Joshua 19:44 kjv
And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,
Joshua 19:44 nkjv
Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
Joshua 19:44 niv
Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
Joshua 19:44 esv
Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
Joshua 19:44 nlt
Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
Joshua 19 44 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | God's initial promise of land to Abraham. |
| Gen 15:18 | "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river..." | Specifies the extent of the promised land. |
| Num 34:1-12 | "The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Command the people of Israel and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan...'" | Instructions for dividing the land by boundaries. |
| Deut 1:8 | "See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land..." | Command to take possession of the promised land. |
| Josh 1:3-4 | "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you... shall be your territory." | Joshua's commission, confirming land possession. |
| Josh 11:23 | "So Joshua took the whole land... and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes." | Summary of the land's conquest and distribution. |
| Josh 19:40-48 | The broader description of Dan's inheritance. | Full context of Dan's territorial allotment. |
| Josh 21:43-45 | "Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it... Not one word failed..." | Summary of God's complete faithfulness in fulfilling land promises. |
| Josh 23:14 | "Not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you." | Joshua's testimony to God's unfailing promises. |
| Jdg 1:34 | "The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain." | Dan's struggle to fully possess their allotted land. |
| Jdg 18:1 | "...the tribe of the Danites was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them." | Dan's eventual search for new territory. |
| Jdg 18:27-29 | "And they captured Laish... and called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor." | Dan's relocation and renaming of Laish. |
| 1 Kgs 12:29-30 | "And Jeroboam set up one [golden calf] in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan." | Apostasy associated with Dan's northern territory. |
| Jer 8:16 | "The snorting of their horses is heard from Dan; at the sound of the neighing of their stallions the whole land quakes." | Dan as a northern boundary in prophetic warnings. |
| Eze 48:1-2 | "...its frontier line: Dan, one portion." | Prophetic future allocation for the tribe of Dan. |
| Jdg 13:2 | "There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah." | Zorah mentioned as Samson's birthplace. |
| Jdg 13:25 | "And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him [Samson] in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol." | Zorah as a key location in Samson's story. |
| Jdg 16:31 | "His brothers and all his family came down and took him [Samson] and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol..." | Zorah as Samson's burial place. |
| Josh 10:12 | "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." | Aijalon, site of a miraculous event during conquest. |
| 1 Chr 6:69 | "and Aijalon with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands;" | Aijalon listed as a Levitical city. |
| 1 Sam 14:31 | "They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon." | Aijalon as a significant battle location. |
Joshua 19 verses
Joshua 19 44 Meaning
This verse details a significant part of the tribal territory allocated to the tribe of Dan through divine lottery after the conquest of Canaan. It specifies cities such as Zorah, Aijalon, and Jethlah as components of their God-given inheritance. This precise demarcation underscores the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His ancient promises to provide a homeland for the descendants of Abraham, thereby establishing the distinct boundaries and dwelling places for the Israelite tribes.
Joshua 19 44 Context
The book of Joshua chronicles Israel's conquest of Canaan and the subsequent distribution of the land among the twelve tribes, a fulfillment of God's covenant promises. Chapter 19 is dedicated to detailing the allotments for the remaining seven tribes after initial distributions to Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Specifically, verses 40-48 describe the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, who received the seventh lot. This verse, by listing Zorah, Aijalon, and Jethlah, outlines crucial geographical points within Dan's initial, God-given territory. This area was strategic, located between the strong Philistine presence on the coast and the central Israelite highlands. Although divinely assigned, Dan faced significant challenges in fully possessing this land due to formidable Amorite and Philistine resistance, ultimately leading to a substantial portion of the tribe seeking and conquering new territory in the far north (Judges 18).
Joshua 19 44 Word analysis
Word by word:
- And: (Hebrew: וְ - ve-) A conjunctive particle, linking this specific detail of cities to the broader description of Dan's inheritance in the preceding verses.
