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Joshua 18:12

in Joshua 18

On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And their border on the north quarter was from the Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the hill-country westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven.

KJV

And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth–aven.

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This verse in Joshua 18

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

The wilderness of Beth-aven - This was the same as Beth-el; but this name was not given to it till Jeroboam had fixed one of his golden calves there. Its first name signifies the house of God; its second, the house of iniquity.

This site's exposition

The first lot came up for the clans

on Joshua 18:11-20

Benjamin draws first and gets a strip between Judah and Joseph, setting Rachel's two sons side by side. The southern border is Judah's northern line from 15:5-9 traced in reverse, past En-rogel, the Ascent of Adummim and the Stone of Bohan. Barnes holds that the text of this chapter and the next is in disorder and that many places named can no longer be located.

This site's exposition

the wilderness of Beth-aven

Benjamin's northern line runs from the Jordan past Jericho into the hills along the same course as Joseph's southern line at 16:1-2. Clarke takes Beth-aven, house of wickedness, as a later name for Bethel, house of God. Hosea 4:15 warns Israel against going up to Beth-aven.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And their border on the north side was from Jordan,....

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

Their northern boundary. Their northern boundary was the Jordan, since the border started from the east and went up alongside Yericho from the north. It went from there westward alongside Yericho and the border line is drawn on the northside of Yericho.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Joshua 18:12:1, via Sefaria, The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997

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

21 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיְהִ֨יand it was

    vayhiH1961 →3559 times

  • לָהֶ֧םto <the> them

    lahem

  • הַגְּב֛וּלthe border

    hagevulH1366 →240 times

  • לִפְאַ֥תof [the] side of

    lifatH6285 →86 times

  • צָפ֖וֹנָהnorth -ward

    tzafonahH6828 →153 times

  • מִן־from

    min-H4480 →1188 times

  • הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ןthe Jordan

    haiyardenH3383 →182 times

  • וְעָלָ֣הand it goes up

    vealahH5927 →890 times

  • הַגְּבוּל֩the border

    hagevulH1366 →240 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • כֶּ֨תֶף[the] slope of

    ketefH3802 →67 times

  • יְרִיח֜וֹJericho

    yerichoH3405 →57 times

  • מִצָּפ֗וֹןfrom [the] north

    mitzafonH6828 →153 times

  • וְעָלָ֤הand it goes up

    vealahH5927 →890 times

  • בָהָר֙in the hill country

    vaharH2022 →546 times

  • יָ֔מָּהwest -ward

    yamahH3220 →396 times

  • וְהָיוּ֙and they are

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • תֹּֽצְאֹתָ֔יוextremities its

    totzeotavH8444 →23 times

  • מִדְבַּ֖רָה[the] wilderness of towards

    midbarahH4057 →270 times

  • בֵּ֥יתBeth

    beitH1007 →14 times

  • אָֽוֶן׃Aven

    ʾavenH1007 →14 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Joshua 7:2Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.7 worksJoshua 16:1The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.5 worksJoshua 8:15Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.4 works1 Samuel 13:5Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.3 worksJoshua 18:21These were the cities of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin:3 worksJoshua 3:16the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.2 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
Hosea 5:8Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; raise the battle cry in Beth-aven: Lead on, O Benjamin!2 worksJoshua 6:1Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.2 worksJoshua 2:1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.2 worksHosea 10:5The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced in its glory— for it has been taken from them into exile.2 worksHosea 4:15Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Hosea 5:8

    Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; raise the battle cry in Beth-aven: Lead on, O Benjamin!

    it leads to

    • Hosea 4:15

      Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Joel 2:1

      Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near—

    • Hosea 9:9

      They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.

  • Through

    Joshua 6:1

    Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

    it leads to

    • Joshua 2:9–14

      and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting…

    • Joshua 2:24

      “The LORD has surely delivered the entire land into our hands,” they said to Joshua. “Indeed, all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of us.”

    • Psalms 127:1

      Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.

  • Through

    Joshua 3:16

    the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was…

    it leads to

    • Joshua 3:13

      When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will…

    • Genesis 14:3

      The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

About Joshua

Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua: the study guide →Read Joshua 18 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and The Berean Standard Bible, Joshua 18, with the verses cited in the note.

Read on in Joshua 18 →