Joshua 15:59 — Word Study
WLCוּמַעֲרָ֥ת וּבֵית־ עֲנ֖וֹת וְאֶלְתְּקֹ֑ן עָרִ֥ים שֵׁ֖שׁ וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
BSAMaarathMaʻărâth△ [a place of barrenness] Beth-anothBêyth ʻĂnôwth [house of responses or afflictions] and EltekonʼEltᵉqôn△ [God is straight] sixshêsh [a number of completion or perfection] citiesʻîyr along with their villageschâtsêr [small settlements or unwalled places]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּמַעֲרָ֥ת | and Maarath | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וּבֵית־ | and Beth | Conjunction, noun proper |
| עֲנ֖וֹת | Anoth | Noun proper |
| וְאֶלְתְּקֹ֑ן | and Eltekon | Conjunction, noun proper |
| עָרִ֥ים | cities | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| שֵׁ֖שׁ | six | Adj |
| וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃ | and villages their | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six cities, along with their villages. |
| KJV | And Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages: |
| ASV | and Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages. |
| YLT | and Maarath, and Beth-Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their villages. |
| WEB | Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages. |
| BBE | And Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six towns with their unwalled places. |
All translations agree on the names of the cities listed in this verse.
The sentence presents a straightforward enumeration of cities, with a clear main clause followed by a subordinate phrase detailing their villages.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 7 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 15:59
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 15:59 lists Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon as part of the cities allocated to the tribe of Judah. These cities, along with their villages, reflect the settlements established in the land of Canaan after the Israelites entered the Promised Land. This allocation is significant as it marks the fulfillment of God's promise to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding the land they would inherit.
Cross References
The Key Word — מַעֲרָת, u.ma.'a.Ratgenerated
The word מַעֲרָת (ma'arath) is a proper noun that refers to a specific location in Judah. Its name means 'barrenness', indicating a place that may have been desolate or unproductive. The parsing indicates it is a noun proper, emphasizing its identity as a geographical location.
This city appears only once in the Bible, specifically in Joshua 15:59, highlighting its unique role in the context of the tribal allocations.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is presented in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term Maarath for the first city.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb שֵׁ֖שׁ, six, serves as the predicate of the sentence, indicating the number of cities. The structure of the verse presents a list of cities followed by their villages, showcasing a straightforward enumeration.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the cities first, followed by the number and the villages, which organizes the information clearly for the reader.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מַעֲרָת as μαγαρωθ, indicating a direct correspondence to the Hebrew name without altering its meaning. This choice shows a consistent understanding of the place's identity in both Hebrew and Greek texts.
The translation of עָרִ֥ים as πόλεις further emphasizes the concept of cities, aligning with the Hebrew meaning while adapting to the Greek language.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:59 mentions three cities: Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon, along with their villages. These cities are part of the territory given to the tribe of Judah, showing the settlements established in the land of Canaan.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Maarath means 'a place of barrenness', indicating its possibly desolate nature.
Beth-anoth translates to 'house of responses or afflictions', reflecting its role in the history of the tribe of Judah.
Eltekon means 'God is straight', signifying a connection to divine attributes.
These cities represent the settlements of the tribe of Judah and mark the fulfillment of God's promise to the Israelites regarding their inheritance in the Promised Land.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do the names of these cities tell us about the history and character of the tribe of Judah?
- How can understanding the geographical context enhance our reading of the Bible?
- In what ways do the meanings of these city names reflect the experiences of the Israelites?
- How does the allocation of land in Joshua relate to God's promises to His people?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:59 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon,.... Of these cities we have no account elsewhere; only mention is made of Eltekeh, in the tribe of Dan, Joshua 19:44; six cities with their villages; these
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages: Maarath (bare place, Gesenius) [Septuagint, Magarooth] - a town north of Hebron; not yet identified.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(59) Five of these six have been identified.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Joshua 15 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible[59. Bethanoth is found in the ruined village Beit-ainun, about three miles northeast of Hebron. “The principal ruin is a building eighty-three feet long and seventy-two broad.
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
Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six cities, along with their villages.
Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.
Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six cities, along with their villages.
Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon – a total of six cities and their towns.
Tyndale line
And Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:
and Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.
and Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.
And Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:
And Maarah, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon: sixe cities with their villages.
Strictly literal
and Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon: six cities and their hamlets.
and Maarath, and Beth-Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their villages.
and Maarath, and Beth-Anoth, and Eltekon; six cities and their villages.
And Ma'arath, and Beth-'anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their village.
Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon. These were six cities, including their villages.
From the Latin
Mareth, and Bethanoth, and Eltecon: six cities and their villages.
Simplified
Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six towns with their associated villages.
And Maarath, and Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six towns with their unwalled places.
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 agree on six of the seven words in this verse, confirming the consistency of the cities listed. The Septuagint's translation matches the Hebrew closely, indicating a shared understanding of the text's content.
וּמַעֲרָ֥ת וּבֵית־ עֲנ֖וֹת וְאֶלְתְּקֹ֑ן עָרִ֥ים שֵׁ֖שׁ וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
6 of the 7 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 15:59
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.
מַעֲרָת (Ma`arath) refers to a location in Judah, specifically a town noted for its bareness. The entries indicate it is derived from a form meaning 'waste' and is linked to the Hebrew root for 'waste' as well. It appears in Joshua 15:59.
