Hebron - and the king thereof - See the note on Joshua 10:3. From Joshua 10:23 we learn that the king of Hebron was one of those five whom Joshua slew and hanged on five trees at Makkedah. How then can it be said that he slew the king of Hebron when he took the city, which was some days after the transactions at Makkedah? Either this slaying of the king of Hebron must refer to what had already been done, or the Hebronites, finding that their king fell in battle, had set up another in his place; which was the king Joshua slew, after he had taken the city and its dependencies, as is related Joshua 10:37. It appears that the city of Hebron had fallen back into the hands of the Canaanites, for it was again taken from them by the tribe of Judah, Judges 1:10. Debir had also fallen into their hands, for it was reconquered by Othniel, the son-in-law of Caleb, Judges 1:11-13. The manner in which Calmet accounts for this is very natural: Joshua, in his rapid conquests, contented himself with taking, demolishing, and burning those cities; but did not garrison any of them, for fear of weakening his army. In several instances no doubt the scattered Canaanites returned, repeopled, and put those cities in a state of defense. Hence the Israelites were obliged to conquer them a second time. This is a more rational way of accounting for these things, than that which supposes that the first chapter of Judges gives the more detailed account of the transactions recorded here; for there it is expressly said, that these transactions took place after the death of Joshua, (see Judges 1:1), and consequently cannot be the same that are mentioned here.

Debir Debir was situated in the south of the tribe of Judah, near Hebron. The expression of Joshua's returning to Debir, probably denotes, that having carried his conquests in the southern parts as far as Gaza, (ver

Joshua 10:41 And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even to Gibeon.

) which was in the south-west angle of Canaan, he then marched back to besiege Debir.

Joshua 12:13 The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;

Joshua 15:15,49 And he went up there to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher...

Joshua 21:15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,

Judges 1:11-15 And from there he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher...

The Northern Coast of Judea. Beth-Horon.
This coast is marked out Joshua 18:12; where, at verse 14, are very many versions to be corrected, which render the sea; such are, the Syriac, the Seventy, the Vulgar, the Italian, ours, &c.: whence ariseth a sense of insuperable difficulty to a chorographical eye: when it should, indeed, be rendered of the west, as the Chaldee, Arabic, R. Solomon, &c. rightly do. We read of a double Beth-horon in the Old Testament, but one only under the second Temple... At that place that great Canaanitish army …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica