Joshua 10:38

38 Then Joshua and the Israelites turned back and attacked Debir.

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 From Eglon, Joshua and the Israelite army went up to Hebron and attacked it.

37 They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages. And just as he had done at Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population.

38 Then Joshua and the Israelites turned back and attacked Debir.

39 He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. He did to Debir and its king just what he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king.

40 So Joshua conquered the whole region—the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.