שופטים, פרק א׳, פסוק ח׳

The capture of Jerusalem stands as a historic milestone, bridging the battles of the past with the ongoing settlement of the tribes in the land of Israel. The campaign against this key city sparks a discussion regarding exactly when the battle took place. One perspective suggests that the account is a look back at the past, serving as a reminder of the conflict that already occurred during the days of Joshua, who defeated the king of Jerusalem alongside other Canaanite kings [רד״ק].

However, the primary approach among commentators is that the battle actually occurred after Joshua's death. According to this view, while Joshua did kill the king of Jerusalem during an earlier battle outside the city limits, the residents themselves remained safely inside. Therefore, the men of Judah had to attack the city and capture its inhabitants later, long after their king was gone [אלשיך, אברבנאל]. This later military campaign was launched to punish the city's residents for rebelling. Yet, the men of Judah only managed to conquer the city proper. The inner fortress remained firmly in the hands of the Jebusites and was not captured until the era of King David [מלבי״ם].

When it came to destroying the conquered area, the men of Judah ignited fires throughout every part of the city [רש״י]. The act of setting the city ablaze is described in a way that compares the fire to a messenger. Once a person lights it in one spot, the fire carries out its mission, spreading naturally from place to place until it consumes everything in its path [מצודת ציון]. On a deeper level, this action signifies that through the flames, the men of Judah actively sent the city away from a state of existence, reducing it to absolute nothingness [מלבי״ם].