Joshua 10:1

1 When Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem, had heard these things, to wit, that Josue had taken Hai, and had destroyed it, (for as he had done to Jericho and the king thereof, so did he to Hai and its king) and that the Gabaonites were gone over to Israel, and were their confederates,

Joshua 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.

Joshua 10:1 In-Context

1 When Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem, had heard these things, to wit, that Josue had taken Hai, and had destroyed it, (for as he had done to Jericho and the king thereof, so did he to Hai and its king) and that the Gabaonites were gone over to Israel, and were their confederates,

2 He was exceedingly afraid. For Gabaon was a great city, and one of the royal cities, and greater than the town of Hai, and all its fighting men were most valiant.

3 Therefore Adonisedec, king of Jerusalem, sent to Oham, king of Hebron, and to Pharam, king of Jerimoth, and to Japhia, king of Lachis, and to Dabir, king of Eglon, saying:

4 Come up to me, and bring help, that we may take Gabaon, because it hath gone over to Josue, and to the children of Israel.

5 So the five kings of the Amorrhites being assembled together, went up: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jerimoth, the king of Lachis, the king of Eglon, they and their armies, and camped about Gabaon, laying siege to it.