מַעֲרָת n.pr.loc. in Judah Jos 15:59
ref
H4638 מַעֲרָת
4638 Ma`arath mah-ar-awth'
a form of 4630; waste; Maarath, a place in
Palestine:--Maarath.
see HEBREW for 04630
מַעֲרָת (ma.a.rat) — Maarath.
§ Maarath = "bareness"
a town in the mountain region of Judah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
ma'-a-rath (ma`arath): A city in the hill country of Judah, mentioned between Gedor and Beth-anoth (Jos 15:59). The small village of Beit Ummar upon the watershed, a little to the West of the carriage road to Hebron and about a mile from Khirbet Jedur (Gedor), is a probable site. There are many rock tombs to its East. The village mosque is dedicated to Nebi Matta, i.e. Matthew. See P E F, III, 305, Sh XXI.
Maarath
Desolation, a place in the mountains of Judah (Josh. 15:59), probably the modern village Beit Ummar, 6 miles north of Hebron.
den; making empty; watching
→ A city of the tribe of Judah Jos 15:59
בֵּית־עֲנוֹת n.pr.loc. in Judah Jos 15:59
ref
H1042 בֵּית־עֲנוֹת
1042 Beyth `Anowth bayth an-oth'
from 1004 and a plural from 6030; house of replies;
Beth-Anoth, a place in Palestine:--Beth-anoth.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 06030
בֵּית־עֲנוֹת (bet a.not) — Beth-anoth.
§ Beth-anoth = "house of responses (or afflictions)"
a place 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־עֲנוֹת n.pr.loc. in Judah Jos 15:59
ref
H1042 בֵּית־עֲנוֹת
1042 Beyth `Anowth bayth an-oth'
from 1004 and a plural from 6030; house of replies;
Beth-Anoth, a place in Palestine:--Beth-anoth.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 06030
בֵּית־עֲנוֹת (bet a.not) — Beth-anoth.
§ Beth-anoth = "house of responses (or afflictions)"
a place in Judah
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
אֶלְתְּקֹן (Eltqon) refers to a location, specifically a city in the tribe of Judah, north of Hebron. The name means 'God is straight,' derived from the roots for God and a term meaning straight. It appears in Joshua 15:59.
אֶלְתְּקֹן n.pr.loc. a city in the tribe of Judah north of Hebron Jos 15:59.
done
H515 אֶלְתְּקֹן
515 'Eltqon el-te-kone'
from 410 and 8626; God (is) straight; Eltekon, a place in
Palestine:--Eltekon.
see HEBREW for 0410
see HEBREW for 08626
אֶלְתְּקֹן (el.te.qon) — Eltekon.
§ Eltekon = "God is straight"
a city in the territory of Judah north of Hebron
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.
עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage
base
עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town
city, town, abode of men
of fortress in a city
appar. fortified place, of any size
base
H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men
. of fortress in a city
. appar. fortified place, of any size
5892 `iyr eer
or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)
{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a
watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or
post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW for 05782
עִיר (ir) — excitement.
1) excitement, anguish
1a) of terror
עִיר (ir) — city.
1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town
עִיר (ir) — City (of On).
Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)
This name means city, town
Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)
עִיר (ir) — Ir-.
#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;
son of: Tehinnah (H8468)
N-fp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
The earliest notice in Scripture of city-building is of Enoch by Cain, in the land of his exile. (Genesis 4:17) After the confusion of tongues the descendants of Nimrod founded Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, and Asshur, a branch from the same stock, built Nineveh, Rehoboth-by-the-river, Calah and Resen, the last being "a great city." The earliest description of a city, properly so called, is that of Sodom, (Genesis 19:1-22) Even before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt, (Genesis 12:14,15; Numbers 13:22) and the Israelites, during their sojourn there, were employed in building or fortifying the "treasure cities" of Pithom and Raamses.…
The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ, transliterated as shesh, means 'six' and can function as both a cardinal and ordinal number, indicating the sixth position. It is a primitive number that signifies an excess beyond five, as noted in the entries. The Aramaic equivalent is שֵׁת (shet).
שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה 216 n.m. et f. six
base
H8337 שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה six
8337 shesh shaysh
masculine shishshah {shish-shaw'}; a primitive number; six
(as an overplus (see 7797) beyond five or the fingers of the
hand); as ord. sixth:--six((-teen, -teenth)), sixth.
see HEBREW for 07797
שֵׁשׁ (shesh) — six.
1) six
1a) six (cardinal number)
1b) sixth (ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)
Adj — AdjHAcbsa
חָצֵר (chatser) refers to an enclosure or court, and can also mean a settled abode, settlement, or village, typically appearing in the plural form חֲצֵרִים. The word is derived from a root meaning to enclose, indicating spaces that are surrounded by walls or fences.
חָצֵר 145 n.m. and (oftener) f. enclosure, court
base
[חָצֵר] 46 n.m. settled abode, settlement, village—always pl. abs. חֲצֵרִים
base
H2691a חָצֵר n. m. and (oftener) f. enclosure, court H2691b חָצֵר settled abode, settlement, village—always pl. abs. חֲצֵרִים
2691 chatser khaw-tsare'
(masculine and feminine); from 2690 in its original sense; a
yard (as inclosed by a fence); also a hamlet (as similarly
surrounded with walls):--court, tower, village.
see HEBREW for 02690
חָצֵר (cha.tser) — court.
1) court, enclosure
1a) enclosures
1b) court
חָצֵר (cha.tser) — village.
settled abode, settlement, village, town
Conj | N-cp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncmpc/Sp3fp