John Gill Commentary Joshua 10:38

"And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it:" — Joshua 10:38 (ASV)

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir
A city, according to Kimchi, which he passed by when he went to Hebron, and did not fight against it; but, when he had taken Hebron, returned and took it; and which Bunting ^F8 says was but a mile from it, and twenty two miles from Jerusalem, towards the south; it is the same with Kirjathsepher and Kirjathsannah, (Joshua 15:15Joshua 15:49) ; the city of a book or books;

and the Rabbins say ^F9 , that with the Persians Debir signifies the same, and had its name from a library which was here kept, or from the archives in which the most memorable things since the flood were recorded; or from the making of paper or parchment, or whatsoever was made use of for writing, and of which volumes of books were made:

and fought against it ;
it refusing to submit to him upon his summons.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F8: Travels of the Patriarchs p. 96.
• F9: T. Bab. Avodah Zarah, fol. 24. 2.