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Joshua 18:28

in Joshua 18

Zelah, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen cities, along with their villages. This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

and Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite (the same is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

KJV

And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

This verse in Joshua 18

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

And Zelah - This was the burying-place of Saul, Jonathan, and the family of Kish. See 2Sa 21:14. Jebusi, which is Jerusalem - We often meet with this name, and it is evident that it was the ancient name of Jerusalem, which was also called Salem; and was probably the place in which Melchizedek reigned in the days of Abraham; though some think a different place is meant; for that there was another place of the same name, is evident from Joh 3:

This site's exposition

Now the cities of the

on Joshua 18:21-28

Jericho heads Benjamin's city list, the town Joshua cursed at 6:26, and 1 Kings 16:34 records that curse falling on Hiel of Bethel generations later. Gibeon, Chephirah and Beeroth are three of the four Gibeonite towns of chapter 9, so the men Joshua swore to spare end up living inside this tribe's inheritance. Gaba at verse 24 and Gibeath at verse 28 are Gibeah, the town of Judges 19 and 20 that nearly cost Benjamin its existence and later the home of Saul at 1 Samuel 11:4; Mizpeh at verse 26 is where Israel gathers to judge that crime at Judges 20:1. Verse 28 places Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, in Benjamin's list, while 15:63 records Judah failing to drive the Jebusites out and Judges 1:21 records Benjamin failing, and both accounts stand as written.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

EXPLANATIONS OF THE PSALMS 62.4 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

But when Jerusalem was being built, it was not built in a place where there was not a city, but there was a city at first which was called Jebus, whence the Jebusites. This having been captured, overcome, made subject, there was built a new city, as though the old were thrown down; and it was called Jerusalem, vision of peace, City of God. Each one therefore that is born of Adam does not yet belong to Jerusalem: for he bears with him the offshoot of iniquity, and the punishment of sin, having been consigned to death, and he belongs in a manner to a sort of old city. But if he is to be in the people of God, his old self will be thrown down, and he will be built up new.

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

EXPLANATIONS OF THE PSALMS 65.2 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

And see the names of those two cities, Babylon and Jerusalem. Babylon is interpreted confusion, Jerusalem vision of peace. Observe now the city of confusion, in order that you may perceive the vision of peace; that you may endure the one and long for the other. By what can those two cities be distinguished? Can we in any way now separate them from each other? They are mingled, and from the very beginning of humankind mingled they run on until the end of the world. Jerusalem began through Abel, Babylon through Cain: for the buildings of the cities were erected afterwards. That Jerusalem in the land of the Jebusites was built: for at first it used to be called Jebus, from which the nation of the Jebusites was expelled, when the people of God was delivered from Egypt and led into the land of promise. But Babylon was built in the most interior regions of Persia, which for a long time raised its head above the rest of nations. These two cities then at particular times were built, so that there might be shown a figure of two cities begun of old, and to remain even until the end in this world, but at the end to be severed.

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 13.2 · Written before 253.

proposed

I pass from the letter—since even it has taken a way which the Word has given—to each soul already made worthy to see peace. For after divine studies, you have become Jerusalem, the prior place being Jebus. History says that the name of that place had been Jebus, but afterwards the name changed and became Jerusalem. The children of the Hebrews say that Jebus is interpreted as "what has been trampled." Jebus then is the soul which is trampled by hostile powers, has been changed and has become Jerusalem, vision of peace. If then you have sinned, when you have changed from Jebus to become Jerusalem, and you have trampled upon the Son of God and held as profane the blood of the new covenant as she had, and you have ended up in grievous sins, it will also be said concerning you, who will spare you, Jerusalem? And who will feel sorry for you if you become someone who betrays Jesus? When each of us sins, and especially if he sins grievously, he sins against Jesus. But if he is also an apostate, he does spiritually even more to Jesus the things that Jerusalem did to him bodily.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

The testimony of Israel and the thrones of judgment do well together, Ps. cxxii. Some think there was an eye to the name of the place, Shiloh being the name by which the Messiah was known in dying Jacob's prophecy ( Gen. xlix.

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

And Zelaheath,.... Zelah was the buryingplace of Saul and his family, 2Sa 21:

The words behind it

16 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.

  • וְצֵלַ֡עand Zelah

    vetzela'H6762

  • הָאֶ֜לֶףHaeleph

    haelefH507

  • וְהַיְבוּסִ֨יand the Jebusite

    vehayvusiH298341 times

  • הִ֤יאthat

    hi'H19311879 times

  • יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙[is] Jerusalem

    yerushalimH3389643 times

  • גִּבְעַ֣תGibeah

    givatH1394

  • קִרְיַ֔תKiriath

    kiryatH715739 times

  • עָרִ֥יםcities

    ʾarimH58921090 times

  • אַרְבַּֽע־four-

    ʾarba'-H702318 times

  • עֶשְׂרֵ֖הteen

    ʾesrehH6240338 times

  • וְחַצְרֵיהֶ֑ןand villages their

    vechatzreihenH2691191 times

  • זֹ֛אתthis

    zotH2063603 times

  • נַֽחֲלַ֥ת[was] [the] inheritance of

    nachalatH5159222 times

  • בְּנֵֽי־[the] descendants of

    benei-H11214930 times

  • בִנְיָמִ֖ןBenjamin

    vinyaminH1144166 times

  • לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃ פto clans their

    lemishpechotamH4940303 times

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

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

    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.

    it leads to

    • 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.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 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.

    • 2 Samuel 5:6–9

      Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel…

    • 1 Chronicles 11:4–8

      Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where the Jebusites inhabited the land.

  • Through

    Joshua 15:8

    From 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…

    it leads to

    • Joshua 18:16

      Then 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…

    • 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.

  • Through

    2 Samuel 21:14

    And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded,…

    it leads to

    • Joshua 7:26

      And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this…

    • 2 Samuel 24:25

      And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.

About Joshua

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, EXPLANATIONS OF THE PSALMS 62.4; Augustine of Hippo, EXPLANATIONS OF THE PSALMS 65.2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 13.2.