So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded. (Joshua 10:40)
The expression “the hills” denotes the mountainous region extending southward from Jerusalem.
South.
Heb. negeb. A semiarid region of limestone, with but few perennial springs, bereft of trees, and green only in the rainy season. The territory offered an opportunity for the diligent husbandman who would not only plow up every level spot but utilize the very rocks and make them support his crops and vines.
The vale.
This lowland, the Shephelah, was the foothill region between Judah and Philistia.
The springs.
Probably the undulating land at the foot of the Shephelah, and between it and the plain of Philistia. This region was intersected by brooks and ravines, and so fertile and prosperous.