After routing and killing the enemy forces, Joshua turned back to Hazor, captured the city, and killed its king. The note that follows about Hazor’s importance is written from the point of view of the writer’s time: At that time refers to the time of Joshua; it does not mean, as Revised Standard Version might be understood, that before Joshua’s time Hazor had been (but no longer was) the most powerful of all those kingdoms.

The translation of this verse presents several difficulties. First, the verb turned back may suggest that Joshua had previously been to the city of Hazor. Second, the presence of the parenthetical statement makes the comprehension difficult. Third, in verse 10 it is Joshua who turns back, captures Hazor, and kills its king. In verse 11 the subject shifts to They, for which the only immediate antecedent is Joshua of this verse. These difficulties may be overcome by translating as follows:

• At that time the city of Hazor and its king ruled over all other kingdoms in the territory. So after the battle, Joshua and his men went and attacked the city of Hazor. They captured the city, killed its king, and 11 put everyone there to death …

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .