10:28 Joshua took Makkedah. The campaign summarized in Joshua 10:28-40 involved the slaughter of the inhabitants of seven city-states–Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Gezer, Eglon, Hebron and Debir. Three of these–Lachish, Eglon and Hebron–had been in the five-city confederation of Amorites (Joshua 10:3) that had already been routed by the children of Israel, and their kings executed. Evidently only a portion of the armies of these three cities had gone with their kings against Gibeon, with all the others being slain later. A second king of Hebron was also slain at this time (Joshua 10:37), probably acting in absence of the first.

11:1 Jabin king of Hazor. Jabin was probably a standard name for kings of Hazor, like Pharaoh in Egypt (note Judges 4:2). Hazor was one of the major cities in Canaan, located in what is now northern Israel. Even though Joshua burned Hazor (Joshua 11:13), it was later rebuilt and continued to harass Israel during the days of the judges. It was later part of Solomon’s kingdom (I Kings 9:15), and was eventually captured by the Assyrians (II Kings 15:29).