יהושע, פרק י׳, פסוק ל״ז

The conquest of Hebron represents a decisive step in the Israelites' sweeping military campaign across the land. Following the systematic destruction applied to previous strongholds, the fall of Hebron is absolute. The devastation extends far beyond the main city center to encompass the entire surrounding geographic and administrative region. This includes neighboring towns, smaller settlements, and anyone living along the borders under Hebron's protection [מצודת דוד, רד"ק].

A historical difficulty arises regarding the death of Hebron's king, as he was one of the five kings already captured and executed following the earlier battle of Gibeon. The primary approach among commentators resolves this by explaining that immediately after the first king's death, the residents of Hebron appointed a successor, who was then killed in this subsequent attack. A different perspective suggests that Hebron may have originally been governed by two kings ruling at the same time [מלבי"ם].

Another apparent contradiction involves the identity of the conqueror. While the victory here is credited to Joshua and the entire Israelite nation, other biblical accounts record that Caleb actually captured Hebron and defeated its giants, while Othniel conquered the nearby city of Debir. To reconcile this, [מלבי"ם] offers two explanations. The first draws a geographic distinction: Joshua conquered the primary city of Hebron itself—which was later designated as a city for the Levites—while Caleb captured the surrounding agricultural fields and unwalled settlements. The second explanation suggests that Caleb did, in fact, lead this specific battle after reminding Joshua of a promise made by Moses and receiving permission to attack. Because Caleb and Othniel operated under Joshua's direct military authority and command, the sweeping victory is ultimately attributed to Joshua.