Joshua 18:15 kjv
And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjathjearim, and the border went out on the west, and went out to the well of waters of Nephtoah:
Joshua 18:15 nkjv
The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim, and the border extended on the west and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
Joshua 18:15 niv
The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
Joshua 18:15 esv
And the southern side begins at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. And the boundary goes from there to Ephron, to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
Joshua 18:15 nlt
The southern boundary began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. From that western point it ran to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah,
Joshua 18 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Josh 15:7-8 | "The boundary then went up from the Valley of Achor... went up by the way of the north, and came to En Shemesh and from there it went to En Rogel; then it went up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern shoulder of the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem), and the boundary went up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the Valley of Hinnom, to the west, at the end of the Valley of Rephaim northward." | Parallel description of Judah's northern boundary, which would become Benjamin's southern boundary. |
| Josh 18:11 | "The lot for the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans came up, and the territory allotted to them lay between the people of Judah and the people of Joseph." | Defines Benjamin's general location relative to other tribes, whose boundaries are now being specified. |
| Josh 18:14 | "Then the boundary turned on the west and went up from there to Mount Tabor, and continued to the north and went out at Mount Sion... and it bent westward, and went out to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah." | Shows the preceding part of the border leading up to this verse's description. |
| Josh 13:7 | "Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh." | General command for land distribution, setting the context for detailed boundary descriptions. |
| Num 26:55-56 | "But the land shall be divided by lot... by the names of the tribes of their fathers shall they inherit." | Explains the method of land distribution and inheritance by lot. |
| Deut 32:8 | "When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples accordingoh to the number of the sons of Israel." | Divine orchestration of national boundaries, implying Israel's special, divinely appointed territory. |
| Psa 16:6 | "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." | Reflects the gratitude for an established and pleasant inheritance from God, relating to the secure land grant. |
| Ezek 47:13-14 | "Thus says the Lord God: This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance... The land that you shall allot as inheritance is this." | Prophetic vision of future land division, emphasizing the importance of clearly defined boundaries in God's plan. |
| Prov 22:28 | "Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless." | Highlights the legal and moral sanctity of established boundaries, particularly those relating to inheritance. |
| Jer 7:31 | "And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire." | Shows the later, darker significance of the Valley of Hinnom due to Israel's sin, contrasting with its original role as a simple landmark. |
| Jer 19:6 | "Therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when this place shall no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter." | Prophecy against Hinnom, emphasizing its future judgment and renaming. |
| 2 Kgs 23:10 | "And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech." | King Josiah's reformation against child sacrifice practiced in the Valley of Hinnom. |
| 2 Sam 5:17-18 | "When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David... Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim." | Valley of Rephaim as a place of historical battles, especially Philistine incursions. |
| 1 Chr 14:8-9 | "When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David... Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim." | Parallel account of battles in the Valley of Rephaim. |
| Heb 11:8-10 | "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance... For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." | Connects earthly inheritance to a greater, heavenly inheritance provided by God. |
| Col 1:12 | "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." | Shifts from literal land inheritance to spiritual inheritance for believers in Christ. |
| Eph 1:11 | "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." | Emphasizes the secure and predetermined spiritual inheritance in Christ. |
| Isa 54:2-3 | "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not... For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities." | Prophecy of future expansion of territory for God's people, though beyond the initial fixed borders. |
| Josh 11:23 | "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes." | Summarizes the fulfillment of God's promise to give the land as an inheritance. |
| Mic 2:4 | "On that day they shall take up a taunt song against you and moan bitterly, and say: ‘We are utterly ruined; he has changed the portion of my people; how he has removed it from me! To an apostate he has allotted our fields.'" | Laments the loss of an inherited land, showing the importance placed on this divine provision. |
Joshua 18 verses
Joshua 18 15 Meaning
This verse meticulously describes a segment of the southern border for the tribe of Benjamin. It outlines a geographical pathway, detailing the boundary's direction changes from the east to the west, touching significant landmarks such as the spring of Nephtoah, the edge of a specific mountain, the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and finally, extending to the Valley of Rephaim. This precision underscores the divine order and thoroughness in the allocation of the promised land to the Israelite tribes.
