Joshua 15:53 — Word Study
WLCוְיָנ֥וּם וּבֵית־ תַּפּ֖וּחַ וַאֲפֵֽקָה׃
BSAJanimYânîym△ [a place of rest, possibly near Hebron] Beth-tappuahBêyth Tappûwach [house of the apple, a town of abundance] AphekahʼĂphêqâh△ [enclosure, a city near Hebron]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְיָנ֥וּם | and Janum | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וּבֵית־ | and Beth | Conjunction, noun proper |
| תַּפּ֖וּחַ | Tappuah | Noun proper |
| וַאֲפֵֽקָה׃ | and Aphekah | Conjunction, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, |
| KJV | And Janum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah, |
| ASV | and Janim, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah, |
| YLT | and Janum, and Beth-Tappuah, and Aphekah, |
| WEB | Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, |
| BBE | And Janim, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah; |
The translations agree on the names of the towns listed in this verse.
The verse consists of a simple list of towns without complex sentence structure.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, AdamClarke, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 4 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words 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 — Joshua 15:53
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 Allocation of Land in Judahgenerated
Joshua 15:53 lists towns in the region allotted to the tribe of Judah. These towns illustrate the settlement patterns and the agricultural abundance of the area, showcasing the significance of these locations in the history of Israel. The mention of Janim, Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah highlights the diverse environments found within Judah's territory.
Cross References
The Key Word — יָנוּם, ve.ya.nimgenerated
The word יָנוּם (Yaniym) is a proper noun referring to a location in Judah. Its name suggests a meaning related to sleep or rest, indicating a place that may have been tranquil or peaceful. The parsing indicates it is a noun proper, affirming its status as a specific geographical location.
The lexicons confirm its association with the Hebrew root for sleep, but there is consensus on its reference as a town in Judah. This reflects the historical and cultural significance of the area, as it was part of the ancient landscape of Israel.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as well as the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, with a noun phrase serving as the subject. The finite verb is implied in the context of listing the towns, which are presented in a simple enumeration.
The word order emphasizes the names of the towns, presenting them as a cohesive list that contributes to the overall description of the territory of Judah.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יָנוּם as ιεμαϊν, indicating a direct correspondence in the naming of the town. This choice reflects an effort to maintain the original meaning while adapting to the Greek language.
The other names also have corresponding Greek forms, but the Septuagint's word order differs from the Hebrew, showing a different syntactical approach while retaining the essential information.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:53 lists three towns in Judah: Janim, which means a place of rest; Beth-tappuah, meaning house of the apple; and Aphekah, meaning enclosure. These towns reflect the landscape and agricultural richness of the region.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Janim means a place of rest and is possibly located near Hebron.
Beth-tappuah means house of the apple and signifies abundance, indicating its importance in the region.
Aphekah means enclosure, referring to a city near Hebron, and is part of the biblical geography of Judah.
These towns are part of the territorial allocation to the tribe of Judah, reflecting the settlement and agricultural practices of ancient Israel.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do the names of these towns tell us about the geography and culture of ancient Judah?
- How can we understand the significance of place names in the context of biblical history?
- In what ways do these towns reflect the agricultural practices of the time?
- How does the listing of towns contribute to our understanding of the tribal divisions in Israel?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:53 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Janum,.... Under the word "Janum", Jerom writes (l), there is a village called Janua, three miles from Legion to the south, but seems not to be what is written; and Bethtappuah is by Jerom called
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah, Janum , [ Yaaniym (H3241), Janim (chet, in the Hebrew text); Septuagint, Iemain; Alexandrian, Anoum (Tischendorf's manuscripts)] - unknown.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 53. Beth-tappuah] The house of the apple or citron tree. Probably a place where these grew in great abundance and perfection. Aphekah] See Clarke on Joshua 12:18.
Read AdamClarke on Joshua 15 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible53. Beth-tappuah, five miles west of Hebron, is now called Teffuh. It is well peopled, and stands in the midst of olive groves and vineyards, with marks of thrift.
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
Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,
Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,
Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,
Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,
Tyndale line
And Janum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah,
and Janim, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah,
and Janim, and Bath-tappuah, and Aphekah;
And Janum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah,
And Ianum, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah,
Strictly literal
and Janum, and Beth-Tappuah, and Aphekah,
and Janum, and Beth-Tappuah, and Aphekah,
and Janum, and Beth-Tappuah, and Aphekah,
And Vanum, and Beth-tappuach, and Aphekah,
Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,
From the Latin
And Janum and Beththaphua and Apheca,
Simplified
Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,
And Janim, and Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah;
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 towns as וְיָנ֥וּם וּבֵית־ תַּפּ֖וּחַ וַאֲפֵֽקָה׃. The Septuagint matches three of the four words, indicating a strong agreement on the names of the towns, though the Greek translation presents them in a different order.
