Joshua 15:42 — Word Study
WLCלִבְנָ֥ה וָעֶ֖תֶר וְעָשָֽׁן׃
BSALibnahLibnâh [a city in Palestine] EtherʻEther [in the lowlands of Judah] AshanʻÂshân [a city in ancient Palestine]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לִבְנָ֥ה | Libnah | Noun proper |
| וָעֶ֖תֶר | and Ether | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וְעָשָֽׁן׃ | and Ashan | Conjunction, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Libnah, Ether, Ashan, |
| KJV | Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, |
| ASV | Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, |
| YLT | Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, |
| WEB | Libnah, Ether, Ashan, |
| BBE | Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan; |
There are no significant differences among the translations regarding the names of the cities listed in this verse.
The verse consists of a single main clause listing three cities, emphasizing the simplicity of the cataloging style.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, AdamClarke, Cambridge & 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 15:42
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 15:42 lists the cities of Libnah, Ether, and Ashan, which were part of the land allocated to the tribe of Judah. This verse is part of a larger passage that details the cities and their villages in the region, illustrating the distribution of land among the tribes of Israel as they settled in Canaan after the conquest.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 10:29 | Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and fought against Libnah. |
| 2 | Joshua 12:15 | the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; |
| 3 | 2 Kings 8:22 | So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled at the same time. |
| 4 | Joshua 19:7 | Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities, along with their villages, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — לִבְנָה, liv.Nahgenerated
The first city mentioned is לִבְנָה (Libnah), a proper noun referring to a city in southwest Judah. The name is linked to the meaning 'pavement,' and it was originally a Canaanite royal city before being captured by Joshua. It is also noted as a station for the Israelites during their wilderness journey.
Next is עֶתֶר (Ether), which means 'abundance' and refers to a town in the lowlands of Judah, allotted to the tribe of Simeon. Its context in the conquest narrative highlights its significance in the allocation of land.
Finally, עָשָׁן (Ashan), meaning 'smoke,' is also listed as a city in the lowland of Judah, associated with the tribe of Simeon. The name may suggest a geographical feature related to smoke, possibly from volcanic activity.
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, consisting of a list of three proper nouns: לִבְנָה, עֶתֶר, and עָשָׁן. Each name is presented in a noun phrase, indicating the cities allocated in the territory of Judah.
The simplicity of the sentence reflects the nature of the text, which is a catalog of cities rather than a narrative.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates לִבְנָה as λεμνα, עֶתֶר as ιθακ, and עָשָׁן is not directly represented. This shows a partial correspondence in the translation, indicating that the Greek translators recognized these locations but may have chosen different terms or omitted one.
The choice of ιθακ for עֶתֶר suggests a possible interpretation or adaptation of the name rather than a direct transliteration.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:42 lists three cities: Libnah, Ether, and Ashan. These cities were part of the territory allocated to the tribe of Judah and reflect the geographical distribution of land among the tribes of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Libnah was an important city in the territory of Judah, originally a Canaanite royal city captured by Joshua.
The name Ether means 'abundance' and refers to a town in the lowlands of Judah, allotted to the tribe of Simeon.
Ashan is mentioned as a city in the lowlands of Judah, allocated to the tribe of Simeon, and its name means 'smoke,' possibly indicating a geographic feature.
This verse is part of a larger passage that details the cities and their villages in the region, illustrating the distribution of land among the tribes of Israel.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do you think the allocation of these cities tells us about the distribution of land among the tribes of Israel?
- How does understanding the geographical context of these cities enhance your reading of the book of Joshua?
- In what ways can the meanings of these city names reflect the characteristics of the tribes that settled there?
- How does the historical significance of these cities inform our understanding of Israel's conquest of Canaan?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:42 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleLibnah,.... Here begins another division or list of the cities of Judah, in the valley or plain.
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryLibnah, and Ether, and Ashan, Libnah , [ Libnaah (H3841), whiteness; Septuagint, Lebna]. It stood on the plain between Makkedah and Lachish, a little northwest of Lachish.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 42. Libnah] See Clarke on Joshua 10:29. Ether] From Joshua 19:7 we learn that this city was afterwards given to the tribe of Simeon.
Read AdamClarke on Joshua 15 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges42. Libnah] Group III. consists of the places in the southern part of the hill region, and includes nine cities:—
Read Cambridge on Joshua 15 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible42. The third group lay southeast of the second. On Libnah, see Joshua 10:29.
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
Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
Tyndale line
Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan;
Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
Lebnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
Strictly literal
Libna, and Ether, and Ashan,
Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
Libnah, and 'Ether, and 'Ashan,
Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
From the Latin
Labana and Ether and Asan,
Simplified
In addition: Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan;
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 לִבְנָה, וָעֶתֶר, and וְעָשָׁן as the cities. The Septuagint matches two of the three names, indicating some consistency in the transmission of this text across different traditions.
לִבְנָ֥ה וָעֶ֖תֶר וְעָשָֽׁן׃
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 15:42
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.