Joshua 18 15 Context
Joshua 18 initiates the second phase of land distribution in Canaan. After the initial victories and allocation of territory to Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh (Chapters 14-17), seven tribes still awaited their inheritance. Joshua confronts their hesitancy to possess the land, urging them to send out surveying teams to map the remaining territory. This detailed mapping ensures a precise, fair, and divinely sanctioned division.
Verse 15, specifically, outlines a crucial part of the southern border for the tribe of Benjamin. This boundary was shared with Judah, highlighting the intertribal relationships and distinct demarcations established for orderly settlement. Historically, this period reflects God's faithfulness in bringing His people into the promised land, fulfilling the covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The detailed descriptions serve as legal deeds and divine assurance for the Israelite generation inheriting the land, emphasizing God's meticulous care in fulfilling His word.
Joshua 18 15 Word analysis
And the border bent westward (
וְנָסַב הַגְּבוּל מִקְדֶם יָמָּה):- וְנָסַב (wᵉnāsav): "And it bent/turned/turned about." A Hiphil stem verb, suggesting dynamic action. It denotes a change in direction, a winding or circuitous movement of the border, highlighting the topographical nature of the boundary.
- הַגְּבוּל (hag'vûl): "The border/boundary." From
גְּבוּל(gevul), meaning "limit, frontier, territory." The definite article "the" emphasizes a specific, previously mentioned, or universally understood boundary. Its precision underscores God's meticulous planning and the secure nature of the inheritance. - מִקְדֶם יָמָּה (miqqedem yāmmâ): "from the east westward" or "eastward toward the sea." It describes the general direction of the border segment. This movement highlights the progression in defining the tribal allocation.
to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah (
אֶל־מַעְיַן מֵי נֶפְתּוֹחַ):- אֶל־מַעְיַן (el-mayyan): "To the fountain/spring."
מַעְיָן(ma'yan) is a spring or source of water. Springs were vital geographical landmarks in ancient Canaan due to water scarcity, serving as clear, permanent points of demarcation. This identifies a specific and unmistakable physical location. - מֵי נֶפְתּוֹחַ (mê nep̄tôaḥ): "Waters of Nephtoah." "Nephtoah" means "opened" or "unlocked," perhaps referring to the gushing nature of the spring. It is identified with Ain Lifta, a prominent spring north-west of Jerusalem, essential for ancient water supply. Its naming in a border description signifies an incontrovertible landmark.
- אֶל־מַעְיַן (el-mayyan): "To the fountain/spring."
and went out to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom northward (
וְיָצָא אֶל־קְצֵה הָהָר אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי גֵּי בֶן־הִנֹּם צָפוֹנָה):- וְיָצָא (wᵉyāṣāʾ): "And it went out/extended." Continuing the description of the boundary's movement, from the spring onwards.
- אֶל־קְצֵה הָהָר (el-qᵉṣēh hāhār): "To the edge/end of the mountain."
קָצֶה(qatšěh) means "end, border, extremity." Mountains often formed natural, imposing boundaries in ancient geography. - אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי (’ăšer lifnê): "Which is before/facing." Denotes a positional relationship, emphasizing the mountain's location relative to the valley.
- גֵּי בֶן־הִנֹּם (gê ven-hinnōm): "Valley of the Son of Hinnom."
