Albert Barnes Commentary Joshua 10

Adoni-zedec – that is "Lord of righteousness" (compare Melchizedek, "King of righteousness"); probably an official title of the Jebusite kings.

Jerusalem – that is "foundation of peace," . The city belonged to the inheritance of Benjamin (Joshua 18:28) but was on the very edge of the territory of Judah (Joshua 15:8).

Hence, it was the strong and warlike tribe of Judah which eventually captured the lower part of the city, most likely in the days of Joshua’s later conquests (Judges 1:8), and after the warlike strength of the Jebusites had been weakened by the defeat in the open field recorded in this chapter.

The upper town, especially the fortified hill of Zion, remained in the hands of the Jebusites. They accordingly kept a footing in the place, along with the men of Judah and Benjamin, even after the conquest (Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21). Indeed, it seems they had, to that extent and no doubt gradually, regained possession of the whole, so that Jerusalem was spoken of in the days of the Judges as a Jebusite city.

David finally stormed "the stronghold of Zion" and called it "the City of David" (2 Samuel 5:6–9). It was, probably, only after this conquest and the adoption by David of the city as the religious and political metropolis of the whole nation, that the name Jerusalem came into use (2 Samuel 5:5) in substitution for Jebus.

For Hebron, see (Genesis 13:18). Jarmuth, later one of the cities of Judah (Joshua 15:35), is probably identified with the modern Yarmuk. Lachish was also a city of Judah (Joshua 15:39) and, like Jarmuth, was occupied by Jews after the captivity (Nehemiah 11:39). It was fortified by Rehoboam after the revolt of the ten tribes (2 Chronicles 11:9) and seems to have been regarded as one of the safest places of refuge (2 Kings 14:19). Through Lachish, the idolatry of Israel was imported into Judah (Micah 1:13), and the capture of the city by Sennacherib was the punishment for this sin (2 Kings 18:14–17; 2 Kings 19:8). Lachish is by most authorities identified with Um Lakis, lying some twenty miles west of Eleutheropolis, on the road to Gaza (and by Conder with El Hesy).

Eglon is the modern Ajlan.

The language reflects the urgency of the crisis. Accordingly, Joshua made a forced march, accompanied only by his soldiers (Joshua 10:7), and accomplished in a single night the distance from Gilgal to Gibeon (about 15 miles in a direct line), which on a former occasion had been a three days’ journey (Joshua 9:17).

Beth-horon - The two places of this name, the upper and the lower Beth-horon, are identified with the villages Beit-ur el Foka (the upper) and Beit-ur et Tahta (the lower), Beit-ur probably being a corruption of Beth-horon.

The name itself (“house of caves”) points to the exceedingly rocky character of the district. Upper Beth-horon was between six and seven miles west of Gibeon, and “the way that goes up to Beth-horon” must accordingly be the hilly road which leads from Gibeon to it.

Between the two Beth-horons is a steep pass, the going down to Beth-horon (Joshua 10:11), and here the Amorites were crushed by the hailstones.

The main road from Jerusalem and the Jordan valley to the seacoast lay through the pass of Beth-horon. Accordingly, both Beth-horons were secured by Solomon with strong fortifications (2 Chronicles 8:5). It was in this pass that Judas Maccabaeus routed the Syrians under Seron (1 Maccabees 3:13 and following). Here also, according to Jewish traditions, the destruction of the host of Sennacherib took place (2 Kings 19:35).

Azekah, which has not yet been certainly identified, was in the hill country, between the mountains around Gibeon and the plain. It was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:9) and besieged by the Babylonians (Jeremiah 34:7) shortly before the captivity. It was an inhabited city after the return from the exile (Nehemiah 11:30).

Makkedah - The exact site of this town is uncertain. It was situated in the plain between the mountains and the line of seacoast which the Philistines held (Joshua 15:41), and not far northeast of Libnah (Joshua 12:15–16). (Warren (Conder) identifies it with the modern el Mughhar, a village on the south side of the valley of Torek.)

Compare Ecclesiasticus 46:6. Frightful storms occasionally sweep over the hills of Judea; but this was evidently a miraculous occurrence, like the hail which struck Egypt (Exodus 9:24) and the tempest which fell on the Philistines at Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:10).