וְיָנ֥וּם וּבֵית־ תַּפּ֖וּחַ וַאֲפֵֽקָה׃
3 of the 4 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 15:53
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.
יָנוּם (Yaniym) refers to a location in Judah, specifically a town called Janum, which is noted in the context of being 'asleep.' The entries indicate its connection to the Hebrew root for sleep, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meaning or reference.
יָנוּם n.pr.loc. city in Judah, Jos 15:53 Qr; Kt ינים
ref
H3241 יָנוּם, יָנִים
3241 Yaniym yaw-neem'
from 5123; asleep; Janim, a place in Palestine: -Janum (from
the margin).
see HEBREW for 05123
יָנוּם (ya.nim) — Janim.
§ Janum = "asleep"
a town in the mountains of Judah apparently not far from Hebron
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
ja'-num (Qere, yanum, Kethibh yanim).
See JANIM.
Janum
Slumber, a town in the mountains of Judah (Josh. 15:53).
(slumber), a town of Judah in the mountain district, apparently not far from Hebron. (Joshua 15:53)
sleeping
בֵּית־תַּפּוּחַ n.pr.loc. in Judah (place of apples) Jos 15:53
ref
H1054 בֵּית־תַּפּוּחַ
1054 Beth Tappuwach bayth tap-poo'-akh
from 1004 and 8598; house of (the) apple; Beth-Tappuach, a
place in Palestine:--Beth-tappuah.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 08598
בֵּית־תַּפּוּחַ (bet tap.pu.ach) — Beth-tappuah.
§ Beth-tappuah = "house of the apple" of "place of apples"
a town in Judah
N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
Beth
Occurs frequently as the appellation for a house, or dwelling-place, in such compounds as the words immediately following:
the most general word for a house or habitation. It has the special meaning of a temple or house of worship Beth is more frequently employed in compound names of places than any other word.
House, forms a part of many compounds names of places, and sometimes means the place or dwelling; and at others the temple. This word becomes Beit in modern Arabic.
בֵּית־תַּפּוּחַ n.pr.loc. in Judah (place of apples) Jos 15:53
ref
H1054 בֵּית־תַּפּוּחַ
1054 Beth Tappuwach bayth tap-poo'-akh
from 1004 and 8598; house of (the) apple; Beth-Tappuach, a
place in Palestine:--Beth-tappuah.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 08598
בֵּית־תַּפּוּחַ (bet tap.pu.ach) — Beth-tappuah.
§ Beth-tappuah = "house of the apple" of "place of apples"
a town in Judah
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
Tappuah
Apple-region. (1.) A town in the valley or lowland of Judah; formerly a royal city of the Canaanites (Josh. 12:17; 15:34). It is now called Tuffuh, about 12 miles west of Jerusalem.
(2.) A town on the border of Ephraim (Josh. 16:8). The “land” of Tappuah fell to Manasseh, but the “city” to Ephraim (17:8).
(3.) En-tappuah, the well of the apple, probably one of the springs near Yassuf (Josh. 17:7).
apple; swelling
אֲפֵקָה (Apheqah) refers to a city near Hebron in Judah, possibly meaning 'enclosure.' It is a feminine form of אֲפֵק (Aphek), which is also a place name. The entries indicate its connection to a group of cities mentioned in Joshua 15:53.
אֲפֵקָה n.pr.loc. (mng. perh. id. [a.ff.ac]) one of a group of cities including Hebron Jos 15:53.
done
H664 אֲפֵקָה
664 'Apheqah af-ay-kaw'
feminine of 663; fortress; Aphekah, a place in
Palestine:--Aphekah.
see HEBREW for 0663
אֲפֵקָה (a.phe.qah) — Aphekah.
Aphekah = "enclosure"
a city near Hebron in Judah
Another name of a.pheq (אֲפֵק "Aphek" H0663G)
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
a-fe'-ka ('apheqah, "force" or "strength"): An unidentified city in the hill country of Judah (Jos 15:53).
(strong place), a city of Judah, in the mountains (Joshua 15:53) probably the same as APHEK, 1.
→ A city in the mountains of Judah Jos 15:53