- the border: (Hebrew: גְּבוּל - gevul) Refers to the physical boundary, frontier, or territory limit. It signifies a distinct, defined space allocated. Its use here emphasizes the legal and God-sanctioned nature of their land claim.
- of their inheritance: (Hebrew: נַחֲלָתָם - nachalatam) This term denotes a hereditary possession, an allotted portion, or heritage. It emphasizes that the land was not earned by conquest alone but was a divine gift, passed down from generation to generation according to God's plan for Israel.
- was: Denotes the establishment or identification of the geographical extent of their property, affirming its given reality.
- Zorah: (Hebrew: צָרְעָה - Tzor'ah) A key city situated in the Shephelah, the low foothills between the Judean mountains and the coastal plain. It gained significant later biblical importance as the birthplace and burial place of Samson (Judges 13:2; 16:31), a Danite judge. Its strategic location meant it was often contested with the Philistines.
- Aijalon: (Hebrew: אַיָּלוֹן - Ayyalon) Refers to the Valley of Aijalon, a highly strategic west-east pass from the Philistine plain to the central hill country. This location is famously where the sun and moon stood still at Joshua's command (Joshua 10:12). Its inclusion highlights the significant, though difficult, position of Dan's inheritance.
- Jethlah: (Hebrew: יִתְלָה - Yitlâh) One of the lesser-known cities within Dan's allotment. Its specific mention, despite its obscurity in other biblical narratives, underscores the meticulous detail with which the land was allocated, affirming God's precise arrangements for each tribe.
Words-group by words-group:
- "And the border of their inheritance was": This phrase immediately establishes that the subsequent names describe the specific geographical extent of the divinely apportioned land. It underscores God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promise of land, indicating a concrete, established possession given to Dan.
- "Zorah, and Aijalon, and Jethlah": These three cities, representing a selection from the full list in the broader biblical context of Josh 19:44, pinpoint locations that were strategic, often contested, and foundational to the Danite identity within their assigned lot. Their collective listing highlights the particular region in the Shephelah and adjacent areas where Dan was intended to dwell and exert dominion. However, the subsequent historical narrative in Judges reveals Dan's struggle to secure full control over these very areas.
Joshua 19 44 Bonus section
The precise placement of Dan's initial inheritance in the Shephelah between the coastal plain and the Judean hills was highly strategic, though also incredibly challenging. It bordered the territory of Judah and Benjamin, placing them directly in contention with the powerful Philistines, particularly from cities like Ekron (which is also listed in the broader Joshua 19:44 in many translations). This challenging placement required unwavering faith and military might, which, as the Book of Judges records, the Danites eventually lacked. The failure of the Danites to secure this initial, rich inheritance speaks to a broader spiritual challenge within early Israel: the incomplete obedience in possessing all that God had provided. Their later migration northward established the city of "Dan" (formerly Laish) as Israel's northernmost boundary marker. Tragically, this new location became a major site for idol worship under Jeroboam I (1 Kgs 12:29), illustrating a severe decline for a tribe that began with a clearly defined and blessed inheritance from the Lord.
Joshua 19 44 Commentary
Joshua 19:44 serves as a testament to God's unwavering faithfulness in distributing the promised land to Israel according to His meticulous plan. The specific naming of cities like Zorah, Aijalon, and Jethlah for the tribe of Dan's inheritance showcases the precision of this divine allocation. This verse highlights the ideal provision by God—a fertile and strategically located territory, even for one of the smaller tribes like Dan. However, the subsequent narrative in the Book of Judges painfully reveals a contrast between this divine intention and human failure. Despite receiving such an inheritance, the Danites were unable or unwilling to drive out the inhabitants, facing overwhelming Philistine and Amorite pressure (Jdg 1:34). This resulted in a significant portion of the tribe abandoning this God-given land and seeking a new, conquered territory far to the north (Jdg 18). Thus, the verse, while confirming divine fulfillment, also subtly introduces the theme of human responsibility in fully possessing and defending God's gracious provisions, highlighting how a promised inheritance can remain unfulfilled if not coupled with faith and courage.