1 Chronicles 6:58 — Word Study
WLCוְאֶת־ חִילֵז֙ וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֔יהָ אֶת־ דְּבִ֖יר וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶֽׁיהָ׃
BSARamothRâʼmôwth AnemʻÂnêm△
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| חִילֵז֙ | Hilez | Noun proper |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| מִגְרָשֶׁ֔יהָ | pasture lands its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| דְּבִ֖יר | Debir | Noun proper |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| מִגְרָשֶֽׁיהָ׃ | pasture lands its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Hilen, Debir, |
| KJV | And Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs, |
| ASV | and Hilen with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs, |
| YLT | and Hilen and its suburbs, Debir and its suburbs, |
| WEB | Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, |
| BBE | And Hilen with its outskirts, Debir with its outskirts, |
Where they part company is in the rendering of city names and descriptions.
The verse consists of a main clause followed by two noun phrases detailing the cities and their characteristics.
3 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 8 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 6:58
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Allotment of Cities to the Priestsgenerated
1 Chronicles 6:58 is part of a passage that details the cities and pasture lands assigned to the descendants of Aaron. This section highlights the importance of these locations for the priests' sustenance and their role within the Israelite community. The cities mentioned serve as both residential and functional spaces for the priestly families, ensuring their needs are met as they perform their sacred duties.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 15:51 | Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven cities, along with their villages. |
| 2 | Joshua 21:15 | Holon, Debir, |
| 3 | Joshua 10:3–38 | Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, |
| 4 | Joshua 12:13 | the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; |
| 5 | Joshua 15:49 | Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חִילֵז֙, chi.Lezgenerated
The name חִילֵז֙ (chi.Lez) refers to a city in Judah, also known as Holon, which was allocated to the priests. It signifies a place of refuge and sustenance, essential for the priestly class in ancient Israel.
This city is mentioned only once in the Bible, indicating its specific significance in the context of priestly allocations. The name is derived from a Hebrew root meaning 'fortress,' suggesting a place of safety and provision.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible, which provides a clear listing of the cities and their attributes.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse includes a series of noun phrases, with the finite verb implied in the context of the list. The main focus is on the cities and their associated pasture lands, presented in a straightforward manner.
Hebrew syntax often lists items in this way, allowing for clarity in the allocation of cities. The repetition of the object marker אֵת (et) emphasizes the items being enumerated.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the word for pasture lands is rendered as περισπόρια, indicating a focus on the areas surrounding the cities. This choice suggests a broader understanding of the land's use beyond mere residential purposes.
The Greek translation aligns closely with the Hebrew, preserving the essential meaning while adapting it for a Greek-speaking audience.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 6:58 lists Hilen and Debir as cities given to the descendants of Aaron, along with their pasture lands. This allocation highlights the importance of these locations for the priests and their families.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The cities, such as Hilen and Debir, were important for the priests' sustenance and their role in the community.
Pasture lands provided necessary resources for the priests and their families, ensuring they had the means to live and serve.
This verse contributes to the broader theme of the allocation of land and cities to the Levites and priests, emphasizing their importance in Israelite society.
Yes, Hilen and Debir are mentioned in the context of land allocations in other parts of the Bible, particularly in the book of Joshua.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the importance of community support from the allocation of cities to the priests?
- How do the cities and pasture lands reflect God's provision for His people?
- In what ways can we ensure that those serving in ministry today are supported and provided for?
- What significance do you think these cities held for the descendants of Aaron and their families?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 6:58 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd these are the sons of Aaron; Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 6 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(58) Hilen.—Holon, which twice occurs in Joshua 15:51; Joshua 21:15, is a more natural form. Debir.—Oracle, the inmost sanctuary; anciently, Kirjath-sepher (Book Town).
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 6 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges58. Hilen] In Joshua 21:15 Holon. Debir] called Kiriath-sepher (Judges 1:11) and Kiriath-sannah (Joshua 15:49). It was in the hill-country of Judah.
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 6 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Hilen, Debir,
Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands,
Hilen, Debir,
Hilez and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands,
Tyndale line
And Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs,
and Hilen with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs,
and Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs;
And Hilen with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs,
And Hilen with her suburbes, and Debir with her suburbes,
Strictly literal
and Hilen and its suburbs, Debir and its suburbs,
and Hilen and its suburbs, Debir and its suburbs,
and Hilen and its outskirts, Debir and its outskirts,
(6:43) And Chilen with its open spaces, Debir with its open spaces,
Hilen with its pasturelands, and Debir with its pasturelands.
From the Latin
And Jether and Esthemo, with their suburbs, and Helon, and Dabir with their suburbs:
Simplified
Hilen, Debir,
And Hilen with its outskirts, Debir with its outskirts,
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their listings, with six of the eight words matched. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, reflecting its own stylistic choices while maintaining the core content.
וְאֶת־ חִילֵז֙ וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֔יהָ אֶת־ דְּבִ֖יר וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶֽׁיהָ׃
6 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 6:58
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
חִילֵן (Chiylen) refers to a location in Judah, specifically a city allotted to the priests, also known as Holon. The name is derived from another Hebrew word meaning 'fortress.' It appears in 1 Chronicles 6:43.
