Joshua 15:4
in Joshua 15It proceeded to Azmon, joined the Brook of Egypt, and ended at the Sea. This was their southern border.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and it passed along to Azmon, and went out at the brook of Egypt; and the goings out of the border were at the sea: this shall be your south border.
KJV
From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.
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This verse in Joshua 15
Commentary
6 notes on this verseToward Azmon - This was the last city they possessed toward Egypt. The river of Egypt - The most eastern branch of the river Nile. See on Jos 13:3 (note). But there is much reason to doubt whether any branch of the Nile be meant, and whether the promised land extended to that river. On this subject it is impossible to decide either way.
This site's exposition
This then was the lot of the tribe
on Joshua 15:1-12
Judah is given first and given most, before the tabernacle tribe and before Joseph, which matches the sceptre of Genesis 49:10 rather than birth order. The word lot is meant literally: Numbers 26:55 and Joshua 14:2 both say the land was divided by lot, so the borders traced here were settled by a method nobody could steer. The frame runs from the salt sea in verse 2 to the great sea in verse 12, so the chapter opens by drawing a line around the whole of it before naming anything inside.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Our Lord therefore, who sprang out of Judah, and whose the kingdom is, shall judge the mount of Esau, Obad. The northern border divided it from the lot of Benjamin. In this, mention is made of the stone of Bohan a Reubenite (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Judah had the dominion entailed upon him, and Joseph the double portion. Therefore these two tribes are first seated: and on them the other seven attended. The bay - Hebrew. the tongue: either a creek or arm of that sea; or a promontory, which by learned authors is sometimes called a tongue.
From thence it passed towards Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Toward Azmon - This was the last city they possessed toward Egypt. The river of Egypt - The most eastern branch of the river Nile. See on Jos 13:3 (note). But there is much reason to doubt whether any branch of the Nile be meant, and whether the promised land extended to that river. On this subject it is impossible to decide either way.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָבַ֣ר | veavar | and it passes on | H5674 → | 556 times |
| עַצְמ֗וֹנָה | atzmonah | Azmon towards | H6111 → | |
| וְיָצָא֙ | veyatza' | and it goes out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| נַ֣חַל | nachal | [the] wadi of | H5158 → | 141 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וְהָי֛וּ | vehayah | and they are | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| תֹּצְא֥וֹת | totzeot | [the] extremities of | H8444 → | 23 times |
| הַגְּב֖וּל | hagevul | the territory | H1366 → | 240 times |
| יָ֑מָּה | yamah | west -ward | H3220 → | 396 times |
| זֶה־ | zeh- | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| יִהְיֶ֥ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָכֶ֖ם | lakhem | of you | ||
| גְּב֥וּל | gevul | border of | H1366 → | 240 times |
| נֶֽגֶב׃ | negev | [the] south | H5045 → | 112 times |
וְעָבַ֣רand it passes on
veavarH5674 →556 times
עַצְמ֗וֹנָהAzmon towards
atzmonahH6111 →
וְיָצָא֙and it goes out
veyatza'H3318 →1067 times
נַ֣חַל[the] wadi of
nachalH5158 →141 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וְהָי֛וּand they are
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
תֹּצְא֥וֹת[the] extremities of
totzeotH8444 →23 times
הַגְּב֖וּלthe territory
hagevulH1366 →240 times
יָ֑מָּהwest -ward
yamahH3220 →396 times
זֶה־this
zeh-H2088 →1180 times
יִהְיֶ֥הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
לָכֶ֖םof you
lakhem
גְּב֥וּלborder of
gevulH1366 →240 times
נֶֽגֶב׃[the] south
negevH5045 →112 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 15:18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 11:24
Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 1:3–4
I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses.
- Genesis 12:7
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
- Genesis 24:7
The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this…
- Genesis 13:15
for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.
- Deuteronomy 11:24
Through
Exodus 23:31And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you…
it leads to
- Genesis 15:18
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 21:44
And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their…
- Joshua 1:4
Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea.
- Genesis 15:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.