Yehoshua 11:13

13 But as for the towns that stood on their tel (mound, old site), Yisroel burned none of them, except Chatzor only; that did Yehoshua burn.

Yehoshua 11:13 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 11:13

But as for the cities that stood still in their strength
Whose walls were not demolished when taken, as Kimchi and Jarchi interpret it, or that "stood upon their heaps" ^F25; upon an eminence, being built on hills and mountains:

Israel burned none of them;
but reserved them for their own habitations, being well fortified, and having no need of new walls being built to them, or being in a very agreeable situation:

save Hazor only, [that] did Joshua burn;
because it was the chief city where the scheme was formed, and the combination against Israel was made, and was the rendezvous of the confederate forces against them: the Jews have a tradition ^F26, that God said to Moses, and Moses said to Joshua, that he should burn it, and that only.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (Mlt le) "super tumulum eorum", Montanus; "quae erant in collibus et in tamulis sitae", V. L.
F26 Bereshit Rabba, sect. 81. fol. 71. 1.

Yehoshua 11:13 In-Context

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.

13 But as for the towns that stood on their tel (mound, old site), Yisroel burned none of them, except Chatzor only; that did Yehoshua burn.

14 And all the plunder of these towns, and the behemah, the Bnei Yisroel carried off for themselves; but kol haAdam they struck down with the edge of the cherev, until they had destroyed them, neither left they kol neshamah.

15 Just as Hashem commanded Moshe His Eved, so did Moshe command Yehoshua, and so did Yehoshua; he left nothing undone of all that Hashem commanded Moshe.