This chapter relates how that the kings of the northern parts of Canaan combine together against Joshua, Jos 11:1; and that the Lord encouraged him to fight with them, and did deliver them into his hands, who, with all their people, were smitten by him, Jos 11:6; and how that he took their cities, and destroyed the inhabitants of them, and took the spoil of them for a prey, Jos 11:12; and so became master of the whole country, both southern and northern, which is described Jos 11:16; and the chapter is concluded with an account of his cutting off the Anakim from various parts, which finished the conquest of the whole land, Jos 10:21.
Ver. 1. And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard [these things],.... The taking of Jericho and Ai, the defeat of the five kings, and the conquest of the southern part of the land of Canaan; he was alarmed by them, and sent to all the northern kings to join with him against Israel; and he the rather took this upon him, because as Adonizedek king of Jerusalem was the principal king in the southern part of the land, so was he in the northern part; see Jos 11:10; Hazor fell to the tribe of Naphtali, Jos 19:36.
It was situated, as Josephus says, on the lake Samachonitis, the same with the waters of Merom, Jos 11:5. According to Adrichomius , it was four miles from the castle Theron to the north, six miles from Caesarea Philippi to the southwest, and nine miles from the great sea to the east; and was, in the times of Christ, one of the ten principal cities of the region of Decapolis, in which he preached, Mt 4:25; and is now called Antiopia; and in the Arabic version here it is called Caesarea, and, according to Bunting , it lay eighty miles from Jerusalem to the north:that he sent to Jobab king of Madon; of which place we nowhere else read but in Jos 12:19; though Brocard finds a place near Dan, called Madan by the Turks at this day:and to the king of Shimron; not Samaria, as many think, for that was built by Omri, king of Israel, and had its name from Shemer, the owner of the hill on which it was built some hundreds of years after this; besides Samaria was in the tribe of Ephraim, this in the tribe of Zebulun, Jos 19:15; and is called Shimronmeron, Jos 12:20; and in the Jerusalem Talmud Simoniah, and here in the Septuagint version Symoson:and to the king of Achshaph: a city which fell to the lot of the tribe of Asher, Jos 19:25.
The Septuagint calls it Aziph, as if it was the same with Achzib, or Ecdippa, now called Zib: but Achshaph and Achzib are manifestly distinguished, Jos 19:25. Jerom says , in his time it was a little village, and went by the name of Chasalus, eight miles from Diocaesarea, at the foot of Mount Tabor.
The Arabic version adds a fourth king that Jabin sent to, called "the king of Mausel"; but we read not of any such place in the land of Canaan. Antiqu. l. 5. c. 5. sect. 1. Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 102.
Travels of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 101. Apud Fuller's Pisgah Sight, B. 2. c. 4. p. 114. Megillah, fol. 70. 1. De loc. Heb. fol. 88. C.