Joshua 10:39
in Joshua 10And they captured Debir, its king, and all its villages. They put them to the sword and devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. Joshua did to Debir and its king as he had done to Hebron and as he had done to Libnah and its king.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to the king thereof.
KJV
And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.
⋯
This verse in Joshua 10
Commentary
2 notes on this verseDestroyed all the souls - ויחרימו את כל נפש vaiyacharimu eth col nephesh, they brought every person under an anathema; they either slew them or reduced them to a state of slavery. Is it reasonable to say those were slain who were found in arms, of the others they made slaves?
This site's exposition
and fought against it
on Joshua 10:38-39
Debir is Kirjath Sepher, and Joshua 15:15 to 17 has Caleb offering his daughter to the man who takes it, with Othniel taking it and becoming the first judge of Israel at Judges 3:9. The same doubling stands here as at Hebron, since the town falls in this chapter and is fought for again in the allotment. Verse 39 closes the campaign by tying Debir back to Hebron and Hebron back to Libnah, so the last verse of the run recites the whole of it.
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיִּלְכְּדָ֞הּ | vaiyilkedah | and he captured it | H3920 → | 121 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַלְכָּ֤הּ | malkah | king its | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עָרֶ֙יהָ֙ | ʾareiha | cities its | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וַיַּכּ֣וּם | vaiyakum | and they struck them | H5221 → | 499 times |
| לְפִי־ | lefi- | to [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| חֶ֔רֶב | cherev | [the] sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וַֽיַּחֲרִ֙ימוּ֙ | vaiyacharimu | and they totally destroyed | H2763 → | 52 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נֶ֣פֶשׁ | nefesh | person | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּ֔הּ | bah | [was] in <the> it | ||
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הִשְׁאִ֖יר | hishir | he left | H7604 → | 133 times |
| שָׂרִ֑יד | sarid | a survivor | H8300 → | 28 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֜ה | ʾasah | he had done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְחֶבְר֗וֹן | lechevron | to Hebron | H2275 → | 72 times |
| כֵּן־ | ken- | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
| עָשָׂ֤ה | ʾasah | he did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לִדְבִ֙רָה֙ | lidvirah | to Debir <towards> | H1688 → | 14 times |
| וּלְמַלְכָּ֔הּ | ulemalkah | and to king its | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר | vekhaasher | and just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֛ה | ʾasah | he had done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְלִבְנָ֖ה | lelivnah | to Libnah | H3841 → | 18 times |
| וּלְמַלְכָּֽהּ׃ | ulemalkah | and to king its | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַֽיִּלְכְּדָ֞הּand he captured it
vaiyilkedahH3920 →121 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מַלְכָּ֤הּking its
malkahH4428 →2525 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
עָרֶ֙יהָ֙cities its
ʾareihaH5892 →1090 times
וַיַּכּ֣וּםand they struck them
vaiyakumH5221 →499 times
לְפִי־to [the] mouth of
lefi-H6310 →498 times
חֶ֔רֶב[the] sword
cherevH2719 →413 times
וַֽיַּחֲרִ֙ימוּ֙and they totally destroyed
vaiyacharimuH2763 →52 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
נֶ֣פֶשׁperson
nefeshH5315 →754 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בָּ֔הּ[was] in <the> it
bah
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הִשְׁאִ֖ירhe left
hishirH7604 →133 times
שָׂרִ֑ידa survivor
saridH8300 →28 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֜הhe had done
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
לְחֶבְר֗וֹןto Hebron
lechevronH2275 →72 times
כֵּן־so
ken-H3651 →771 times
עָשָׂ֤הhe did
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
לִדְבִ֙רָה֙to Debir <towards>
lidvirahH1688 →14 times
וּלְמַלְכָּ֔הּand to king its
ulemalkahH4428 →2525 times
וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥רand just as
vekhaasherH834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֛הhe had done
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
לְלִבְנָ֖הto Libnah
lelivnahH3841 →18 times
וּלְמַלְכָּֽהּ׃and to king its
ulemalkahH4428 →2525 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Obadiah 1:18Then the house of Jacob will be a blazing fire, and the house of Joseph a burning flame; but the house of Esau will be stubble—Jacob will set it ablaze and consume it. Therefore…
it leads to
- Zechariah 12:6
On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among the sheaves; they will consume all the peoples around them on the right…
- Isaiah 10:17
And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles.
- Ezekiel 37:19
you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with…
- Micah 5:8
Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which…
- Isaiah 5:24
Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected…
- Zechariah 12:6
Through
Joshua 11:8and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who struck them down and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh.…
it leads to
- Joshua 13:6
All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I…
- Joshua 19:28
It went on to Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon.
- Joshua 13:6
Through
Deuteronomy 3:3So the LORD our God also delivered Og king of Bashan and his whole army into our hands. We struck them down until no survivor was left.
it leads to
- Numbers 21:35
So they struck down Og, along with his sons and his whole army, until no remnant was left. And they took possession of his land.
- Numbers 21:35
About Joshua

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonConquestJoshuaMoses' minister and successor, one of the two faithful spies; he led Israel across Jordan, around Jericho, and through the conques…
- PlaceJudean hill countryHebronThe city of the patriarchs, where Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah, Caleb took his inheritance, and David reigned seven years…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth.
