Joshua 15:8
in Joshua 15From there the border went up the Valley of Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the side of the Jebusite southward (the same is Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the uttermost part of the vale of Rephaim northward;
KJV
And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:
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This verse in Joshua 15
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom,.... Which belonged to a man of that name formerly; and was near Jerusalem, placed by Jerom (l) to the east of it; but Reland (m) rather thinks it is to the south.
This site's exposition
the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah
on Joshua 15:1-12
Judah is given first and given most, before the tabernacle tribe and before Joseph, which matches the scepter of Genesis 49:10 rather than birth order. The lot is literal, as Numbers 26:55 and Joshua 14:2 both say, so nobody could steer these borders. The frame runs from the Salt Sea at verse 2 to the Great Sea at verse 12, drawing the whole before naming anything inside.
This site's exposition
Valley of Hinnom
The line runs below the southern slope of the Jebusite city, and Benjamin's border at 18:16 follows the same valley from the other side, so the city stands north of it. Wesley suggests that Judah is still tied to Jerusalem because part of it was allotted to Judah, or because Benjamin needed Judah's strength to hold it. Barnes derives the name Gehenna from this valley.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Jerusalem - It may seem hence, that Jerusalem properly, or at least principally, belonged to Benjamin; and yet it is ascribed to Judah also; either because a part of the city was allotted to Judah; or because the Benjamites desired the help and conjunction of this powerful tribe of Judah, for the getting and keeping of this most important place.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The valley of the son of Hinnom - Who Hinnom was is not known, nor why this was called his valley. It was situated on the east of Jerusalem; and is often mentioned in Scripture. The image of the idol Molech appears to have been set up there; and there the idolatrous Israelites caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire in honor of that demon, 2Ki 23:10. It was also called Tophet, see Jer 7:
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The valley of the son of Hinnom - This valley begins on the west of Jerusalem at the road to Joppa, and turning southeastward round the foot of Mount Zion joins the deeper valley of Kedron on the south of the city. It was in this ravine, more particularly at Tophet in the more wild and precipitous part of it toward the east, that the later kings of Judah offered the sacrifices of children to Moloch (2Ch 28:3; 2Ch 33:6, etc.). After these places had been defiled by Josiah, Tophet and the whole valley of Hinnom were held in abomination by the Jews, and the name of the latter was used to denote the place of eternal torment Mat 5:22. The Greek term Gehenna (γεέννα geenna) is in fact formed from the Hebrew הנם גיא gay' hı̂nnôm, “valley of Hinnom.” Hinnom is regarded either as the name of some ancient hero, or as an appellative ( “groaning” or “moaning”), bestowed on the spot because of the cries of the victims here offered to Moloch, and of the drums with which those cries were drowned. The valley of the giants - Rather “the plain of Rephaim.” This plain, named after an ancient and gigantic tribe of the land Gen 14:5, lies southwestward of Jerusalem, and is terminated by a slight rocky ridge forming the brow of the valley of Hinnom. The valley is fertile Isa 17:5 and broad, and has been on more than one occasion the camping ground for armies operating against Jerusalem 2Sa 5:18, 2Sa 5:22; 2Sa 23:13.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָלָ֨ה | vealah | and it goes up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הַגְּב֜וּל | hagevul | the border | H1366 → | 240 times |
| גֵּ֣י | gei | [the] valley of | H1516 → | 59 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | Ben | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הִנֹּ֗ם | hinom | Hinnom | H2011 → | 13 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כֶּ֤תֶף | ketef | [the] slope of | H3802 → | 67 times |
| הַיְבוּסִי֙ | hayvusi | the Jebusite[s] | H2983 → | 41 times |
| מִנֶּ֔גֶב | minegev | from [the] south | H5045 → | 112 times |
| הִ֖יא | hi' | that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם | yerushalim | [is] Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וְעָלָ֨ה | vealah | and it goes up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הַגְּב֜וּל | hagevul | the border | H1366 → | 240 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | rosh | [the] top of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הָהָ֗ר | hahar | the mountain | H2022 → | 546 times |
| אֲ֠שֶׁר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּנֵ֤י | penei | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| גֵֽי־ | gei- | [the] valley of | H1516 → | 59 times |
| הִנֹּם֙ | hinom | [Ben] Hinnom | H2011 → | 13 times |
| יָ֔מָּה | yamah | west -ward | H3220 → | 396 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּקְצֵ֥ה | biktzeh | [is] at [the] end of | H7097 → | 97 times |
| עֵֽמֶק־ | ʾemek- | [the] valley of | H6010 → | 69 times |
| רְפָאִ֖ים | refaim | [the] Rephaites | H7497 → | 25 times |
| צָפֹֽנָה׃ | tzafonah | north -ward | H6828 → | 153 times |
וְעָלָ֨הand it goes up
vealahH5927 →890 times
הַגְּב֜וּלthe border
hagevulH1366 →240 times
גֵּ֣י[the] valley of
geiH1516 →59 times
בֶן־Ben
ven-H1121 →4930 times
הִנֹּ֗םHinnom
hinomH2011 →13 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
כֶּ֤תֶף[the] slope of
ketefH3802 →67 times
הַיְבוּסִי֙the Jebusite[s]
hayvusiH2983 →41 times
מִנֶּ֔גֶבfrom [the] south
minegevH5045 →112 times
הִ֖יאthat
hi'H1931 →1879 times
יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם[is] Jerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
וְעָלָ֨הand it goes up
vealahH5927 →890 times
הַגְּב֜וּלthe border
hagevulH1366 →240 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
רֹ֣אשׁ[the] top of
roshH7218 →599 times
הָהָ֗רthe mountain
haharH2022 →546 times
אֲ֠שֶׁרwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּנֵ֤י[the] face of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
גֵֽי־[the] valley of
gei-H1516 →59 times
הִנֹּם֙[Ben] Hinnom
hinomH2011 →13 times
יָ֔מָּהwest -ward
yamahH3220 →396 times
אֲשֶׁ֛רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בִּקְצֵ֥ה[is] at [the] end of
biktzehH7097 →97 times
עֵֽמֶק־[the] valley of
ʾemek-H6010 →69 times
רְפָאִ֖ים[the] Rephaites
refaimH7497 →25 times
צָפֹֽנָה׃north -ward
tzafonahH6828 →153 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
2 Kings 23:10He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.
it leads to
- Isaiah 30:33
For Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its funeral pyre is deep and wide, with plenty of fire and wood. The breath of the LORD, like a…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 7:31–32
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 32:35
They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 19:6
So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.
- Isaiah 30:33
Through
Joshua 15:63But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
it leads to
- Judges 1:8
Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 1:21
The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
- Judges 1:8
Through
Judges 19:10But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
it leads to
- Joshua 15:63
But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 15:63
Through
Joshua 18:16Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 23:10
He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.
- 2 Kings 23:10
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and The Berean Standard Bible, Joshua 15, with the verses cited in the note.