Matthew Poole and continuators on Joshua 10:2

2 That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the † royal cities , and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.

i. e. He and his people, the King being spoken of v. 1. as a publick person representing all his people. Or, He an [illegible: 1+ letters] the following Kings, v. 3. But this fear is mentioned, v. 2. as the cause why he sent to those Kings.

Either 1. really a Royal City, the Hebrew particle Caph oft signifying the truth of a thing, as Hos. 4. 4. and 5. 10. and oft elsewhere. Or 2. equal to one of the Royal Cities, though it had no King, but seems to be governed Aristocratically by their Elders, Ios. 9. 11.

Marginal references: ‡ Heb. Ci[illegible: 1+ letters]ies of the Kingdom.