Joshua 10:36-37 Meaning: Why Joshua Had to Conquer Hebron Again
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Meaning in one sentence
Joshua conquered Hebron after its king had already been killed. This passage shows the completeness of God's judgment and the repeated obedience required.
Context
This passage comes near the end of Joshua's southern campaign, a rapid series of victories over the Amorite city‑kings. Earlier, the five kings had been captured in a cave at Makkedah and executed, but their fortified cities still stood. Now Joshua leads Israel from Eglon up into the hill country to take Hebron, one of the oldest and most significant cities in Canaan, the place where Abraham once lived and where the giant sons of Anak would later be remembered. The city had already lost its king, yet it resisted. The battle had to be fought again.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words deepen what we read here. The phrase “he left no one remaining” (lo hish’ir sarid) uses sarid, a word for a survivor or remnant. The negation is absolute: not even one escapee. The verb “utterly destroyed” (vayyacharem) comes from charam, meaning to devote something entirely to God, sometimes in judgment, sometimes as a holy gift. It was an act of total surrender to God’s command. And the word for “souls” (nephesh) reminds us that these were living persons, not abstractions. The text does not hide the human weight of what happened.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this passage as a sobering account of divine judgment on the Canaanite nations, whose sin, as earlier Scripture indicates, had reached a point where God decreed their removal. Some see it as a unique theocratic war under the Old Covenant, a one‑time act of holy judgment not repeated or commanded for later believers. Others, especially in the early church, read the conquest allegorically as the soul’s battle against sin and the need for total surrender. Historic Christian teaching agrees that this narrative shows God’s holiness and the seriousness of sin, while also pointing forward to the greater victory won by Christ.
A common misunderstanding
A reader might think that this passage contradicts itself: the king of Hebron was already killed at Makkedah (Joshua 10:23), yet here a king is slain again. In fact, as several commentators explain, the city had installed a successor king in the meantime. The battle was not a repeat of what had already been done; it was a new conquest against new leadership. The repetition shows how thoroughly Joshua carried out God’s command.
Living This Out
Sometimes we fight a battle, against a habit, a fear, a temptation, and we think it is over. Then the same struggle resurfaces. Maybe a new form of the old problem appears, just as Hebron had a new king. This passage invites you not to be discouraged when you face a second round. It does not mean your first victory failed. It means the work of obedience is thorough, and God who commanded the first battle will be with you in the next one. Ask Him for strength to go up again.
Main takeaway: God requires thorough obedience in the battles He commands, even when they must be faced again.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Joshua had to fight a battle in a city called Hebron. He had already beaten a bad king, but a new bad king took his place. So Joshua fought again, and God helped him win.
For ages 9, 12
Hebron was an important city, and even though its first king had been killed, the city had a new leader who resisted God’s people. Joshua didn’t assume the job was done, he went back and obeyed God completely. Sometimes we have to face a problem more than once, and that’s okay. God gives new strength for the next time.
Questions People Ask
Why did Joshua have to conquer Hebron again if its king was already dead?
The original king of Hebron was among the five kings killed at Makkedah. But the city did not surrender. A new king had been set up, and the city remained fortified. Joshua had to fight a second battle to take control of the city itself, not just its ruler.
What does 'utterly destroyed' mean in this passage?
The Hebrew verb charam (here translated 'utterly destroyed') means to devote something totally to God, often through destruction in the context of judgment. It was a solemn religious act, not random violence. God commanded this as judgment on the Canaanite nations for their sin, and Joshua carried it out as an act of obedience.
Was this cruel? How should Christians understand the destruction of entire cities?
These passages are hard for modern readers. Christians across traditions agree that God is just, and that the judgment on Canaan was a unique event in salvation history, not a model for today. The New Testament teaches that God's ultimate judgment is carried out through Christ, and believers are called to love enemies, not to take up the sword.
What later happened to Hebron?
After the conquest, Hebron was given to Caleb as his inheritance (Joshua 14:13-14). It became a Levitical city and a city of refuge. Later, it was associated with Abraham’s burial place at the cave of Machpelah. So this place of judgment also became a place of promise and rest for God’s people.
Who was the king of Hebron mentioned here?
The king of Hebron at the time of Joshua’s campaign was originally named Hoham (Joshua 10:3). He was captured and killed at Makkedah. The king mentioned in chapter 10:37 was likely a successor who had taken control after Hoham’s death. The text does not give his name.
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