Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

JABIN

(Heb. yāḇîn)

1. The Canaanite king of Hazor (Josh. 11:1), leader of a coalition of kings who opposed Joshua in his so-called “northern campaign” at the battle of Merom. Joshua captured and destroyed the city of Hazor and put its king (not named) to death.

2. The king of Hazor to whom God delivered his people in the time of Deborah and Barak (Judg. 4:2-24). His general was Sisera. Although the narrative describes conflict only with Sisera, Judg. 4:24 mentions that Israel defeated Jabin as well.

Ostensibly, these are two different kings of Hazor with the same name. The first would have ruled Hazor during the time of Joshua; the second would have ruled a century or so later. Jabin, however, is easily extricated from Judg. 4 and does not appear in the poetic version of the battle against Sisera in ch. 5. The traditional nature of both accounts makes absolute dating out of the question. Also, the battle recorded in Judg. 4-5 may have predated that of Judg. 11, , leading scholars to suggest that there was really only one Jabin, king of Hazor.

Paul L. Redditt

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

JABIN

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)