Yehoshua 10:1

1 0 Now it came to pass, when Adoni-Tzedek Melech Yerushalayim had heard how Yehoshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; just as he had done to Yericho and its melech, so he had done to Ai and its melech; and how the inhabitants of Giv’on had made terms of shalom with Yisroel, and were near them;

Yehoshua 10:1 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 10:1

Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem
So called, perhaps by anticipation, Jerusalem, since it seems to have had this name given it by the Israelites, when they had got possession of it: and Jerusalem signifies "the possession of Salem" ^F23, and in memory of this its ancient name, the Jews say ^F24, they do not put "jod" in Jerusalem between "lamed" and "mem"; though some make the signification of it, "they shall see peace" ^F25; and others, nearer to its old name, and with respect to it, "fear Salem", O ye enemies. Now the king of this place

had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it;
which, being nearer to him than Jericho, the more alarmed him:

as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her
king;
burnt the one, and slew the other; and this terrified him, lest he and his city should undergo the same fate:

and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were
among them;
which as it weakened the interest of the kings of Canaan, might set an example to other places to do the like. Abarbinel suggests, that the Gibeonites making peace with Israel secretly, without the knowledge of their king, as he supposes, made Adonizedek fearful, lest his subjects should do the like; the Jewish chronologers say ^F26, that these three acts respecting Jericho, Ai, and Gibeon, were all finished within three months.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Reland, p. 833.
F24 Gloss. in T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 16. 1.
F25 Vid. Stockium, p. 480.
F26 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 31.

Yehoshua 10:1 In-Context

1 0 Now it came to pass, when Adoni-Tzedek Melech Yerushalayim had heard how Yehoshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; just as he had done to Yericho and its melech, so he had done to Ai and its melech; and how the inhabitants of Giv’on had made terms of shalom with Yisroel, and were near them;

2 That they feared greatly, because Giv’on was an ir gedolah, like one of the royal cities, and because it was larger than Ai, and all the men thereof were gibborim.

3 Therefore Adoni-Tzedek Melech Yerushalayim, sent unto Hoham Melech Chevron, and unto Piram Melech Yarmut, and unto Yaphia Melech Lachish, and unto Devir Melech Eglon, saying,

4 Come up unto me, and help me, that we may attack Giv’on; for it hath made terms of shalom with Yehoshua and with the Bnei Yisroel.

5 Therefore the five kings of HaEmori, the Melech Yerushalayim, the Melech Chevron, the Melech Yarmut, the Melech Lachish, the Melech Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their machanot, and encamped before Giv’on, and made war against it.