חִילֵן n.pr.loc. in Judah 1 Ch 6:43
ref
H2432 חִילֵן
2432 Chiylen khee-lane'
from 2428; fortress; Chilen, a place in Palestine:--Hilen.
see HEBREW for 02428
חִילֵן (chi.len) — Hilen.
Hilen = "place of caves"
a city of Judah allotted to the priests
Another name of cho.lon (חֹלוֹן "Holon" H2473G)
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
מִגְרָשׁ (migrash) refers to common or open land, often associated with areas where flocks are driven for pasture. It can denote a suburb or the space around a building, and is noted in Ezekiel 27:28. The term is derived from a root meaning to drive out.
מִגְרָשׁ n.m. common, common-land, open land
base
H4054 מִגְרָשׁ
4054 migrash mig-rawsh'
also (in plural) feminine (Ezek. 27:28) migrashah
{mig-raw-shaw'}; from 1644; a suburb (i.e. open country
whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area
around a building, or the margin of the sea:--cast out,
suburb.
see HEBREW for 01644
מִגְרָשׁ (mig.rash) — pasture.
common, common land, open land, suburb
HNcmpc/Sp3fs — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fs
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
דְּבִיר (deb-eer) refers to both a king of Eglon and a geographical location in ancient Palestine, specifically a town in the mountains of Judah and another in Gilead east of the Jordan. The term is associated with meanings like 'sanctuary' and 'not a pasture.' There is some overlap in naming, as it is also linked to Kiriath-sannah and Lo-debar.
דְּבִיר
n. pr. m. king of Eglon
n. pr. loc.
N. border of Judah
town of the Gadites
a royal city of Canaanites
base
לִדְבִר n.pr.loc. only in Jos 13:26; E. of Jordan, in tribe of Gad
ref
H1688a דְּבִיר . n. pr. m. king of Eglon
. n. pr. loc. N. border of Judah
H1688b לִדְבִר E. of Jordan, in tribe of Gad
1688 Dbiyr deb-eer'
or (shortened) Dbir (Josh. 13:26 (but see 3810)) {deb-eer'};
the same as 1687; Debir, the name of an Amoritish king and of
two places in Palestine:--Debir.
see HEBREW for 03810
see HEBREW for 01687
דְּבִיר (de.vir) — Debir.
Debir = "sanctuary"
a town in the mountains of Judah west of Hebron and given to the priests and a city of refuge
Also named: qir.yat san.nah (קִרְיַת־סֵ֫פֶר "Kiriath-sannah" H7158)
לִדְבִר (lid.vir) — Debir.
Lo-debar = "not a pasture"
a town in Manasseh in Gilead east of the Jordan
Another name of lo de.var (לֹא דְבָר "Lo-debar" H3810)
דְּבִיר (de.vir) — Debir.
Lo-debar = "not a pasture"
a town in Manasseh in Gilead east of the Jordan
דְּבִיר (de.vir) — Debir.
A man living before Israel's Monarchy, only mentioned at Jos.10.3
§ Lo-debar = "not a pasture"
a town in Manasseh in Gilead east of the Jordan
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
Debir
Oracle town; sanctuary. (1.) One of the eleven cities to the west of Hebron, in the highlands of Judah (Josh. 15:49; Judg. 1:11-15). It was originally one of the towns of the Anakim (Josh. 15:15), and was also called Kirjath-sepher (q.v.) and Kirjath-sannah (49). Caleb, who had conquered and taken possession of the town and district of Hebron (Josh. 14:6-15), offered the hand of his daughter to any one who would successfully lead a party against Debir. Othniel, his younger brother (Judg. 1:13; 3:9), achieved the conquest, and gained Achsah as his wife. She was not satisfied with the portion her father gave her, and…
king of Eglon; one of the five kings hanged by Joshua. (Joshua 10:3,23) (B.C. 1440.)
A word, an oracle, Jud 1:11, a place called also KIRJATH-SEPHER, a city of books; and KIRJATH-SANNAH, a city of literature, Jos 5:15,15. Judging from the names, it appears to have been some sacred place among the Canaanites, and a repository of their records. It was a city in the south-west part of Judea, conquered from the Anakim by Joshua, but recaptured by the Canaanites, and resubdued by Othniel, and afterwards given to the priests, Jos 10:38,39 15:15-17 21:15. Its site is wholly lost. There was another Debir in Gad, and a third on the border of Benjamin, Jos 13:26 15:7.
an orator; a word
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
מִגְרָשׁ (migrash) refers to common or open land, often associated with areas where flocks are driven for pasture. It can denote a suburb or the space around a building, and is noted in Ezekiel 27:28. The term is derived from a root meaning to drive out.
מִגְרָשׁ n.m. common, common-land, open land
base
H4054 מִגְרָשׁ
4054 migrash mig-rawsh'
also (in plural) feminine (Ezek. 27:28) migrashah
{mig-raw-shaw'}; from 1644; a suburb (i.e. open country
whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area
around a building, or the margin of the sea:--cast out,
suburb.
see HEBREW for 01644
מִגְרָשׁ (mig.rash) — pasture.
common, common land, open land, suburb
HNcmpc/Sp3fs — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fs