Bible Dictionaries
Jabin

Holman Bible Dictionary

(jay' bihn) Personal name meaning, “he understands.” King of Hazor (Joshua 11:1; Judges 4:1; Psalm 83:10 ). Leader of northern coalition of kings who attacked Joshua at the water of Merom and met their death (compare Joshua 12:19-24 ). Jabin, king of Hazor, controlled the Israelites when they turned away from God at Ehud's death (Judges 4:1-2 ). The biblical writer referred to him as “King of Canaan,” a title representing his strong power in the northern part of the country, but a title kings of the other Canaanite city states probably would have strongly contested, since Canaan lacked political unity in that period. Jabin does not act in the story of Judges 4:1; rather Sisera, his general, represents him and is killed, leading to Jabin's loss of power. This Jabin must certainly be differentiated from the one Joshua fought, leading to the assumption by many scholars that a dynasty of kings in Hazor carried the name Jabin. Some have gone so far to identify him with Ibni-Adad, who appears in Near Eastern documents from Mari.