3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
For Hebron, see Genesis 13:18. Jarmuth, afterward 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, 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 of this sin the capture of the city by Sennacherib was the punishment 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.
Hoham king of Hebron - This city was situated in the mountains, southward of Jerusalem, from which it was about thirty miles distant. It fell to the tribe of Judah.
Piram king of Jarmuth - There were two cities of this name; one belonged to the tribe of Issachar, see Joshua 21:29; that mentioned here fell to the tribe of Judah, see Joshua 15:35; it is supposed to have been about eighteen miles distant from Jerusalem.
Japhia king of Lachish - This city is celebrated in Scripture; in that city Amaziah was slain by conspirators, 2-Kings 14:19. It was besieged by Sennacherib, 2-Kings 18:14, 2-Kings 18:17; and without effect by the king of Assyria, as we learn from Isaiah 37:8 : it was also besieged by the army of Nebuchadnezzar, see Jeremiah 34:7; it also fell to the lot of Judah, Joshua 15:39.
Debir king of Eglon - Where this city was situated is very uncertain; but we learn from Joshua 15:39, that it fell to the lot of the tribe of Judah.
Wherefore (a) Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
(a) That is, "Lord of justice", so tyrants take for themselves glorious names, when indeed they are the very enemies of God and all justice.
Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron,.... Which, according to Jerom (d) was twenty two miles from Jerusalem; it was an ancient city built seven years before Zoan in Egypt; See Gill on Genesis 13:18 and See Gill on Numbers 13:22,
and unto Piram king of Jarmuth; a city which fell to the lot of Judah, as did Hebron, Joshua 15:35; according to Jerom (e), it was four miles distant from Eleutheropolis; according to Procopius (f) fourteen, about the village Eshtaol, near to which Samson was buried, Judges 16:31; but Jerom (g) speaks of a city called Jermus, in the tribe of Judah, which seems to be the same with this; and which he says in his day was a village, that went by the name of Jermucha, ten miles from Eleutheropolis, as you go to Aelia or Jerusalem; and as Eleutheropolis lay twenty miles from Jerusalem, this place must be ten miles from it, lying between them both:
and unto Japhia king of Lachish; which the above writer says (h) was a city in the tribe of Judah, and in his time a village, seven miles from Eleutheropolis, as you go to Daroma, or the south; and, according to Bunting (i), it lay between Eleutheropolis and Hebron, and was twenty miles from Jerusalem towards the southwest:
and unto Debir king of Eglon; which the Septuagint version calls Odollam or Adullam; and Jerom, following this version, makes Eglon the same with Adullam, when it is certain they were different places, and had distinct kings over them, Joshua 12:12; and which he says (k) in his time was a very large village, twelve miles from Eleutheropolis to the east; and, according to Bunting (l) it was twelve miles from Jerusalem southward. To these four kings the king of Jerusalem sent:
saying; as follows.
(d) De loc. Hebrews. fol. 87. E. (e) lb. fol. 92. H. (f) Apud Reland. Palestin. Illustrat. l. 2. p. 505. (g) Ut supra, (De loc. Hebrews. fol. 92.) I. (h) Ib. M. (i) Travels, p. 99. (k) De loc. Hebrews. fol. 91. A. (l) Travels, p. 92.
Wherefore Adoni-zedek . . . sent, . . . saying, Come up unto me, and help me--A combined attack was meditated on Gibeon, with a view not only to punish its people for their desertion of the native cause, but by its overthrow to interpose a barrier to the farther inroads of the Israelites. This confederacy among the mountaineers of Southern Palestine was formed and headed by the king of Jerusalem, because his territory was most exposed to danger, Gibeon being only six miles distant, and because he evidently possessed some degree of pre-eminence over his royal neighbors.
Adoni - zedek sent - Either because he was superior to them, or because he was nearest the danger, and most forward in the work.
*More commentary available at chapter level.