jabin Summary and Overview

discerner; the wise. (1.) A king of Hazor, at the time of the entrance of Israel into Canaan (Josh. 11:1-14), whose overthrow and that of the northern chief with whom he had entered into a confederacy against Joshua was the crowning act in the conquest of the land (11:21-23; compare 14:6-15). This great battle, fought at Lake Merom, was the last of Joshua's battles of which we have any record. Here for the first time the Israelites encountered the iron chariots and horses of the Canaanites. (2.) Another king of Hazor, called "the king of Canaan," who overpowered the Israelites of the north one hundred and sixty years after Joshua's death, and for twenty years held them in painful subjection. The whole population were paralyzed with fear, and gave way to hopeless despondency (Judg. 5:6-11), till Deborah and Barak aroused the national spirit, and gathering together ten thousand men, gained a great and decisive victory over Jabin in the plain of Esdraelon (Judg. 4:10-16; compare Ps. 83:9). This was the first great victory Israel had gained since the days of Joshua. They never needed to fight another battle with the Canaanites (Judg. 5:31).

(whom God observes). 1. King of Hazor, who organized a confederacy of the northern princes against the Israelites. #Jos 11:1-3| Joshua surprised the allied forces by the waters of Merom, ver. 7, and utterly routed them. (B.C. 1448.) During the ensuing wars Joshua again attacked Jabin, and burnt his city. #Jos 11:1-14| 2. A king of Hazor, whose general, Sisera, was defeated by Barak. #Jud 4:2,13| (B.C. 1316.)

1. King of Hazor in northern Israel, near the Merom waters. Headed the confederacy of northern kings (Jobab of Madon, thekings of Shimron, Achshaph, etc., N. of the mountains of Naphtali and in the Arabah S. of Chinneroth, i.e. the Ghor, S. of the sea of Galilee, etc.) against Israel: Joshua 11:1-4. Their army was "even as the sand upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many." Lest Joshua should be affrighted at this formidable array, Jehovah in vision promised "I will deliver them up all slain before Israel"; I am infinitely more than a match for them, and I am on thy side. The "I" is emphatic in the Hebrew. Joshua suddenly fell upon them and "chased them unto great Zidon (then the metropolis of Phoenicia, but later in David’s time outstripped by Tyre), and see MISREPHOTH MAIM and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward, until they left them none remaining." Then he "houghed" (lamed by cutting the hoof sinew) their horses, and burnt their chariots. The cities he did not burn except Hazor, which he burnt and slew its king, probably on account of some renewed hostility (Joshua 11:1-13). 2. The king of Hazor whose general, Sisera, was defeated by see DEBORAH and see BARAK (see HAROSHETH ). "For 20 years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel," until their "cry unto the Lord" brought a deliverer (Judges 4-5).