גֵּי(gê) means "valley, ravine." This valley (known as Gehenna in Greek) lies south and southwest of ancient Jerusalem. While here it serves as a purely geographical marker for the boundary, it later became infamous for pagan child sacrifices (e.g., Jer 7:31) and ultimately symbolized hell (Mark 9:43). Its mention by name is crucial for identifying the specific border location, carrying with it a profound historical trajectory from innocent landmark to a symbol of divine judgment due to Israel's sin. - צָפוֹנָה (ṣāfônâ): "Northward." Specifies the direction of the boundary's course relative to the valley.
and continued to the end of the Valley of Rephaim southward. (
וְקִרְקֶתּוֹ בְעֵמֶק רְפָאִים דָּרוֹמָה׃)- וְקִרְקֶתּוֹ (wᵉqirqeṭṭô): This verb form is debated but generally means "and it contoured it/followed its bottom/encompassed it" from a root associated with rounding or bedrock. It indicates the boundary adhering closely to the natural features of the valley floor or base. It illustrates the precise, almost physical tracing of the border.
- בְעֵמֶק רְפָאִים (bᵉ‘ēmeq refā’îm): "In the Valley of Rephaim."
עֵמֶק('emeq) is "valley." "Rephaim" (רְפָאִים) literally means "giants" or "dead ones/shades." This fertile valley, southwest of Jerusalem, was notorious as a battlefield, particularly for encounters between David and the Philistines (2 Sam 5:18). Its name perhaps suggests former inhabitants of great stature or significant battles fought there. - דָּרוֹמָה (dārômâ): "Southward." Defines the direction of this final segment of the border described in the verse.
Word Groups / Phrases Analysis:
- "And the border bent westward to the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah": This phrase sets the initial segment of the boundary. The use of "bent" or "turned" (וְנָסַב) emphasizes that the boundary was not a straight line but adapted to the natural topography, using key hydrological features like the "fountain of Nephtoah" as precise waypoints. This precision reflects God's meticulous care in delineating the land, which was not arbitrarily divided but intricately defined by the Creator of the land itself.
- "and went out to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom northward": This part traces the border further using geological features. The phrase highlights the mountain's significant position as a landmark before a prominent valley. The mention of "Valley of the Son of Hinnom," though later associated with grim idolatry and judgment, is used here simply as a neutral geographical marker. This illustrates how God's initial holy intent for the land was to be settled and enjoyed, before Israel's eventual corruption desecrated such places.
- "and continued to the end of the Valley of Rephaim southward": This concluding segment confirms the border's continuous adherence to the landscape. The
וְקִרְקֶתּוֹimplies a close following of the valley's contours, affirming the thoroughness of the survey and land assignment. The Valley of Rephaim, though known for battles, is again utilized for its geographical significance in delineating the territory, cementing a divine and orderly distribution even in historically significant locations.
Joshua 18 15 Bonus section
The detailed boundary descriptions throughout Joshua are a testament to the meticulousness of the divine promise fulfilled. They are not merely ancient maps; they are divine deeds of ownership. This reflects God's character as a God of order, precision, and faithfulness, providing a definite inheritance to His people. The inclusion of features like the Valley of Hinnom, which gained immense prophetic and eschatological significance later, underscores a subtle layer of God's foreknowledge, wherein seemingly mundane geographical points held a destiny beyond their initial purpose, ultimately linked to the consequences of human rebellion against God. The exactitude also provided a clear basis for the legal and social structure of Israelite society, as each family knew their specific portion of the land, affirming their identity and future hope within God's larger redemptive plan.
Joshua 18 15 Commentary
Joshua 18:15 provides a crucial detail in the precise boundary definition of Benjamin's tribal inheritance. It illustrates the divine methodology of land distribution: orderly, meticulously detailed, and utilizing natural landmarks. This precision ensured a clear demarcation of each tribe's promised portion, minimizing future disputes and solidifying their God-given identity rooted in the land. The identification of a specific spring, a mountain edge, and two well-known valleys underscores the tangibility and permanence of God's provision. While the mention of the Valley of the Son of Hinnom may seem ordinary here, it holds a poignant layer of significance for later generations, as this place, initially a simple boundary marker, became associated with Israel's tragic apostasy and future judgment. This verse, therefore, is not merely geographical enumeration but a testament to God's faithful fulfillment of His covenant promises to provide a settled inheritance, laying the foundation for Israel's future life as a nation under God's law. It reminds us of God's thoroughness in fulfilling His word, down to the very borders of the promised land.