Commentators unanimously agree that the destruction of Zephath was the fulfillment of a vow Israel made to God years earlier in the wilderness (Numbers 21:1–3). After suffering a defeat, they vowed that if God would deliver the Canaanites into their hand, they would utterly destroy their cities. This event, therefore, is not just a military victory but an act of long-delayed obedience and faithfulness to a promise made to God.