Joshua 19:5 — Word Study
WLCוְצִֽקְלַ֥ג וּבֵית־ הַמַּרְכָּב֖וֹת וַחֲצַ֥ר סוּסָֽה׃
BSAZiklagTsiqlag [a town in southern Judah] Beth-marcabothBêyth ham-Markâbôwth [house of the chariots] Hazar-susahChătsar Çûwçâh [horse village, a city in southern Judah]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְצִֽקְלַ֥ג | and Ziklag | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וּבֵית־ | and Beth | Conjunction, noun proper |
| הַמַּרְכָּב֖וֹת | Marcaboth | Particle, noun proper |
| וַחֲצַ֥ר | and Hazar | Conjunction, noun proper |
| סוּסָֽה׃ | Susah | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, |
| KJV | And Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah, |
| ASV | and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah, |
| YLT | and Ziklag, and Beth-Marcaboth, and Hazar-Susah, |
| WEB | Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, |
| BBE | And Ziklag and Beth-marcaboth and Hazar-susah |
There are no significant differences in the translations regarding the names of the towns listed.
The verse consists of a single main clause listing three towns in a straightforward manner.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, AdamClarke & 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 19:5
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 Simeongenerated
Joshua 19:5 lists the towns allocated to the tribe of Simeon, which were situated in the southern region of Judah. This allocation reflects the distribution of land among the tribes of Israel as they settled in the Promised Land. The towns mentioned, including Ziklag, were important for trade and military purposes, especially during the time of David.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 15:31 | Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 27:6 | That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah. |
| 3 | 1 Samuel 30:1 | On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down. |
| 4 | 1 Chronicles 4:31 | Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — צִקְלַג, ve.tzik.Laggenerated
The word צִקְלַג (tziklag) is a proper noun referring to a town in southern Judah. It is significant in the biblical narrative as it was given to David by King Achish of Gath. Ziklag served as a base for David and his men, where they learned of Saul's death. The name is thought to mean "winding," and it is mentioned multiple times in the context of David's life.
Ziklag is noted in the context of military and political events, particularly in 1 Samuel 27:6 and 1 Samuel 30:1, highlighting its role as a strategic location during David's time.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, the verse is examined using the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which lists the towns in a straightforward manner.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause of this verse lists three towns, with the conjunctions linking them: וְ (and) connects each town. The structure indicates a simple enumeration of locations, typical in biblical lists.
The order of the towns emphasizes Ziklag first, suggesting its importance in the narrative, followed by Beth-marcaboth and Hazar-susah, which are also significant but perhaps less so than Ziklag.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates צִקְלַג as σικελακ, which retains the name of the town without alteration. This choice indicates a direct borrowing of the Hebrew name, suggesting continuity in the identification of the location across translations.
The other towns are similarly rendered, maintaining their significance in the Greek text as well, which aligns with the Hebrew understanding of these locations.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 19:5 lists three towns: Ziklag, which was given to David, Beth-marcaboth, meaning "house of the chariots," and Hazar-susah, which means "horse village." These towns were part of the territory allotted to the tribe of Simeon in southern Judah.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Ziklag was an important town for David, serving as a base during his time of exile from Saul.
Beth-marcaboth translates to "house of the chariots," indicating it may have been a place associated with military activity.
Hazar-susah means 'horse village' and was likely a location for keeping horses, which were valuable for transportation and military purposes.
These towns were part of the cities allocated to the tribe of Simeon, reflecting their settlement in the southern region of Judah.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from the allocation of towns to the tribes of Israel?
- How does the significance of Ziklag in David's life impact our understanding of his story?
- What roles do places like Beth-marcaboth and Hazar-susah play in the historical context of the Israelites?
- How can we apply the lessons from the settlements of the tribes to our understanding of community and belonging today?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 19:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Ziklag,.... Another of the cities of Judah, [See comments on Joshua 15:31]; and Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusah; or Hazarsusim, as in 1 Chronicles 4:31; the one signifies a chariot house, and the
Read John Gill on Joshua 19 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Ziklag, and Bethmarcaboth, and Hazar-susah, No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 19 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXIX. OF SIMEON (Joshua 19:1-9). (1) Their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.—The southern part of the inheritance of Judah was given up to Simeon. (See Judges 1:3; Judges 1:17.) In this fact a prophecy was fulfilled; for the effect of the allotment was to separate Simeon from the tribes with whom he had been united in the journey through the wilderness (viz., Reuben and Gad), who had cast off Simeon, and united themselves with the half tribe of Manasseh instead. Being also separated from Levi, Simeon was still further isolated: with the result that in the final separation of Israel and Judah, after Solomon’s death, the tribe of Simeon, though adhering to the…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Joshua 19 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 5. Beth-marcaboth] The house or city of chariots. Probably a place where their war-chariots and cavalry were laid up.
