Joshua 10:38

Jos 10:38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:

Ver. 38. To Debir.] Formerly called Kirjathsepher. {Jdg 1:12}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jos 10:38. Joshua returned — to Debir — Joshua had not been there before, but having advanced as far south and west as he thought expedient, even as far as Gaza, which was in the western coast, (Jos 10:41,) he now returned toward the camp at Gilgal, which was north-east from him, and in his march thither took Debir, which afterward was a city of Judah, (Jos 15:49,) and one of the cities of the priests, Jos 21:15.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:38-39 Because settlement in the hill country was sparse, the surrounding villages—walled towns that could not maintain their independence—depended on the kingdoms of the dominant cities for protection.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(38) Debir is not identified.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

38. returned] or turned. “Turnyde in,” Wyclif. The words indicate a change in the direction of the march. Comp. Exo_5:22, “and Moses returned unto the Lord,” From Hebron he turned in to the south-west, and attacked Debir.

Debir] The early name of this city was Kirjath-sepher = “the town of the book” (Jos_15:15; Jdg_1:11), or Kirjath-sannah = “the town of palm” (“of the law”?) (Jos_15:49). We find it afterwards given with its “suburbs” to the priests (Jos_21:15; 1Ch_6:58). “About three miles to the west of Hebron is a deep and secluded valley called the Wady Nunkûr, enclosed on the north by hills, of which one bears a name certainly suggestive of Debir, Dewîr-ban. The name supplies some evidence that the Canaanites were acquainted with writing and books. The town probably contained a noted school, or was the site of an oracle, and the residence of some learned priests.” This accounts for the Hebrew name, Debir, which Jerome renders “oraculum.” The same term was used to denote the adytum of Solomon’s temple.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof,.... For this also was a royal city, and had others dependent on it; and therefore must lie further from Hebron than before suggested; and indeed Burchard (k) says it was five or six miles from it, and another writer (l) says ten miles:

and they smote them with the edge of the sword; the inhabitants of Debir, and the other cities adjacent to it:

and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein, he left none remaining; and yet it seems this city recovered again, and was reinhabited, and after the death of Joshua was taken by Othniel, Jdg 1:11; unless, as before observed, with respect to Hebron, there is there a more particular account of the taking of it at this time:

as he had done to Hebron, so did he to Debir, and to the king thereof,

as he had done also to Libnah and her king; that is, slew them.

(k) Apud Masium in loc. (l) Fuller's Pisgah Sight of Palestine, B. 2. c. 13. p. 276.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Joshua returned - The words mark a change in the direction of the march. Joshua from Hebron turned to the southwest, and attacked Debir or Kirjath-sepher and its dependencies Jos 15:15.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Dabir, which was formerly called Cariath sepher, "the city of the book," (chap. xv. 15,) or of Senna, (chap. xv. 45,) near Hebron. It was taken again by Othoniel and Caleb.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He is said to return thither, not as if he had been there before, but because having gone as far westward and southward as he thought fit, even as far as Gaza, Jos 10:41, he now returned towards Gilgal, which lay northward and eastward from him, and in his return fell upon Debir: See Poole "Jos 15:15".

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

38. Hebron — See on Jos_10:3. As the king of Hebron had been executed at Makkedah, his successor is probably referred to as killed in this siege.

[38. And Joshua returned… to Debir — Debir has not been with certainty identified with any modern name. Van de Velde finds it in a place called Dilbeh, six miles southwest of Hebron. Compare Stanley’s note at Jos_15:18. Others suppose it to have been nearer Hebron, on the west. Dr. Rosen places it, with much probability, at Dewirban. Its earlier name was Kirjath-sepher, (Jos_15:15,) which means book city, and intimates that the original Canaanitish inhabitants were acquainted with writing and books, and that their city became noted for learning. The same place is called Kirjath-sannah in Jos_15:49, a name of similar meaning.]

