Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Banning; i.e., placing under a “ban,” or devoting to utter destruction. After the manifestation of God’s anger against the Israelites, on account of their rebellion and their murmurings when the spies returned to the camp at Kadesh, in the wilderness of Paran, with an evil report of the land, they quickly repented of their conduct, and presumed to go up “to the head of the mountain,” seeking to enter the Promised Land, but without the
presence of the Lord, without the ark of the convenant, and without Moses. The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down and “smote and discomfited them even unto Hormah” (Num. 14:45). This place, or perhaps the watch-tower commanding it, was originally called Zephath (Judg. 1:17), the modern Sebaiteh. Afterwards (Num. 21:1-3) Arad, the king of the Canaanites, at the close of the wanderings, when the Israelites were a second time encamped at
Kadesh, “fought against them, and took some of them prisoners.” But Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord utterly to destroy the cities of the Canaanites; they “banned” them, and hence the place was now called Hormah. But this “ban” was not fully executed till the time of Joshua, who finally conquered the king of this district, so that the ancient name Zephath became “Hormah” (Josh. 12:14; Judg. 1:17).
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1863)
(a place laid waste), or Zephath, (Judges 1:17) was the chief town of a king of a Canaanitish tribe on the south of Palestine, which was reduced by Joshua, and became a city of the territory of Judah, (Joshua 15:30; 1 Samuel 30:30) but apparently belonged to Simeon. (1 Chronicles 4:30)
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible (1898) & Schaff's Bible Dictionary
HOR'MAH (place desolated), a royal city of the Canaanites; assigned to Simeon. Num 14:45; Num 21:1-3; Deut 1:44; Josh 12:14; Josh 19:4. It was first known as Zephath or "watch-tower," Judg 1:17; was destroyed after the Conquest; was rebuilt. 1 Sam 30:30; 1 Chr 4:30. Robinson identified Zephath with the pass es-Sufah, but Palmer and Drake, with greater certainty, locate it at Sebaiteh, the equivalent for the Hebrew "watch-tower." The ruins are 500
yards long by 200 or 300 yards wide, and comprise churches, a tower, and two reservoirs of water. The streets can also be traced. It is about 20 miles from 'Ain Gadis (Kadesh), and a ruined fort 3 miles from the town commands the only pass through which the city could be approached. Palmer suggests that the fortress was the sephath, or "watch-tower," and Sebaista the city. Conder suggests Horun as ancient Hormah, but until further exploration
Palmer's view seems the most probable.
Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869)
devoted or consecrated to God; utter destruction