Read AdamClarke on Joshua 19 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5. 9. Ziklag] See ch. Joshua 15:31, identified by Rowlands and Wilton (Negeb, p. 209) with Asloodg or Kasloodg; (a) Achish bestowed the town upon David; (b) here David resided upwards of one year and four months (1 Samuel 27:7; 1 Samuel 30:14; 1 Samuel 30:26); (c) here he received the news of Saul’s death (2 Samuel 1:1; 2 Samuel 4:10); 10. Beth-marcaboth = “house of chariots,” and 11. Hazar-susah = “village of horses,” appear to be the old names of Madmannah and Sansannah (see ch. Joshua 15:31). These names indicate, remarks Dean Stanley, “that they were stations of passage, like those which now are to be seen on the great line of Indian transit between Cairo and Suez,” we recognise in them…
Read Cambridge on Joshua 19 →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
Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah,
Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,
Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah,
Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah,
Tyndale line
And Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,
and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,
and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah;
And Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,
And Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,
Strictly literal
and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah,
and Ziklag, and Beth-Marcaboth, and Hazar-Susah,
and Ziklag, and Beth-Marcaboth, and Hazar-Susah,
And Ziklag, and Beth-hamarcaboth, and Chazar-sussah,
Simeon also had Ziklag, Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah,
From the Latin
And Siceleg and Bethmarchaboth and Hasersusa,
Simplified
Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah,
And Ziklag and Beth-marcaboth and Hazar-susah
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 same towns as in the verse, confirming the consistency of the names. The Septuagint matches three of the five words, indicating a close relationship between the two texts, though the word order differs.
וְצִֽקְלַ֥ג וּבֵית־ הַמַּרְכָּב֖וֹת וַחֲצַ֥ר סוּסָֽה׃
3 of the 5 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 19:5
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.
צִקְלַג (tsiq.lag) refers to Ziklag, a town in southern Judah, later assigned to Simeon. It is noted in the context of David's life, particularly as a city given to him by King Achish of Gath, where he resided with his warriors. The name is thought to mean "winding."
צִקְלַג and (צִיק׳) n.pr.loc. assigned to Judah, to Simeon; Philistine city given to David
base
H6860 צִקְלַג
6860 Tsiqlag tsik-lag'
or Tsiyqlag (1 Chronicles 12:1,20) {tsee-kel-ag'}; of
uncertain derivation: Tsiklag or Tsikelag, a place in
Palestine:--Ziklag.
see HEBREW for 020
צִקְלַג (tsiq.lag) — Ziklag.
§ Ziklag = "winding"
a town in the south of Judah, later allotted to Simeon; noted for its having been the city of David given to him by king Achish of Gath and his residence when he was joined by many of his mighty warriors and when he received word of the death of Saul
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
zik'-lag (tsiqelagh, tsiqelagh (2Sa 1:1), tsiqelagh (1Ch 12:1,20); usually in the Septuagint Sekelak, or Sikelag): A town assigned (Jos 19:5; 1Ch 4:30) to Simeon, but in Jos 15:31 named, between Hornah and Madmannah, as one of the cities of the Negeb of Judah, "toward the border of Edom." It is said (1Sa 27:6) to have remained a royal city. In Ne 11:28 it is in the list of towns reinhabited by the returning children of Judah. Its chief associations are with David. Achish the Philistine king of Gath gave it to David…
Ziklag
A town in the Negeb, or south country of Judah (Josh. 15:31), in the possession of the Philistines when David fled to Gath from Ziph with all his followers. Achish, the king, assigned him Ziklag as his place of residence. There he dwelt for over a year and four months. From this time it pertained to the kings of Judah (1 Sam. 27:6). During his absence with his army to join the Philistine expedition against the Israelites (29:11), it was destroyed by the Amalekites (30:1, 2), whom David, however, pursued and utterly routed, returning all the captives (1 Sam. 30:26-31). Two days after his return from this expedition, David received tidings of the disastrous battle of Gilboa and of the death of Saul (
(winding), a place which possesses a special interest from its having been the residence and the private property of David. It is first mentioned in the catalogue of the towns of Judah in (Joshua 15:31) and occurs, in the same connection among the places which were allotted out of the territory of Judah to Simeon. (Joshua 19:5) We next encounter it in the possession of the Philistines (1 Samuel 27:6) when it was, at David’s request, bestowed upon him by Achish king of Gath. He resided there for a year and four months. (1 Samuel 27:6,7; 30:14,26; 1 Chronicles 12:1,20) It was there he received the news of Saul’s death. (
A city of Judah and Simeon, on the borders of the Philistines, Jos 15:31; 19:5, who held it until the time of Saul, when Achish king of Gath gave it to David. Hither many other refugees from Judah resorted, and David was thus enabled to aid Achish, and to chastise the Amalekites who had sacked Ziklag during his absence, 1Sa 27:1- 6; 30:1-31; Ne 11:28.
