Joshua 16:5
in Joshua 16This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: The border of their inheritance went from Ataroth-addar in the east to Upper Beth-horon
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: the border of their inheritance eastward was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper;
KJV
And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth–addar, unto Beth–horon the upper;
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This verse in Joshua 16
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd the border of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, was thus,.... Or what follows is the description of it: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper; the first was on the south of the inheritance, and the latter on the north, as Masius has placed them: who has given us a type of this description, by which it appears that this lot is here described in its breadth from south to north.
This site's exposition
the border of the children
on Joshua 16:5-9
Ephraim's line is drawn according to their families, so the register reaches below the tribe to the households inside it. It runs over ground the book has already fought on, since Bethhoron the nether at verse 3 and Bethhoron the upper at verse 5 sit on the descent where the Amorites fled and the great stones fell from heaven at Joshua 10:10-11. Verse 6 names Taanath-shiloh, and Shiloh itself lies in this territory, where the tabernacle is set up at 18:1 and stands until the ark is taken in 1 Samuel 4. Verse 9 gives Ephraim towns inside Manasseh's inheritance and 17:9 records the same arrangement from the other side; the text gives no reason for it, and Barnes says the reason can only be conjectured.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
East-side - That is, the northeast side. It is no wonder, if some of these descriptions are dark to us at this distance of time; there having been so many alterations made in places, and so many circumstances, being now altogether undiscoverable.
Though Joseph was one of the younger sons of Jacob, yet he was his eldest by his most just and best beloved wife Rachel, was himself his best beloved son, and had been the greatest ornament and support of his family, kept it from perishing in a time of famine, and had been the shepherd and stone of Israel, and therefore his posterity were very much favoured by the lot.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
From the abrupt manner in which the statements are introduced, as well as from their imperfect character, there is probability in the conjecture that some words have, in these verses, fallen out of the text. Few of the places are known for certain.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the border of their inheritance . . . was Ataroth-addar--Ataroth-addar (now Atara), four miles south of Jetta [ROBINSON], is fixed on as a center, through which a line is drawn from Upper Beth-horon to Michmethah, showing the western limit of their actual possessions.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Ataroth-addar - See the note on Jos 16:2. Beth-horon the upper - The situation of this town is little known. It was eastward of Beth-horon the nether, and consequently not far from it.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the east was Atros-addor. The eastern boundary starts from Atros-Addor and from there the border widens to Beis-choron. This is its width.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The boundary then went out westward. Its length was westward to Michmesos; the boundary line continued north of Michmesos.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֛י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| גְּב֥וּל | gevul | [the] territory of | H1366 → | 240 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶפְרַ֖יִם | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם | lemishpechotam | to clans their | H4940 → | 303 times |
| וַיְהִ֞י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| גְּב֤וּל | gevul | [the] border of | H1366 → | 240 times |
| נַחֲלָתָם֙ | nachalatam | inheritance their | H5159 → | 222 times |
| מִזְרָ֔חָה | mizrachah | east -ward | H4217 → | 74 times |
| עַטְר֣וֹת | atrot | Ataroth | H5853 → | 4 times |
| אַדָּ֔ר | ʾadar | Addar | H5853 → | 4 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | Beth | H1032 → | 28 times |
| חוֹרֹ֖ן | choron | Horon | H1032 → | 28 times |
| עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ | elyon | upper | H5945 → |
וַיְהִ֛יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
גְּב֥וּל[the] territory of
gevulH1366 →240 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] descendants of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
אֶפְרַ֖יִםEphraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 times
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑םto clans their
lemishpechotamH4940 →303 times
וַיְהִ֞יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
גְּב֤וּל[the] border of
gevulH1366 →240 times
נַחֲלָתָם֙inheritance their
nachalatamH5159 →222 times
מִזְרָ֔חָהeast -ward
mizrachahH4217 →74 times
עַטְר֣וֹתAtaroth
atrotH5853 →4 times
אַדָּ֔רAddar
ʾadarH5853 →4 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
בֵּ֥יתBeth
beitH1032 →28 times
חוֹרֹ֖ןHoron
choronH1032 →28 times
עֶלְיֽוֹן׃upper
elyonH5945 →
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
Joshua 16:2It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.
it leads to
- Genesis 28:19
and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 18:13
From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.
- Judges 1:22–26
The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 16:16
And David’s friend Hushai the Archite went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
- 1 Chronicles 27:33
Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend.
- Genesis 28:19
Through
Joshua 18:13From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.
it leads to
- Joshua 16:2–3
It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.
- Joshua 10:11
As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by…
- Joshua 21:22
Kibzaim, and Beth-horon—four cities, together with their pasturelands.
- Joshua 16:2–3
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 on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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.