua at that time turned back, and took Chatzor, and struck down the melech thereof with the cherev; for Chatzor formerly had been the rosh kol hamamlachot haelleh.

11 And they struck down kol hanefesh that were therein with the edge of the cherev, utterly destroying them; there was not left kol neshamah; and with eish he burned Chatzor.

12 And all the towns of those melachim, and all the melachim of them, did Yehoshua take, and struck them down with the edge of the cherev, and he utterly destroyed them, just as Moshe Eved Hashem commanded.