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Joshua returned. Rather, Joshua turned. Debir was not on the way back from Hebron to Eglon, but in a different direction. His march was now southward instead of eastward. Debir. A city of importance, since only Hebron and it are mentioned in the history of the campaign as having cities dependent on them. It is also called Kirjath-Sepher, (Jos_15:15 Jud_1:11) and Kirjath-Sannah. (Jos_15:49) The first name signifies "the city of the hook," from whence it has been argued that it was the seat of what we should now call an university. Recent discoveries have rendered this supposition by no means improbable. The Hittite remains have proved that people to have been a more influential and intellectual people in early times than had ever been supposed until lately. Others have suggested that it was the abode of an oracle, which is rendered probable if Debir be connected with rbd word. The meaning of Kirjath-Sannah is by no means clear. Some have derived it from the Arabic "sunna," law, or doctrine (whence the Sunnite sect among the Mohammedans), and some from hNs or hns, a palm branch, or more probably a thorn bush. Ritter thinks that both Kirjath-Sepher and Kirjath-Sannah imply the place where the public records were kept. Perhaps what is meant is that, like Mona or Anglesea to the Druids, Debir was the home of the Canaanitish religious traditions. Debir appears as Dapur in the list of fortified cities in Canaan captured by Seti I and Rameses II of Egypt. They are depicted on the monumental records. See Tomkins, "Studies of the Time of Abraham," p. 84. Debir has lately been identified by the Palestine Survey. Lieut. Conder ("Quarterly Paper," Jan., 1875, p. 48) fixes it at El Dho-heriyeh or Dhaheriyeh. The identification depends upon the passages Jos_15:19, and Jud_1:15. See note on the former. The grounds of the identification are as follows:

1. Debir (see last note) was southward of Hebron.

2. The circumstances require an arid locality, but within a moderate distance two sets of springs, or pools of water.

3. There must be signs of ancient dwellings, and, as Debir was a royal city, it must be the converging point of the various roads. All these conditions are fulfilled by El Dhaheriyeh. The rock excavations, the sign of the most ancient dwellings, are plentiful there; ancient roads are found converging in all directions. And six miles and a half north of the village fourteen springs, or pools, are found, some at the head of the valley, some lower down, and some at a lower level still. The distance of these from Debit is in exact accordance with the narrative. They are too far off to be included as a matter of course within the boundaries of Debit, and would naturally enough become the object of such a petition as Achsah is said to have preferred in the passage above cited. Wilson"s "Lands of the Bible," 1:351, speaks of the excavations here, but does not appear to have been aware of their antiquity. He describes the inhabitants as living in them. But he remarks and it is a singular confirmation of Lieut. Conder"s subsequent discovery that the sites of five out of the ten cities mentioned in conjunction with Debir in Jos_15:48-51, are to be found in the immediate neighbourhood of Dhaheriyeh (ibid. p. 353). From this passage and some others, however, Knobel has anticipated Lieut. Conder"s suggestion. He describes Thaharijeh, as he calls it, as on the high road from Gaza, with ruins of great antiquity, situated in the midst of a country which, though barren in appearance and destitute of trees and arable land, is yet rich in pasture. But he says nothing of the springs, the only thing wanting to make the evidence complete. Ritter"s description of the place as the "first place of importance" on arriving in Palestine from the south, and as the meeting place of the roads from Beersheba, from Gaza and Egypt, and from Petra and Sinai, confirm Lieut. Conder"s view, but Bitter does not seem to have identified it with Debir, though he regards it as "one of a series of fortresses designed to protect the southern frontier of Judaea" (3:193, 288). It became a Levitical city. (Jos_21:15 1Ch_6:58)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joshua returned - He is said to return thither, not as if he had been there before, but because having gone as far westward and southward as he thought fit, even as far as Gaza, ver. 41, he now returned towards Gilgal, which lay north-ward and eastward from him, and in his return fell upon Debir.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Debir ... Libnah

These are the names of cities. (See: How to Translate Names)

They struck them with the edge of the sword

The sword represents the army of Israel and striking expresses the idea of slaughter and destruction. AT: "They killed and destroyed them" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

Joshua

Israel

king

sword

creature

Hebron

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.