Joshua 19:7 — Word Study
WLCעַ֥יִן׀ רִמּ֖וֹן וָעֶ֣תֶר וְעָשָׁ֑ן עָרִ֥ים אַרְבַּ֖ע וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
BSAAinʻAyin [a place of spring] RimmonRimmôwn [a city in Zebulun] EtherʻEther [a town in the lowlands] and AshanʻÂshân [a city in ancient Palestine] fourʼarbaʻ [a quantity of] citiesʻîyr [towns with walls, settlements] along with their villageschâtsêr [small settlements, courts]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| עַ֥יִן׀ | Ain | Noun proper |
| רִמּ֖וֹן | Rimmon | Noun proper |
| וָעֶ֣תֶר | and Ether | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וְעָשָׁ֑ן | and Ashan | Conjunction, noun proper |
| עָרִ֥ים | cities | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| אַרְבַּ֖ע | four | 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 | Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities, along with their villages, |
| KJV | Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages: |
| ASV | Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages: |
| YLT | Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages; |
| WEB | Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages; |
| BBE | Ain, Rimmon, and Ether and Ashan; four towns with their unwalled places; |
Translations agree on the names of the cities listed in this verse.
The verse consists of a main clause listing the cities and a subordinate phrase indicating their villages.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, 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 19:7
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 Inheritance of the Tribe of Simeongenerated
Joshua 19:7 lists Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan as part of the cities allotted to the tribe of Simeon. This verse is situated within a broader context where the inheritance of various tribes is detailed, highlighting the distribution of land among the Israelites as they settled in Canaan. The mention of villages alongside these cities indicates the presence of smaller communities within the tribal territories.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 15:32 | Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—twenty-nine cities in all, along with their villages. |
| 2 | Numbers 33:19–20 | They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. |
| 3 | 1 Chronicles 4:32 | And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns— |
| 4 | Joshua 15:42 | Libnah, Ether, Ashan, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עַיִן, 'A.yingenerated
The first word, עַיִן ('Ayin), refers to a specific location in southern Judah, known for its spring. It is a proper noun that signifies a place of water, reflecting its importance for settlement and agriculture.
The word is derived from the root meaning 'eye' or 'fountain,' emphasizing its role as a source of life. In this verse, it is listed among other cities, indicating its significance within the tribal allotment.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, the verse is read in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan consistently across translations.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is straightforward, listing four cities in a series: עַיִן, רִמּוֹן, וָעֶתֶר, and וְעָשָׁן. Each city is a noun phrase, and the conjunctions link them together.
The finite verb is implicit, as the phrase is a simple enumeration of cities, characteristic of Hebrew prose, which often lists items in a straightforward manner.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עַיִן as ερεμμων, indicating a direct correspondence with the Hebrew name. This reflects a consistent understanding of the place's significance.
The choice of ερεμμων suggests a focus on the geographical aspect of the city, aligning with the Hebrew's emphasis on location.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 19:7 lists Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan as four cities that were part of the inheritance for the tribe of Simeon, along with their villages. These cities were important locations in ancient Palestine, each with its own significance.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Ain is a city known for its spring, which was vital for the settlement and agriculture of the tribe of Simeon.
They are part of the territorial inheritance allocated to the tribe of Simeon, indicating their importance in the settlement of the land.
Rimmon means 'pomegranate' and is associated with both a deity and geographical locations in Palestine.
These cities reflect the historical distribution of land among the tribes of Israel and their significance in the biblical narrative.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do the names of these cities tell us about the geography and culture of ancient Israel?
- How does understanding the significance of Ain enhance our view of the tribe of Simeon's inheritance?
- In what ways can we see the importance of water sources in biblical settlements?
