约书亚记 11:13

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

至於那些立在土丘上的城，除了夏瑣以外，以色列人都沒有焚燒；約書亞只燒了夏瑣。

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
至 於 造 在 山 冈 上 的 城 ， 除 了 夏 琐 以 外 ， 以 色 列 人 都 没 有 焚 烧 。 约 书 亚 只 将 夏 琐 焚 烧 了 。

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ Then Joshua went back and captured the city of Hazor and killed its king. (Hazor had been the leader of all the kingdoms that fought against Israel.) ¹¹ Israel killed everyone in Hazor, completely destroying them; no one was left alive. Then they burned Hazor itself. ¹² Joshua captured all of these cities, killed all of their kings, and completely destroyed everything in these cities. He did this just as Moses, the servant of the Lord , had commanded. ¹³ But the Israelites did not burn any cities that were built on their mounds, except Hazor; only that city was burned by Joshua. ¹⁴ The people of Israel kept for themselves everything they found in the cities, including all the animals. But they killed all the people there; they left no one alive.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in their: Heb. on their heap, The Vulgate, Syriac, Onkelos and Waterland render âl tillom, "on their hills." As the cities of the plain might be easily attacked and carried, Joshua destroyed them; but as those on mountains, hills, or other eminences, might be retained by him with little trouble, prudence would dictate their preservation. Jeremiah 30:18

Reciprocal: Joshua 24:13 - cities 2 Kings 15:29 - Hazor

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But as for the cities that stood still in their strength,.... Whose walls were not demolished when taken, as Kimchi and Jarchi interpret it, or that "stood upon their heaps" y; upon an eminence, being built on hills and mountains:

Israel burned none of them; but reserved them for their own habitations, being well fortified, and having no need of new walls being built to them, or being in a very agreeable situation:

save Hazor only, [that] did Joshua burn; because it was the chief city where the scheme was formed, and the combination against Israel was made, and was the rendezvous of the confederate forces against them: the Jews have a tradition z, that God said to Moses, and Moses said to Joshua, that he should burn it, and that only.

y על תלם "super tumulum eorum", Montanus; "quae erant in collibus et in tamulis sitae", V. L. z Bereshit Rabba, sect. 81. fol. 71. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Render: “But the cities standing each on its own hill” (compare Jeremiah 30:18). The meaning is simply that, with the exception of Hazor, Joshua did not burn the cities, but left them standing, each on its former site. This site is spoken of as a hill, because such was the ordinary site chosen for cities in Canaan (compare Matthew 5:14).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 11:13. The cities that stood still in their strength — The word תלם tillam, which we translate their strength, and the margin, their heap, has been understood two ways.

1. As signifying those cities which had made peace with the Israelites, when conditions of peace were offered according to the command of the law; and consequently were not destroyed. Such as the cities of the Hivites; see Joshua 11:19.

2. The cities which were situated upon hills and mountains, which, when taken, might be retained with little difficulty. In this sense the place is understood by the Vulgate, as pointing out the cities quae erant in collibus et tumulis sitae, "which were situated on hills and eminences." As the cities of the plain might be easily attacked and carried, Joshua destroyed them; but as those on mountains, hills, or other eminences, might be retained with little trouble, prudence would dictate their preservation, as places of refuge in any insurrection of the people, or invasion of their adversaries. The passage in Jeremiah, Jeremiah 30:18, Jerusalem shall be builded on her own heap, תלה tillah, if understood as above, conveys an easy and clear sense: Jerusalem shall be re-established on her OWN HILL.