Joshua 10:3

3 So Adoni-Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, made an appeal to Hoham, the king of Hebron. He appealed to Piram, the king of Jarmuth. He appealed to Japhia, the king of Lachish. He also made an appeal to Debir, the king 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.

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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 was the king of Jerusalem. He heard that Joshua had taken Ai. He found out that the city had been set apart to the LORD in a special way to be destroyed. He heard that Joshua had done to Ai and its king the same thing he had done to Jericho and its king. Adoni-Zedek heard that the people of Gibeon had made a peace treaty with Israel. He also found out that they were living among the people of Israel.

2 The things he heard alarmed him and his people very much. That's because Gibeon was an important city. It was like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai. All of its men were good soldiers.

3 So Adoni-Zedek, the king of Jerusalem, made an appeal to Hoham, the king of Hebron. He appealed to Piram, the king of Jarmuth. He appealed to Japhia, the king of Lachish. He also made an appeal to Debir, the king of Eglon.

4 "Come up and help me attack Gibeon," he said. "Its people have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel."

5 The kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon gathered their armies together. Those five Amorite kings moved all of their troops into position to fight against Gibeon. Then they attacked it.