Joshua 15 28

Joshua 15:28 kjv

And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah,

Joshua 15:28 nkjv

Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Bizjothjah,

Joshua 15:28 niv

Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,

Joshua 15:28 esv

Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,

Joshua 15:28 nlt

Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah,

Joshua 15 28 Cross References

VerseTextReference (Short Note)
Jos 15:21"The uttermost cities... Negeb... Kabzeel..."Judah's Negeb cities list begins.
Jos 13:6"...all the inhabitants of the hill country... drive out..."God's command to possess the land.
Num 26:52-56"The land shall be divided by lot; according to the names..."God's instructions for land distribution by tribe.
Jos 21:43-45"So the Lord gave Israel all the land which He had sworn... not one of His good promises failed..."God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises for the land.
Deu 7:8-9"...because He kept the oath which He swore to your fathers."God's steadfast covenant faithfulness.
Gen 15:18"To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates..."God's initial promise of land to Abraham.
Exo 23:31"I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines..."Divine establishment of Israel's territorial borders.
Num 34:1-12"Tell the sons of Israel: 'When you enter the land of Canaan, this will be your land with its boundaries.'"Detailed description of the land boundaries.
Psa 78:55"He also drove out nations before them, and apportioned them an inheritance..."God granting Israel their inheritance.
Act 17:26"...and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation..."God's sovereignty over the nations' dwelling places.
Gen 49:8-10"Judah, your brothers shall praise you... the scepter shall not depart from Judah..."Prophecy concerning Judah's leadership and its territory.
Jos 14:6-15"...Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb... as an inheritance."Caleb's specific inheritance within Judah's territory.
Jos 18:10"Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord; and there Joshua apportioned the land..."The method of land apportionment.
Ezk 47:13-23"This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance..."Future division of land for the twelve tribes.
Psa 105:11"To you I will give the land of Canaan as your allotted inheritance."Reaffirmation of Canaan as an inheritance.
1 Sam 27:6"So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah..."Ziklag granted to David by the Philistine king.
1 Sam 30:1-2"...the Amalekites had raided the Negeb and Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag..."Ziklag as a place of conflict and raid.
1 Sam 30:26-31"When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah..."David's use of Ziklag as a base and distribution point.
1 Chron 12:1"Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still a fugitive..."Warriors joining David at Ziklag.
1 Chron 12:20"When he went with the Philistines to battle against Saul, some from Manasseh joined him; for he did not help them."Additional record of men joining David at Ziklag.
Neh 11:28"...and in Beersheba and its towns, and in Moladah and Ziklag..."Ziklag listed among post-exilic inhabited cities of Judah.
Is 60:21"Your people also will all be righteous; they will possess the land forever..."Prophetic promise of everlasting possession of the land.
Heb 11:8-10"By faith Abraham obeyed... For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God."Faith in God's ultimate heavenly city/inheritance.
Gal 3:18"For if the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise."The land inheritance is rooted in God's promise.

Joshua 15 verses

Joshua 15 28 Meaning

This verse lists three towns – Ziklag, Madmannah, and Sansannah – located within the southernmost region, the Negeb, specifically allotted as part of the inheritance for the tribe of Judah. It forms a component of the meticulous record documenting the divinely apportioned land to the tribes of Israel following the conquest of Canaan.

Joshua 15 28 Context

Joshua chapter 15 details the extent and cities of the tribal territory allotted to Judah, Israel's most populous and prominent tribe. This tribe received the largest share of the land, stretching from the Dead Sea in the east to the Mediterranean in the west, and reaching south into the Negeb. Verses 21-32 provide a specific and meticulous enumeration of the towns located within the Negeb district, the extreme southern part of Judah's territory, bordering Edom. Joshua 15:28 is a simple declarative sentence listing three towns as part of this geographical inventory, affirming the concrete fulfillment of God's covenant promise to provide His people with a land inheritance, establishing a detailed record for future generations and a legal basis for Judah’s claims.

Joshua 15 28 Word analysis

  • Ziklag (צִקְלָג, Tsiqlag): The precise meaning of this Hebrew place name is debated, with proposals ranging from "winding," "measure pressed down," or related to a rock or peak. Its inclusion here establishes its location within Judah's assigned territory. Historically, Ziklag is most famous as a Philistine town given to David by King Achish of Gath during David's flight from Saul (1 Sam 27:6). This demonstrates that the divinely allotted land was not always immediately or fully under Israelite control at the time of distribution; some areas required future possession, and could even temporarily be under foreign influence, before fully coming into Israelite hands, aligning with God's progressive unfolding of His plan. It served as David's strategic base before he became king of Judah.
  • Madmannah (מַדְמַנָּה, Madmannah): This name likely derives from a root associated with "dung" or "muck." This might describe its location as a fertile, perhaps mucky or low-lying area suitable for agriculture, or even a place known for waste accumulation. Unlike Ziklag, Madmannah is mentioned rarely in the Bible, appearing almost exclusively in these tribal lists, suggesting it was either a less prominent settlement or its significance waned over time.
  • Sansannah (סַנְסַנָּה, Sansannah): The etymology of Sansannah is uncertain; it may relate to "palm branch" or a thorny place. This name is unique to this verse in the biblical text, meaning it appears nowhere else. Its solitary appearance highlights the exhaustive and detailed nature of the land records being provided, showing God's provision for every parcel and settlement within Judah's lot, regardless of its future historical significance.
  • and: (וְ, ve-) This simple Hebrew conjunction functions as a connector, linking these three named towns together as successive items within a descriptive list. It indicates their commonality as members of the same geographical cluster or district being assigned to the tribe of Judah.
  • Words-group by words-group analysis: The cumulative effect of listing these specific proper nouns in succession (Ziklag, Madmannah, and Sansannah) within Judah’s inheritance documentation emphasizes the detailed and factual nature of the land allotment. This precision underscores the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, transforming a broad promise into a tangible reality with specific, surveyed boundaries and named cities. Such meticulous record-keeping lends historical credibility to the divine distribution of the land and God’s methodical establishment of His people in Canaan. It speaks to God's careful order in all His provisions.

Joshua 15 28 Bonus section

The exhaustive nature of the city lists in Joshua, like this verse, suggests a level of geographical and administrative organization within early Israel that indicates sophisticated record-keeping or surveys. These lists are not merely narratives but detailed cadastral (land registration) documents, serving as a legal and divine title deed for the tribe of Judah. The differentiation between cities later important in history (like Ziklag) and those rarely, if ever, mentioned again (like Madmannah and Sansannah) demonstrates the comprehensive scope of the divine apportionment, encompassing all designated areas, regardless of their subsequent fame or lack thereof. It further solidifies the historical reality of the Israelite conquest and settlement under Joshua.

Joshua 15 28 Commentary

Joshua 15:28 serves as a specific data point within the meticulous administrative record of Judah’s territorial inheritance. It reflects God’s faithfulness in providing a defined homeland for His covenant people, meticulously documented city by city. While the detailed listing may seem dry to a modern reader, it would have been vitally important for the tribes to understand their God-given boundaries and possessions. The mention of Ziklag, which later became important in David’s life and was at times under Philistine control, implicitly illustrates that the full possession of God’s gift of the land was not always instantaneous but unfolded progressively through history, often requiring further faithfulness and effort from the Israelites. This verse, along with others in the catalog, affirms God's precise and systematic hand in every detail of establishing Israel in the Promised Land.