Hazor
Enclosed; fortified. (1.) A stronghold of the Canaanites in the mountains north of Lake Merom (Josh 11:1–5). Jabin the king with his allied tribes here encountered Joshua in a great battle. Joshua gained a signal victory, which virtually completed his conquest of Canaan (Josh 11:10–13). This city was, however, afterwards rebuilt by the Canaanites, and was ruled by a king with the same hereditary name of Jabin. His army, under a noted leader of the name of Sisera, swept down upon the south, aiming at the complete subjugation of the country. This powerful army was met by the Israelites under Barak, who went forth by the advice of the prophetess Deborah. The result was one of the most remarkable victories for Israel recorded in the Old Testament (Josh 19:36; Judg 4:2; 1 Sam 12:9). The city of Hazor was taken and occupied by the Israelites. It was fortified by Solomon to defend the entrance into the kingdom from Syria and Assyria. When Tiglath-pileser, the Assyrian king, invaded the land, this was one of the first cities he captured, carrying its inhabitants captive into Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29). It has been identified with Khurbet Harrah, 2 1/2 miles south-east of Kedesh.
(2.) A city in the south of Judah (Josh 15:23). The name here should probably be connected with the word following, Ithnan, HAZOR-ITHNAN instead of “Hazor and Ithnan.”
(3.) A district in Arabia (Jer 49:28–33), supposed by some to be Jetor, i.e., Ituraea.
(4.) “Kerioth and Hezron” (Josh 15:1–63: 25) should be “Kerioth-hezron” (as in the R.V.), the two names being joined together as the name of one place (e.g., like Kirjath-jearim), “the same is Hazor” (R.V.). This place has been identified with el-Kuryetein, and has been supposed to be the home of Judas Iscariot. (See Kerioth.)
Named in the Bible
17 verses
- Joshua 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
- Joshua 11:10 And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
- Joshua 11:11 And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire.
- Joshua 11:13 But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn.
- Joshua 12:19 The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;
- Joshua 15:23 And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,
- Joshua 15:25 And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,
- Joshua 19:36 And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor,
- Judges 4:2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
- Judges 4:17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
- 1 Samuel 12:9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.
- 1 Kings 9:15 And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
- 2 Kings 15:29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
- Nehemiah 11:33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
- Jeremiah 49:28 Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the LORD; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east.
- Jeremiah 49:30 Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the LORD; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.
- Jeremiah 49:33 And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.
From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), by Matthew George Easton.