בֵּית מַרְכָּבוֹת n.pr.loc. in Simeon (place of chariots)
base
H1024 בֵּית מַרְכָּבוֹת
1024 Beyth ham-Marka-bowth bayth ham-mar-kaw-both'
or (shortened) Beyth Mar-kabowth {bayth mar-kaw-both'}; from
1004 and the plural of 4818 (with or without the article
interposed); place of (the) chariots; Beth-ham-Markaboth or
Beth-Markaboth, a place in Palestine:--Beth-marcaboth.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 04818
בֵּית מַרְכָּבוֹת (bet ham.mar.ka.vot) — Beth-marcaboth.
Beth-marcaboth = "house of the chariots"
a place in Simeon
Another name of mad.man.nah (מַדְמַנָּה "Madmannah" H4089G)
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 מַרְכָּבוֹת n.pr.loc. in Simeon (place of chariots)
base
H1024 בֵּית מַרְכָּבוֹת
1024 Beyth ham-Marka-bowth bayth ham-mar-kaw-both'
or (shortened) Beyth Mar-kabowth {bayth mar-kaw-both'}; from
1004 and the plural of 4818 (with or without the article
interposed); place of (the) chariots; Beth-ham-Markaboth or
Beth-Markaboth, a place in Palestine:--Beth-marcaboth.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 04818
בֵּית מַרְכָּבוֹת (bet ham.mar.ka.vot) — Beth-marcaboth.
Beth-marcaboth = "house of the chariots"
a place in Simeon
Another name of mad.man.nah (מַדְמַנָּה "Madmannah" H4089G)
HTd/Npl — Particle · noun properHTd/Npl
חֲצַר סוּסָה, ה׳ סוּסִים n.pr.loc. in Simeon
base
H2701 חֲצַר סוּסָה, ה׳ סוּסִים
2701 Chatsar Cuwcah khats-ar'soo-saw'
from 2691 and 5484; village of cavalry; Chatsar-Susah, a
place in Palestine:--Hazar-susah.
see HEBREW for 02691
see HEBREW for 05484
חֲצַר סוּסָה (cha.tsar su.sah) — Hazar-susah.
§ Hazar-susah = "horse village"
one of the cities allotted to Simeon in the extreme south of Judah and the place where Solomon kept horses
N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
ha'-zar (chatsar, construct of chatser, "an enclosure," "settlement," or "village"): Is frequently the first element in Hebrew place-names.
1. Hazar-addar:
Hazar-addar (Hebrew chatsar 'addar), a place on the southern boundary of Judah (Nu 34:4), is probably identical with Hazron (Jos 15:3), which, in this case, however, is separated from Addar (the King James Version "Adar"). It seems to have lain somewhere to the Southwest of Kadesh-barnea.
חֲצַר סוּסָה, ה׳ סוּסִים n.pr.loc. in Simeon
base
H2701 חֲצַר סוּסָה, ה׳ סוּסִים
2701 Chatsar Cuwcah khats-ar'soo-saw'
from 2691 and 5484; village of cavalry; Chatsar-Susah, a
place in Palestine:--Hazar-susah.
see HEBREW for 02691
see HEBREW for 05484
חֲצַר סוּסָה (cha.tsar su.sah) — Hazar-susah.
§ Hazar-susah = "horse village"
one of the cities allotted to Simeon in the extreme south of Judah and the place where Solomon kept horses
HNpl — Noun properHNpl