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Joshua 18:14

in Joshua 18

On the west side the border curved southward from the hill facing Beth-horon on the south and came out at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the border extended thence, and turned about on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lieth before Beth-horon southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kiriath-baal (the same is Kiriath-jearim), a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.

KJV

And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Beth–horon southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjath–baal, which is Kirjath–jearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.

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This verse in Joshua 18

Commentary

4 notes on this verse
And the border was drawn thence,.... From Bethhoron: and compassed the corner of the sea southward; it is hard to say what sea is meant, or what by it.

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

Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim)

Barnes explains the turn: Lower Beth-horon is Benjamin's farthest point west, and there the line bends south. It ends at Kiriath-jearim, one of the Gibeonite towns of 9:17 and a mark on Judah's border at 15:9. The ark stayed there twenty years according to 1 Samuel 7:1-2.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Bishop Patrick thinks the meaning is that it ran along in a parallel line to the great sea, though at a distance. Dr. Fuller suggests that since it is not called the great sea, but only the sea, which often signifies any lake or mere, it may be meant of the pool of Gibeon, which may be called a corner or canton of the sea; it is called the great waters of Gibeon ( Jer. xli.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

And the boundary circled and went around the western side southward. At Atros-ador, the length of the northern boundary ended; it went from east to west. From there the boundary line encircled the western boundary of Binyomin to go southward from north to south.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Joshua 18:14:1, via Sefaria, The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And the southern side— Referring to the southern border of Binyomin which is identical with the northern border of Yehudah.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Joshua 18:15:1, 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

28 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.

  • וְתָאַ֣רand it turns

    vetaarH8388 →8 times

  • הַגְּבוּל֩the border

    hagevulH1366 →240 times

  • וְנָסַ֨בand it turns

    venasavH5437 →161 times

  • לִפְאַת־to [the] side of

    lifat-H6285 →86 times

  • יָ֜ם[the] west

    yamH3220 →396 times

  • נֶ֗גְבָּהsouth -ward

    negbahH5045 →112 times

  • מִן־from

    min-H4480 →1188 times

  • הָהָר֙the mountain

    haharH2022 →546 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • עַל־[is] on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • פְּנֵ֥י[the] face of

    peneiH6440 →2123 times

  • בֵית־Beth

    veit-H1032 →28 times

  • חֹרוֹן֮Horon

    choronH1032 →28 times

  • נֶגְבָּה֒[the] south towards

    negbahH5045 →112 times

  • וְהָי֣וּand they are

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • תֹֽצְאֹתָ֗יוextremities its

    totzeotavH8444 →23 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • קִרְיַת־Kiriath

    kiryat-H7154 →4 times

  • בַּ֙עַל֙Baal

    baalH7154 →4 times

  • הִ֚יאthat

    hi'H1931 →1879 times

  • קִרְיַ֣ת[is] Kiriath

    kiryatH7157 →39 times

  • יְעָרִ֔יםJearim

    yearimH7157 →39 times

  • עִ֖יר[the] city of

    ʾirH5892 →1090 times

  • בְּנֵ֣י[the] descendants of

    beneiH1121 →4930 times

  • יְהוּדָ֑הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • זֹ֖אתthis

    zotH2063 →603 times

  • פְּאַת־[is the] side of

    peat-H6285 →86 times

  • יָֽם׃[the] west

    yamH3220 →396 times

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

Related verses

8 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 15:9From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).3 works1 Samuel 6:21So they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up with you.”3 worksJoshua 15:60Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, along with their villages.3 works2 Samuel 6:2And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name—the name of the LORD of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it.2 works1 Samuel 7:1–2Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.2 works1 Chronicles 13:5–6So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.2 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
Jeremiah 26:20Now there was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land the same things that Jeremiah did.2 worksJoshua 9:17So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.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

    2 Samuel 6:2

    And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name—the name of the LORD of Hosts, who…

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 7:1

      Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 1 Samuel 4:4

      So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni…

    • 1 Chronicles 13:5–6

      So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

    • Exodus 25:18–22

      Make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat,

    • Psalms 80:1

      Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

  • Through

    Joshua 15:9

    From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

    it leads to

    • 1 Chronicles 13:6

      David and all Israel went up to Baalah of Judah (that is, Kiriath-jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called…

    • Joshua 18:15

      On the south side the border began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim and extended westward to the spring at the Waters of Nephtoah.

    • Judges 18:12

      They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.

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 Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); 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 18, with the verses cited in the note.

Read on in Joshua 18 →