Joshua 10:38

38 From thence Joshua turned (again) into Debir, and took, and wasted it; (From there Joshua returned to Debir, and took it, and destroyed it;)

Joshua 10:38 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 10:38

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir
A city, according to Kimchi, which he passed by when he went to Hebron, and did not fight against it; but, when he had taken Hebron, returned and took it; and which Bunting ^F8 says was but a mile from it, and twenty two miles from Jerusalem, towards the south; it is the same with Kirjathsepher and Kirjathsannah, ( Joshua 15:15 Joshua 15:49 ) ; the city of a book or books; and the Rabbins say ^F9, that with the Persians Debir signifies the same, and had its name from a library which was here kept, or from the archives in which the most memorable things since the flood were recorded; or from the making of paper or parchment, or whatsoever was made use of for writing, and of which volumes of books were made:

and fought against it;
it refusing to submit to him upon his summons.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Travels of the Patriarchs p. 96.
F9 T. Bab. Avodah Zarah, fol. 24. 2.

Joshua 10:38 In-Context

36 Also Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon into Hebron, and he fought against Hebron,

37 and he took (it), and smote it by the sharpness of (the) sword; and the king thereof, and all the cities of that country, and all men that dwelled therein; he left not any things of value, or relics, therein (he left nothing of value, or any remnant, there); as he had done to Eglon so he did also to Hebron, and wasted by (the) sword all things that were therein.

38 From thence Joshua turned (again) into Debir, and took, and wasted it; (From there Joshua returned to Debir, and took it, and destroyed it;)

39 and he smote by (the) sharpness of (the) sword the king thereof, and all the towns about it; and he left not any things of value, or relics, therein (and he left nothing of value, or any remnant, there); as he had done to Hebron, and to Libnah, and to their kings, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof.

40 And so Joshua smote all the land of the hills, and of the south, and of the field, and Ashdod, with their kings; he left not therein any relics, (or anything of value), but he killed all thing(s) that might breath, as the Lord God of Israel commanded to him; (And so Joshua struck down all the people of the hill country, and of the lands of the south, and of the plains, and of the springs, and all their kings; he left nothing of value, or any remnant, there, but he killed everything that lived, as the Lord God of Israel commanded to him;)