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Joshua 21:11

in Joshua 21

They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pasturelands, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the father of Anak.)

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And they gave them Kiriath-arba, which Arba was the father of Anak (the same is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.

KJV

And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.

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This verse in Joshua 21

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

they designated these cities by name

on Joshua 21:9-19

Hebron goes to the priests as a city of refuge, and verse 12 keeps Caleb's grant of 14:13 by leaving him the fields and villages. The parallel list at 1 Chronicles 6:54-81 differs in several names, which Barnes treats as variant forms and copyists' slips rather than a different grant.

This site's exposition

They gave them Kiriath-arba

Kiriath-arba means the city of Arba, and Joshua 14:15 calls Arba the greatest man among the Anakim. The spies of Numbers 13:22 found the descendants of Anak living in Hebron, and at 13:33 they felt like grasshoppers beside them. The giants' city now houses Aaron's sons.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And they gave them the city of Arba, the father of Anak,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

they gave . . . these cities which are here mentioned by name--It was overruled by the unerring providence of the Divine Lawgiver that the cities of the priests lay within the territories of Judah and Benjamin. This was a provision, the admirable wisdom and propriety of which were fully manifested on the schism that took place in the reign of Rehoboam.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

The city of Arba - See the note on Jos 14:15.

The words behind it

14 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.

  • וַיִּתְּנ֨וּand they gave

    vaiyitenuH5414 →2011 times

  • לָהֶ֜םto <the> them

    lahem

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • קִרְיַת֩Kiriath

    kiryatH7153 →18 times

  • אַרְבַּ֨עArba

    ʾarba'H7153 →18 times

  • אֲבִ֧י[the] father of

    ʾaviH1 →1212 times

  • הָֽעֲנ֛וֹק<the> Anak

    haanokH6061 →9 times

  • הִ֥יאthat

    hi'H1931 →1879 times

  • חֶבְר֖וֹן[is] Hebron

    chevronH2275 →72 times

  • בְּהַ֣רin [the] hill country of

    beharH2022 →546 times

  • יְהוּדָ֑הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH854 →929 times

  • מִגְרָשֶׁ֖הָpasture lands its

    migrashehaH4054 →119 times

  • סְבִיבֹתֶֽיהָ׃around it

    sevivoteihaH5439 →336 times

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

Related verses

14 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 20:7So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.6 works1 Chronicles 6:55They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands.5 worksLuke 1:39In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah,3 worksJoshua 15:13–14According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)2 worksJoshua 14:15(Hebron used to be called Kiriath-arba, after Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.2 worksJoshua 15:54Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine cities, along with their villages.2 works
The other 8 cross-references, with their words ▾
Judges 1:10Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.2 worksGenesis 35:27Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.2 worksGenesis 23:2She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.2 works2 Samuel 15:7After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.2 works2 Samuel 5:1–5Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.2 works2 Samuel 2:1–3Some time later, David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” “Go up,” the LORD answered. Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” replied the LORD.2 worksJoshua 10:6Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, because all the kings of the Amorites from the hill country have joined forces against us.”2 worksNumbers 35:3The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.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

    Joshua 14:15

    (Hebron used to be called Kiriath-arba, after Arba, the greatest man among the Anakim.) Then the land had rest from war.

    it leads to

    • Joshua 15:13

      According to the LORD’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)

      Reached by 3 separate paths from here.

    • Genesis 23:2

      She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Joshua 11:23

      So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to the allotments to their tribes. Then…

    • Judges 3:11

      So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

    • Judges 5:31

      So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.

  • Through

    1 Chronicles 6:55

    They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands.

    it leads to

    • Joshua 14:13

      Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

  • Through

    Luke 1:39

    In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah,

    it leads to

    • Luke 1:65

      All their neighbors were filled with awe, and people throughout the hill country of Judea were talking about these events.

    • Joshua 15:48–59

      These were in the hill country:

Where this verse is studied

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 21 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth.

Read on in Joshua 21 →