Joshua 10:36-37 · Bible study
Joshua 10:36-37 Commentary: The Repeated Conquest of Hebron
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Commentary on Joshua 10:36-37: why Hebron needed a second battle, the meaning of herem (utter destruction), and the theological significance for readers struggling with the violence of
Research Summary
- Meaning: The complete conquest of Hebron, showing the persistence of Canaanite resistance and the thoroughness of Joshua’s obedience to God’s command of herem.
- Key words: cherev (sword), herem (utterly destroy/devote), nephesh (soul/person), sarid (survivor), lakad (capture).
- Main debate: Whether the king was a successor (majority view) or the same king (not supported by supplied sources).
- Theological theme: God’s judgment on Canaanite sin and His faithfulness to give the land; the holiness that requires total removal of evil; judgment clearing the way for promise (Caleb’s inheritance).
- Best use: Teaching on the nature of judgment, the need for complete obedience, and the assurance that even severe judgment serves God’s redemptive plan.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
36Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it.
37They captured it and put to the sword its king, all its villages, and all the people. Joshua left no survivors, just as he had done at Eglon; he devoted to destruction Hebron and everyone in it.
WEB World English Bible 2000
36Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it.
37They took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with its king and all its cities, and all the souls who were in it. He left no one remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls who were in it.
KJV King James Version 1769
36And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:
37And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
36And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:
37and they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls that were therein.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
36And Joshua goeth up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron, and they fight against it,
37and capture it, and smite it by the mouth of the sword, and its king, and all its cities, and every person who is in it--he hath not left a remnant--according to all that he did to Eglon--and doth devote it, and every person who is in it.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
36And Joshua went up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron; and they fought against it.
37And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein: he let none remain, according to all that he had done to Eglon; and he utterly destroyed it, and all the souls that were therein.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
36He went up also with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron, and fought against it:
37Took it, and destroyed it with the edge of the sword: the king also thereof, and all the towns of that country, and all the souls that dwelt in it: he left not therein any remains: as he had done to Eglon, so did he also to Hebron, putting to the sword all that he found in it.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joshua 10:36
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across the supplied sources agree that the battle for Hebron was a separate event from the execution of the five kings at Makkedah (Joshua 10:23). Clarke, Barnes, the Cambridge Bible, and Gill all note that the king killed here was a successor, set up after the earlier defeat. This resolves the apparent discrepancy and shows the Canaanite resistance was not broken by the loss of the coalition's leaders.
The passage uses the verb herem (H2763, “utterly destroyed”) with the formula “he left no one remaining,” matching the pattern of the southern campaign (Joshua 10:28, 43). Wesley and Henry emphasize the thoroughness of Joshua’s obedience. Both Clarke and Gill observe that despite this devastation, the city was later repopulated by Canaanites and had to be reconquered by Judah after Joshua’s death (Judges 1:10), indicating the campaign’s completeness was military, not permanent occupation.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Joshua conquered Hebron completely, leaving no survivors, as a continuation of the southern campaign. The king defeated here was a successor to the one killed at Makkedah, resolving the apparent contradiction between these verses and Joshua 10:23.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the king of Hebron in v. 37 | He was a new king, a successor to the one executed at Makkedah (Joshua 10:23). This explains why the city still needed to be fought. | No significant disagreement among the consulted commentators. All who address it (Clarke, Barnes, Cambridge, Gill) affirm the successor view. |
| The meaning and purpose of herem (utter destruction) | It is a divine command to consecrate the city to God by completely destroying it, an act of judgment on Canaanite sin. | Some Christians see this as a unique historical command for Israel’s conquest, not a model for later ethics. Others view it as a perpetually valid principle of radical judgment against evil, while still others interpret it allegorically as the soul’s war against sin. The supplied commentaries do not engage this modern debate. |
| Relationship to the conquest in Judges 1:10 | Hebron was conquered again by the tribe of Judah after Joshua’s death. | Clarke argues this is a separate, later event (the Canaanites returned and fortified the city). A minority view holds that Judges 1 gives a more detailed account of the same event, but Clarke rejects this because Judges 1:1 states the events occurred after Joshua’s death. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Hebron held deep significance long before Joshua. Abraham settled there and built an altar (Genesis 13:18). The spies sent by Moses encountered the Anakim in Hebron (Numbers 13:22), and the city was reportedly built seven years before Zoan in Egypt, marking it as an ancient, fortified stronghold. It sat in the hill country of Judah, requiring Joshua and his army to “go up” from the lowland Eglon, a climb of about sixteen miles according to Bunting (cited by Gill).
In the broader narrative of Joshua 10, this battle follows a fixed formula: after a coalition of five Amorite kings attacked Gibeon, Joshua defeated them at Gibeon, executed the kings at Makkedah, then systematically destroyed each allied city. The Hebrew term used in v. 37, va’yacharem (he devoted to destruction), is the same verb used for Jericho (Joshua 6:21). It describes a total consecration of the city to God, not merely military slaughter, but a judgment act.
The city also appears as Kiriath Arba, the city of Anak’s father, and later became Caleb’s inheritance (Joshua 14:13, 15). This tension, utter destruction followed by promised possession, points to God’s dual work of judgment and covenant faithfulness. The land would be cleansed and then given, even if the process would take years and require further battles after Joshua’s day.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Joshua 10:36-37. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts. The translations consulted (WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay) agree on the wording, with minor differences in phrasing (e.g., “destroyed it utterly” vs. “devoted it”) but no substantive variations.