לִבְנָה (Libnah) refers to a location in southwest Judah, noted for being captured by Joshua. It is also identified as a station for the Israelites during their wilderness journey. The name is associated with the meaning 'pavement.' The exact site remains unknown.
לִבְנָה n.pr.loc.
city in SW. Judah, exact site unknown, captured by Joshua
station of Isr. in wilderness
base
H3841 לִבְנָה . city in SW. Judah, exact site unknown, captured by Joshua
. station of Isr. in wilderness
3841 Libnah lib-naw'
the same as 3839; Libnah, a place in the Desert and one in
Palestine:--Libnah.
see HEBREW for 03839
לִבְנָה (liv.nah) — Libnah.
§ Libnah = "pavement"
a station between Sinai and Kadesh of Israel during their wilderness wanderings
לִבְנָה (liv.nah) — Libnah.
§ Libnah = "pavement"
a royal city of the Canaanites in the southwest captured by Joshua; allocated to Judah and made a Levitical city
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
lib'-na (libhnah "whiteness," "transparency," "pavement" (compare Ex 24:10 where libhnath, is translated "paved work" or a "compact foundation"); Lebna):
(1) A desert camp of the Israelites between Rimmon-perez and Rissah (Nu 33:20,21). Probably the same as Laban (De 1:1).
See WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
(2) A town in the Shephelah of Judah (Jos 15:42). "Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah: and Yahweh delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel. .... And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it" (
Libnah
Transparency; whiteness. (1.) One of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 33:20, 21).
(2.) One of the royal cities of the Canaanites taken by Joshua (Josh. 10:29-32; 12:15). It became one of the Levitical towns in the tribe of Judah (21:13), and was strongly fortified. Sennacherib laid siege to it (2 Kings 19:8; Isa. 37:8). It was the native place of Hamutal, the queen of Josiah (2 Kings 23:31). It stood near Lachish, and has been identified with the modern Arak el-Menshiyeh.
(whiteness). A royal city of the Canaanites which lay in the southwest part of the Holy Land, taken by Joshua immediately after the rout of Beth-horon. It was near Lachish, west of Makkedah. It was appropriated with its "suburbs" to the priests. (Joshua 21:13; 1 Chronicles 6:57) In the reign of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat it "revolted" form Judah at the same time with Edom. (2 Kings 8:22; 2 Chronicles 21:10) Probably the modern Ayak el-Menshiyeh . One of the stations at which the Israelites encamped on their journey between the wilderness of Sinai and Kadesh. (Numbers 33:20,21)
A city in the western part of Judah, not far from Lachish, conquered by Joshua from the Canaanites, and assigned to the priests, Jos 10:29,30 15:42 21:13 1Ch 6:57. Its inhabitants revolted against the idolatrous and cruel Jehoram, 2Ch 21:10. It was a strongly fortified place, and under its walls the Assyrian army was miraculously cut off, 2Ki 19:8,9,35.
עֶ֫תֶר (Ether) refers to a location in the lowlands of Judah, specifically allotted to the tribe of Simeon. The word is derived from a root meaning 'abundance.' It is mentioned in the context of geographical locations in the Old Testament.
עֶ֫תֶר n.pr.loc. in Judah, in Simeon
base
H6281 עֶ֫תֶר
6281 `Ether eh'ther
from 6280; abundance; Ether, a place in Palestine:--Ether.
see HEBREW for 06280
עֶ֫תֶר (e.ter) — Ether.
§ Ether = "abundant"
a town in the lowlands of Judah allotted to Simeon
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
(abundance), one of the cities of Judah in the low country, the Shefelah , (Joshua 15:42) allotted to Simeon. (Joshua 19:7)
talk
עָשָׁן (Ashan) refers to a location in the Shephelah region of Judah, identified as a city that later belonged to the tribe of Simeon. The name translates to "smoke." The entries indicate that it is synonymous with another term, but do not provide significant disagreement among the lexicons.
עָשָׁן n.pr.loc. in Shephelah of Judah
base
H6228 עָשָׁן
6228 `Ashan aw-shawn'
the same as 6227; Ashan, a place in Palestine:--Ashan.
see HEBREW for 06227
עָשָׁן (a.shan) — Ashan.
§ Ashan = "smoke"
a city in the lowland of Judah later mentioned as belonging to Simeon
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
a'-shan (`ashan): An unknown site in the domain of Judah (Jos 15:42), possessed by Simeon (Jos 19:7), and mentioned among the priests' cities in 1Ch 6:59. (44) = Jos 21:16 (`ayin is a corruption of `ashan). Chorashan (or Borashan), which was probably the site of some reservoir in the Southwest part of Judah (1Sa 30:30), is the same as Ashan.
(smoke), a city in the low country of Judah. (Joshua 15:42) In (Joshua 19:7) and 1Chr 4:32 It is mentioned again as belonging to Simeon. It has not yet been identified.
smoke