Joshua 15:39 — Word Study
WLCלָכִ֥ישׁ וּבָצְקַ֖ת וְעֶגְלֽוֹן׃
BSALachishLâkîysh [a city in Palestine] BozkathBotsqath EglonʻEglôwn [a king of Moab, a city in Judah]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לָכִ֥ישׁ | Lachish | Noun proper |
| וּבָצְקַ֖ת | and Bozkath | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וְעֶגְלֽוֹן׃ | and Eglon | Conjunction, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, |
| KJV | Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, |
| ASV | Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, |
| YLT | Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, |
| WEB | Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, |
| BBE | Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon; |
The translations agree on the names of the cities listed in this verse.
The verse consists of a simple list of cities without additional clauses or descriptions.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, AdamClarke, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
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 — Joshua 15:39
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 Cities of Judahgenerated
Joshua 15:39 is part of a passage that details the cities given to the tribe of Judah. This verse specifically mentions Lachish, Bozkath, and Eglon, which are notable locations in the territory of Judah. These cities played important roles in the history of Israel, particularly during the conquest and settlement of Canaan.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 10:3–31 | 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, |
| 2 | Joshua 12:11 | the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; |
| 3 | 2 Kings 18:14–17 | So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand from me.” And the king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. |
| 4 | 2 Kings 19:8 | When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah. |
| 5 | 2 Kings 22:1 | Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — לָכִישׁ, la.Khishgenerated
The word לָכִישׁ (Lachish) refers to a city in ancient Palestine, specifically associated with the Amorites. It is parsed as a proper noun, indicating its significance as a geographical location. The name means 'invincible' and highlights its historical importance as a fortified city.
Lachish was conquered by Joshua and later allotted to the tribe of Judah, marking its role in the biblical narrative. Its historical context as a city south of Jerusalem adds to its importance in the conquest of Canaan.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, listing three cities in a noun phrase. The finite verb is absent, as this is a simple enumeration of names.
The Hebrew word order places Lachish first, followed by Bozkath and Eglon, indicating a list of significant locations without additional context or description.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, Lachish is rendered as βασηδωθ, while Bozkath and Eglon are not directly matched. This choice shows a possible interpretation or variation in the names as understood by the Greek translators.
The lack of a direct match for Eglon in the Septuagint suggests a difference in focus or emphasis in the translation process.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:39 lists three cities: Lachish, Bozkath, and Eglon. Lachish was a significant city in Judah, known for its fortifications. Bozkath is noted as a city associated with Josiah's mother, and Eglon refers to both a king of Moab and a city that opposed Israel.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Lachish was known as a fortified city in Judah, significant for its military strength and historical role during the conquest of Canaan.
Bozkath is mentioned as it was the hometown of Josiah's mother, highlighting its importance in the lineage of the kings of Judah.
Eglon was a king of Moab who oppressed Israel for 18 years before being killed by Ehud, marking a significant event in Israel's struggle against foreign oppression.
These cities were allocated to the tribe of Judah during the conquest of Canaan, signifying their importance in the territorial claims of the Israelites.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from the significance of Lachish in the history of Israel?
- How does Bozkath's mention in the context of Josiah's family influence our understanding of its importance?
- What does Eglon's oppression of Israel teach us about the challenges faced by the Israelites?
- In what ways do the cities listed in this verse reflect the geographical and historical landscape of ancient Judah?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:39 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleLachish,.... Lachish and Eglon were royal cities, of which see Joshua 10:3; and Bozkath, is called Boscath, of which place was the mother of King Josiah, 2 Kings 21:1; some take it to be the same
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryLachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon, Lachish , [ Laakiysh (H3923) (either the smitten, captured, or the tenacious, impregnable, Gesenius).
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 39. Lachish - and Eglon] See Clarke on Joshua 10:3.
Read AdamClarke on Joshua 15 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible37-41. This second group of the cities in the Shephelah, sixteen in number, are now nearly all unknown. On Lachish and Eglon, see Joshua 10:3.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Joshua 15 →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
Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,
Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,
Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,
Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,
Tyndale line
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon;
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
Strictly literal
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
Lachish, and Bozkath, and 'Eglon,
Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon.
From the Latin
Lachis and Bascath and Eglon,
Simplified
Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,
Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon;
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 lists the cities as לָכִ֥ישׁ וּבָצְקַ֖ת וְעֶגְלֽוֹן׃. The Septuagint matches two of the three cities, indicating some consistency in the transmission of these names across different textual traditions.
לָכִ֥ישׁ וּבָצְקַ֖ת וְעֶגְלֽוֹן׃
2 of the 3 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 Joshua 15:39
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.
לָכִישׁ (Lachish) refers to a city in ancient Palestine, specifically a Canaanitish city associated with the Amorites. The name is thought to mean 'invincible.' It is located south of Jerusalem and was conquered by Joshua, later being allotted to the tribe of Judah.
לָכִישׁ n.pr.loc. Canaanitish (Amorit.) city
base
H3923 לָכִישׁ Canaanitish (Amorit.) city
3923 Lachiysh law-keesh'
from an unused root of uncertain meaning; Lakish, a place in
Palestine:--Lachish.
לָכִישׁ (la.khish) — Lachish.