Reception History
In Christian tradition, this passage has been read primarily as an example of God’s judgment and the necessity of complete obedience. Reformers like Matthew Henry saw in the destruction of Hebron a pattern for putting sin to death without compromise. Some early church writers allegorized the conquest, interpreting Hebron as a symbol of the soul’s strongholds that must be taken by the power of God. In the modern period, many readers have struggled with the violence, leading to debates about the nature of divine commands in the Old Testament. The later gift of Hebron to Caleb (Joshua 14:13-14) provides a redemptive arc that balances judgment with covenant promise, and this has been a source of hope in preaching across evangelical and Reformed traditions.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The persistence of opposition. Joshua already defeated the king of Hebron at Makkedah (Joshua 10:23). Yet the city still required a full assault. In the Christian life, old strongholds can reemerge after initial victory; vigilance is needed.
- The completeness of judgment. The repetition of “utterly destroyed” and “left no one remaining” stresses that God’s command required no half-measures. This is not cruelty but the thorough removal of what stood against His purposes.
- The ultimate inheritance. Despite the destruction, Caleb later received Hebron as his portion (Joshua 14:13-14). Judgment cleared the way for promise. God’s goal is not destruction for its own sake but restoration.
Five-point outline
- Divine command: Yahweh ordained the conquest (v. 40).
- Human obedience: Joshua and Israel executed it precisely.
- Total judgment: Every person and dependent city was devoted to destruction.
- Ongoing resistance: Even after a king fell, the city fought on.
- Fulfilled promise: Hebron later became a city of refuge and a priestly city, and Caleb’s family possessed it.
Illustration hooks
- The gardener who pulls a weed only to find the root still deep; the same plant grows back. Thorough removal is the only way.
- The marathon runner who thinks the race is over after mile 20, only to face the hardest stretch. The last cities require as much effort as the first.
- The person dealing with a persistent habit: after one victory, the temptation returns in a new form. It must be addressed decisively, not just managed.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can a God of love command the death of every person in a city, including children?
- Why does the Bible include such violent stories, and how should we apply them to our lives as Christians?
- What does it mean that Caleb later inherited a city that had been utterly destroyed? Does that change how we read this passage?
Leading a Discussion
This passage continues the southern campaign narrative. The main puzzle is why Hebron required another battle after its king had already been killed. The supplied commentators agree that a new king had taken over, showing the resilience of Canaanite resistance. As you discuss, consider what this repetition reveals about God’s judgment and Joshua’s obedience, and how it connects to the larger story of the land being given to Israel.
Discussion questions
- What words and phrases are repeated in verses 36, 37? Why do you think the writer emphasizes them?
- How does this account relate to what happened earlier to the five kings at Makkedah (Joshua 10:16, 27)?
- Why did Joshua need to fight Hebron if its king was already dead? What does this tell us about the nature of the conquest?
- The text says Joshua “utterly destroyed” the city and “left no one remaining.” The Hebrew word is herem, which can mean “devoted to destruction.” What does this term convey about the purpose of the battle?
- Many people today struggle with the violence in the Old Testament. How do you make sense of a passage like this in light of the God revealed in Jesus?
- Caleb later received Hebron as his inheritance (Joshua 14:13-14). How does this future hope change the way you read the destruction here?
- What does Joshua’s obedience to God’s command, even when it required destroying a city, teach us about wholehearted obedience in our own lives?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 13:18 | Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh. |
| Numbers 13:22 | They went up by the South, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) |
| Joshua 10:3 | Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, |
| Joshua 10:5 | Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together and went up, they and all their armies, and encamped against Gibeon, and made war against it. |
| Joshua 14:13 | Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. |
| Joshua 14:14 | Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed Yahweh, the God of Israel wholeheartedly. |
| Joshua 15:13 | He gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua, even Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron). |
| Joshua 15:54 | Humtah, Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke resolves an apparent contradiction by suggesting that after Joshua's initial conquest, the scattered Canaanites returned and refortified Hebron, crowning a new king whom Joshua later killed when he took the city a second time. He finds this more rational than merging the account with Judges 1, which explicitly occurs after Joshua's death.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the king killed at Hebron was the successor to the earlier king slain at Makkedah. The expression "all its cities" refers to the smaller dependent towns, marking Hebron as the capital or metropolis of a network of subject settlements.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes two details: the march to Hebron followed a direct line but required climbing from the plain into hill country, which is why Joshua is said to have "gone up." The king of Hebron was the successor of the ruler killed at Makkedah, and "all its cities" refers to the smaller towns dependent on it.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw attention to Joshua's complete obedience in destroying every soul at Hebron, leaving none remaining just as he had done at Eglon. For these commentators, the repeated pattern of total destruction underscores that Joshua carried out God's judgment without compromise or exception.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that even though the king of Hebron had already been executed at Makkedah, the city had installed a new ruler, so Joshua had to fight again. He also observes that despite the total destruction ordered by Joshua, some Canaanites later escaped and resettled Hebron, as recorded in Judges.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange defends the historicity of this southern campaign against critics who dismiss it as romance, emphasizing that the systematic destruction of cities and inhabitants was a divine judgment. God fought for Israel, and the repeated phrase "he left none remaining" marks the complete devotion of the land to Yahweh.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the conquest of Hebron is stated here only in general terms, with the fuller account given later in chapter 15. He also clarifies that “all the cities” means the towns under Hebron’s jurisdiction, since Hebron was a royal city like Gibeon.