Original Word: חָצוֹר
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Chatsowr
Pronunciation: khaw-TSORE
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-tsore')
KJV: Hazor
NASB: Hazor
Word Origin: [a collective form of H2691 (חָצֵר - Court)]

1. village
2. Chatsor, the name (thus simply) of two places in Israel and of one in Arabia

Hazor

A collective form of chatser; village; Chatsor, the name (thus simply) of two places in Palestine and of one in Arabia -- Hazor.

see HEBREW chatser

Word Origin
from the same as chatser
Definition
the name of several places in Pal., also one in Arabia
NASB Translation
Hazor (18).

חָצוֺר, חָצֹר proper name, of a location (Lag^{BN 47 f.}) — ᵐ5 Ασωρ, etc.;

1 a royal city of northern Canaan Joshua 11:1 ׳יָבִין מֶלֶךְחֿ, compare Joshua 12:19, and Judges 4:2,17; 1 Samuel 12:9; Joshua 11:10 (twice in verse); Joshua 11:11,13; Joshua 19:36; 2 Kings 15:29; חָצֹר 1 Kings 9:15.

2 places in the Negeb:

a. Joshua 15:23.

b. c. Joshua 15:25 וחָצוֺר חֲדַתָּה וּקְרִיּוֺת חֶצְרוֺן הִיא חָצוֺר.

3 חָצוֺר Nehemiah 11:33 a Benjamite town, probably = בַּעַל חָצוֺר q. v.

4 מַמְלְכוֺת חָצוֺר אֲשֶׂר הִכָּה נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּו֯ר Jeremiah 49:28, compare Jeremiah 49:30; Jeremiah 49:33, an Arabian locality, see Winer^BW Hazor Gf Gie. — ׳עֵין ח Joshua 19:37, see below עַיִן.

Geographical Identity

Hazor was the name of several Israelite and Canaanite settlements. The most prominent stood on a tell at the northern end of the Huleh Valley (modern Tel Ḥaṣor), overseeing the main north–south trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia. Smaller sites bearing the same name lay in the Negev within Judah’s allotment (Joshua 15:23, 15:25) and within Naphtali’s inheritance (Joshua 19:36). Jeremiah 49:28-33 uses “Hazor” for a desert region associated with Arab tribes; its exact location is uncertain, but its isolation fits the prophet’s description of nomadic encampments “dwelling without walls.”

Strategic Importance in the Canaanite Period

Archaeology confirms the biblical portrait of northern Hazor as the largest city-state in Late Bronze Age Canaan—about 200 acres, surrounded by formidable earthworks and walls. Its ruler bore the title “king of Hazor,” and Scripture calls the city “the head of all these kingdoms” (Joshua 11:10). Control of Hazor meant control of commerce, water, and military movement through Galilee.

Joshua’s Conquest

Jabin king of Hazor led a northern coalition against Israel after the southern victories at Gibeon and Makkedah. The LORD assured Joshua of complete triumph (Joshua 11:6). Following the decisive battle at the waters of Merom, “Joshua turned back, captured Hazor, and put its king to the sword. Hazor had formerly been the head of all these kingdoms” (Joshua 11:10). Uniquely, the city was burned (Joshua 11:11, 11:13), symbolizing the overthrow of Canaanite power structures and the faithfulness of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21).

Renewed Oppression in the Judges Era

Centuries later, the Canaanite power of Hazor revived under another king named Jabin. Because Israel again “did evil in the sight of the LORD,” He “sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor” (Judges 4:2). The commander Sisera oppressed Israel for twenty years until Deborah and Barak trusted the LORD for victory. Hazor itself is not said to be destroyed at that time, but the defeat of Sisera ended its dominance and illustrates God’s willingness both to discipline and to deliver His covenant people.

Royal Construction under Solomon

Hazor’s strategic value re-emerged in the United Monarchy. “King Solomon… built Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer” (1 Kings 9:15). Excavations show an impressive six-chambered gate and casemate wall matching those at Megiddo and Gezer, testifying to a unified royal building program. By fortifying these northern, central, and southern chariot cities, Solomon safeguarded trade and secured Israel’s borders, fulfilling the peaceful expansion promised in 1 Kings 4:25.

Assyrian Capture and Exile

During the reign of Pekah, northern Israel’s persistent idolatry brought Assyrian judgment: “Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured… Kedesh, Hazor” (2 Kings 15:29). The fall of Hazor marked the eclipse of Israelite strength in Galilee and prefaced the 722 BC deportations. The once-great fortress became a signpost of covenant curses foretold in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

Post-Exilic Mention

After the exile, Benjaminite settlers reoccupied northern territories: “Hazor, Ramah, and Gittaim” (Nehemiah 11:33). Even diminished, the site retained enough productivity to house returning families, showing God’s mercy in restoration.

The Oracle against “Hazor” in Jeremiah

Jeremiah 49:28-33 links Qedar and “the kingdoms of Hazor” in Arabia. Nebuchadnezzar would raid these nomads, scattering them to the winds: “Hazor will become a haunt for jackals, a desolation forever” (Jeremiah 49:33). The prophecy highlights God’s sovereignty over peoples beyond Israel, and the certainty that no refuge—city or desert—stands against His decree.

Southern Hazors in Judah

Two sites in the Negev—“Hazor” (Joshua 15:23) and “Kerioth-Hesron (that is, Hazor)” (Joshua 15:25)—lay on Judah’s southern frontier. Their placement among fortress towns guarding the wilderness underscores a defensive grid designed to protect the Promised Land’s vulnerable approaches.

Theological and Ministry Reflections

1. God’s promises are historically anchored. The ash layer on Tel Ḥaṣor corroborates Joshua 11, reinforcing confidence in Scripture’s reliability.
2. Victory follows obedience. The same Hazor that fell swiftly under Joshua became an oppressor in Judges when Israel lapsed into idolatry.
3. No stronghold is impregnable to divine judgment. From Canaanite capital to Assyrian spoil to prophetic wasteland, Hazor’s account warns against trusting in walls rather than the LORD.
4. Restoration is possible. The post-exilic listing in Nehemiah proves that judgment is never God’s final word for those who return to Him.

Key References

Joshua 11:1-13; Joshua 12:19; Joshua 15:23, 15:25; Joshua 19:36

Judges 4:2, 4:17

1 Samuel 12:9

1 Kings 9:15

2 Kings 15:29

Nehemiah 11:33

Jeremiah 49:28-33

בְּחָצ֑וֹר בחצור וְחָצ֖וֹר וְחָצֽוֹר׃ וחצור וחצור׃ חָצ֑וֹר חָצ֔וֹר חָצ֖וֹר חָצ֗וֹר חָצ֜וֹר חָצ֣וֹר חָצ֤וֹר חָצ֥וֹר חָצ֥וֹר ׀ חָצֹ֥ר חָצֽוֹר׃ חצור חצור׃ חצר bə·ḥā·ṣō·wr bechaTzor bəḥāṣōwr chaTzor ḥā·ṣō·wr ḥā·ṣōr ḥāṣōr ḥāṣōwr vechaTzor wə·ḥā·ṣō·wr wəḥāṣōwrInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts