Albert Barnes

At that time Horam king of Gezer went to help Lachish, but Joshua struck him down along with his people, leaving no survivors.

“Gezer lies on the southern border of the tribe of Ephraim Jos 16:3. It was considerably to the northward of Joshua’s present line of operations, and does not appear to have been captured at this time.”

They captured it and put to the sword its king, all its villages, and all the people.

“The king thereof - No doubt the successor of the king slain at Makkedah Jos 10:23. All the cities thereof - i. e. the smaller towns dependent upon Hebron. The expression marks Hebron as the metropolis of other subject towns.”

Finally Joshua and all Israel with him turned toward Debir and fought against it.

“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.”

Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon.

“From Kadesh-barnea unto Gaza - Num 13:26 This limits Joshua’s conquests on the west, as the other line, “all the country of Goshen unto Gibeon,” does on the east. Goshen Jos 15:51 has not been identified.”

Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph;

“Jabin - Probably the hereditary and official title of the kings of Hazor (see Jdg 4:2). The word means literally “he shall understand,” and is equivalent to “the wise” or “intelligent.””

to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the…

“Hermon - See Deu 3:9 note. The land of Mizpeh - or Mizpah,” the land of the watch-tower” The locality is probably identified as a plain stretching at the foot of Hermon southwestward, from Hasbeya, toward the Bahr el Huleh.”

All these kings joined forces and encamped at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

“Waters of Merom - i. e. “the upper waters,” the modern Bahr el Huleh, the lake Semechonitis, or Samochonitis of Josephus.”

So by the waters of Merom, Joshua and his whole army came upon them suddenly and attacked them,

“Suddenly - As before, at Gibeon Jos 10:9, so now Joshua anticipates his enemies. Taken by surprise, and hemmed in between the mountains and the lake, the chariots and horses would have no time to deploy and no room to act effectively; and thus, in…”

Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds, except Hazor, which Joshua burned.

“Render: “But the cities standing each on its own hill” (compare Jer 30:18). The meaning is simply that, with the exception of Hazor, Joshua did not burn the cities, but left them standing, each on its former site.”

from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon.

“The mount Halak - See the margin and reference. The name serves to mark the southern limit of Joshua’s conquests.”

At that time Joshua proceeded to eliminate the Anakim from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel.

“At that time - i. e. in course of the “long time” mentioned in Jos 11:18. The Anakims - See Num 13:22.”

So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the LORD had spoken to Moses.

“These words import that Joshua had overcome all overt resistance. There were, however, many districts by no means thoroughly and finally subdued Jos 13:1-6.”

Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites struck down and whose lands they took beyond the Jordan to the east, from the Arnon Valley to Mount…

“All the plain on the east - i. e. the Arabah or depressed tract along the east bank of Jordan, the modern El-Ghor (see Num 22:1). Jos 12:2 From the middle of the river - i. e.”

And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak…

“The names of the kings are given in the order of their actual encounter with Joshua. Those enumerated in Jos 12:10-18 either belonged to the league of the southern Canaanites (Jos 10:1 ff), the power of which was broken in the battle of Beth-horon, or…”

Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains…

“Joshua is bidden to allot the whole of the promised land among the twelve tribes in faith that God would perfect in due time that expulsion of the Canaanites which Joshua himself could not carry further (see Jos 11:23).”

All the territory of the Philistines and the Geshurites, from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the…

“Sihor is derived from a root signifying “to be black,” and is suitable enough as an appellative of the Nile Isa 23:3. Here it most probably stands for “the river of Egypt” (Num 34:3 note), the modern “Wady el Arish”.”

the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath.

“Giblites - The people of Gebal (“Jebail”, 22 miles north of Beyronut). They were “stone-squarers” 1Ki 5:18 and (ship) “caulkers” Eze 27:9.”

Now behold, as the LORD promised, He has kept me alive these forty-five years since He spoke this word to Moses, while Israel wandered in the wilderness.

“Forty and five years - The word of God to Moses was spoken after the return of the spies in the autumn of the second year after the Exodus Num 13:25; subsequently, 38 years elapsed before the people reached the Jordan Num 20:1; after the…”

(Hebron used to be called Kiriath-arba, after Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.

“A great man - literally, the great man; i. e. the renowned ancestor of the tribe, regarded as the founder of its greatness Jos 15:13.”

Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine.

“The going up to Adummim - Rather, “the ascent or pass of Adummim” (compare Jos 15:3, margin), on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Its name signifies “red” and is explained by Jerome as given because of the frequent bloodshed there by robbers.”

From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

“Nephtoab is probably the modern “Ain Lifta”, two miles and a half northwestward of Jerusalem: and Mount Ephron is conjecturally connected with the city Ephrain 2Ch 13:19 or Ophrah Jos 18:23.”

Then it went out to the northern slope of Ekron, curved toward Shikkeron, proceeded to Mount Baalah, went on to Jabneel, and ended at the Sea.

“Jabneel - The modern “Yebna”, about three miles from the coast and twelve miles south of Joppa. It is called Jabneh in 2Ch 26:6, where Uzziah is recorded to have taken it from the Philistines and destroyed its fortifications.”

From there he marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).

“The name Debir belonged to two other places; namely,, that named in Jos 15:7, between Jerusalem and Jericho, and the Gadite town mentioned in Jos 13:26.”

So Othniel son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz captured the city, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.

“Othniel was probably Caleb’s younger brother; the expression “son of Kenaz” being only an equivalent for the “Kenezite” Jos 14:6.”

“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.”

“A south land - This term (“negeb”) which is often equivalent to a proper name Jos 15:21, importing the well-defined district which formed the south of the promised land (Num 13:17 note), seems here used in its more general sense Psa 126:4, for a dry…”