§ Lachish = "invincible"
a city lying south of Jerusalem on the borders of Simeon and which belonged to the Amorites until conquered by Joshua and allotted to Judah
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
la'-kish (lakhish; Septuagint Lachis (Jos 15:39), Maches):
1. Location:
A town in the foothills of the Shephelah on the border of the Philistine plain, belonging to Judah, and, from the mention of Eglon in connection with it, evidently in the southwestern portion of Judah's territory. Eusebius, Onomasticon locates it 7 miles from Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin) toward Daroma, but as the latter place is uncertain, the indication does not help in fixing the site of Lachish. The city seems to have been abandoned about 400 BC, and this circumstance has rendered the identification of the site difficult. It was formerly fixed at Umm Lakis, from the similarity of the name and because it was in the region that the Biblical references to Lachish seem to indicate, but the mound called Tell el-Hesy is now generally accepted as the site. This was…
Lachish
Impregnable, a royal Canaanitish city in the Shephelah, or maritime plain of Palestine (Josh. 10:3, 5; 12:11). It was taken and destroyed by the Israelites (Josh. 10:31-33). It afterwards became, under Rehoboam, one of the strongest fortresses of Judah (2 Chr. 10:9). It was assaulted and probably taken by Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:14, 17; 19:8; Isa. 36:2). An account of this siege is given on some slabs found in the chambers of the palace of Koyunjik, and now in the British Museum. The inscription has been deciphered as follows:, “Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on the throne…
(invincible), a city lying south of Jerusalem, on the borders of Simeon, and belonging to the Amorites, the king of which joined with four others, at the invitation of Adonizedek king of Jerusalem, to chastise the Gibeonites for their league with Israel. (Joshua 10:3,5) They were routed by Joshua at Beth-horon, and the king of Lachish fell a victim with the others under the trees at Makkedah. ver. (Joshua 10:26) The destruction of the town shortly followed the death of the king. vs. (Joshua 10:31-33) In the special statement that the attack lasted two days, in contradistinction to the other cities which were taken in one (see ver. 35), we gain our first glimpse of that strength of position for which Lachish was afterward…
A city in the southwest part of Judah, Jos 10:3,5,31; fortified by Rehoboam, 2Ch 11:9, and strong enough to resist for a time the whole army of Sennacherib, 2Ki 18:17 19:8 2Ch 32:1,9,21 Mic 1:13. It was here that king Amaziah was slain, 2Ki 14:19. For a wonderful confirmation of the truth of Scripture, see SENNACHERIB.
בָּצְקַת (Botsqath) refers to a city in Judah, described as a 'rocky height' and located in the lowlands near the Philistines. It is mentioned in relation to Josiah's mother. The word is derived from a root meaning 'swell of ground' and is linked to the place name Bozcath.
בָּצְקַת n.pr.loc. city of Judah toward Philistines
base
H1218 בָּצְקַת
1218 Botsqath bots-cath'
from 1216; a swell of ground; Botscath, a place in
Palestine:--Bozcath, Boskath.
see HEBREW for 01216
בׇּצְקַת (bots.qat) — Bozkath.
§ Bozkath or Boscath = "rocky height"
a city in Judah in the lowlands toward the Philistines, home of Josiah's mother
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
(rocky height), a city of Judah in the lowlands (Joshua 15:39; 2 Kings 22:1)
עֶגְלוֹן (‘Eglown) refers to both a king of Moab who oppressed Israel and a royal city in Canaan. The name is derived from a root meaning 'vituline' or 'calf-like.' Eglon is first mentioned in Judges 3:12, where the king is noted for his lengthy oppression of the Israelites.
עֶגְלוֹן 13 n.pr.
m. a king of Moab
loc. site
base
H5700 עֶגְלוֹן
5700 `Eglown eg-lawn'
from 5695; vituline; Eglon, the name of a place in Palestine
and of a Moabitish king:--Eglon.
see HEBREW for 05695
עֶגְלוֹן (eg.lon) — Eglon.
§ Eglon = "calf-like"
a royal city in Canaan that opposed the conquest; located in the low lands of Judah
עֶגְלוֹן (eg.lon) — Eglon.
A man of the Moabites living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.3.12
§ Eglon = "calf-like"
1) king of Moab who oppressed the children of Israel for 18 years before he was killed by the judge Ehud
2) a royal city in Canaan that opposed the conquest; located in the low lands of Judah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
Eglon
The bullock; place of heifers. (1.) Chieftain or king of one of the Moabite tribes (Judg. 3:12-14). Having entered into an alliance with Ammon and Amalek, he overran the trans-Jordanic region, and then crossing the Jordan, seized on Jericho, the “city of palm trees,” which had been by this time rebuilt, but not as a fortress. He made this city his capital, and kept Israel in subjection for eighteen years. The people at length “cried unto the Lord” in their distress, and he “raised them up a deliverer” in Ehud (q.v.), the son of Gera, a Benjamite.
(2.) A city in Judah, near Lachish (Josh. 15:39). It was destroyed by Joshua (10:5, 6). It has been identified with Tell Nejileh, 6 miles south of Tell Hesy or Ajlan, north-west of Lachish. (See LACHISH.)
(calf-like). A king of the Moabites, (Judges 3:12) ff., who, aided by the Ammonites and the Amelekites, crossed the Joran and took "the city of palm trees." (B.C. 1359.) here, according to Josephus, he built himself a palace, and continued for eighteen years to oppress the children of Israel, who paid him tribute. He was slain by Ehud. [EHUD] A town of Judah in the low country. (Joshua 15:39) The name survives in the modern Ajlan , a shapeless mass of ruins, about 10 miles from Eleutheropolis and 14 from Gaza, on the south of the great maritime plain.
A king of Moab, who, with the help of Ammon and Amalek, subdued the southern and eastern tribes of the Jews. He made Jericho his seat of government, and held his power eighteen years, but was then slain by Ehud, and his people expelled, Jud 3:12-31.
same as Eglah