- How do these cities relate to the broader narrative of Israel's conquest and settlement in Canaan?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 19:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAin, Remmon,.... Of the two first, which were cities of Judah, [See comments on Joshua 15:32]; and Ether, and Ashan; of the two last, see Gill "Joshua 19:42"; four cities and their villages; Ain,
Read John Gill on Joshua 19 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAin, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages: 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 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. Second Group. 1. Ain = an “eye” and also in the vivid imagery of the East, a spring or natural burst of living water, always distinguished from the artificial “well” or “tank” = Beer or Bor. It generally occurs in combination with other words, defining the locality as En-gedi, En-gannim, En-hakkore, En-rogel. In two cases it stands alone, (a) here, and (b) in Numbers 34:11. Mr Wilton (Negeb, pp. 229–234) would here also connect it with the next name; 2. Remmon, as the name of a single city, Ain or En-Remmon = the spring of the pomegranate, and in the catalogue of the places re-occupied by the Jews after the return from the Captivity the two are joined, and appear in our Version as…
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
Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities, along with their villages,
Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages;
Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities, along with their villages,
Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan – a total of four cities and their towns,
Tyndale line
Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages:
Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages:
Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities with their villages:
Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages:
Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan: foure cities with their villages.
Strictly literal
Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and Ashan: four cities and their hamlets;
Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages;
Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages;
'Ayin, Rimmon, and 'Ether, and 'Ashan; four cities and their villages.
Simeon also had Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan. These were four cities, including their villages.
From the Latin
Ain and Remmon and Athor and Asan: four cities, and their villages.
Simplified
Also: Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four towns with their associated villages,
Ain, Rimmon, and Ether and Ashan; four 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 largely agree in their listings, with six of the seven words matched between the two texts. This agreement indicates a shared understanding of the cities' significance in the context of the Israelite inheritance.
עַ֥יִן׀ רִמּ֖וֹן וָעֶ֣תֶר וְעָשָׁ֑ן עָרִ֥ים אַרְבַּ֖ע 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 19:7
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.
עַ֫יִן (‘Ayin) refers to a location in Palestine, specifically a spring or fountain. It is identified as a landmark on the eastern boundary and is associated with the southernmost cities of Judah, allotted to the tribe of Simeon. The entries note its connection to the name Rimmon and its significance as a Levitical city.
עַ֫יִן n.pr.loc.
on NE. border of Can.
in Negeb of Judah, Levit. city, appar. =
c. 18 miles SW. from Hebron
base
H5871 עַ֫יִן
5871 `Ayin ah'-yin
the same as 5869; fountain; Ajin, the name (thus simply) of
two places in Palestine:--Ain.
see HEBREW for 05869
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Ain.
Ain = "spring"
one of the landmarks on the eastern boundary of Palestine
Also named: rim.mon (רִמּוֹן, רִמּוֹנוֹ "Rimmon" H7417)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Ain.
Ain = "spring"
one of the southernmost cities of Judah in the Nekeb and allotted to the tribe of Simeon and given to the priests
Also named: en rim.mon (עֵין רִמּוֹן "En-rimmon" H5884)
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
(spring, well). One of the landmarks on the eastern boundary of Palestine. (Numbers 34:11) It is probably ’Ain el-’Azy , the main source of the Orontes. One of the southernmost cities of Judah, (Joshua 15:32) afterwards allotted to Simeon, (Joshua 19:7; 1 Chronicles 4:32) and given to the priests. (Joshua 21:16)
same as Aiath
רִמּוֹן (rimmon) means "pomegranate" and refers to a Syrian deity associated with wind, rain, and storms. It is also the name of a man from Benjamin, the father of Rechab and Baanah, and of several geographical locations in Palestine, including a cliff in Judah and a Levitical city in Zebulun.
רִמּוֹן n.pr.dei, in Aram.
base
רִמּוֹן n.pr.m. in Benj.
base
רִמּוֹן n.pr.loc.
cliff of R.
in S. Judah
in Zebulun
base
H7417a רִמּוֹן n. pr. dei, in Aram. H7417b רִמּוֹן in Benj. H7417c רִמּוֹן . cliff of R.
. in S. Judah
. in Zebulun
7417 Rimmown rim-mone'
or (shorter) Rimmon {rim-mone'}; or Rimmownow (1 Chronicles
6:62 (77)) {rim-mo-no'}; the same as 7416; Rimmon, the name of
a Syrian deity, also of five places in Palestine:--Remmon,
Rimmon. The addition "-methoar" (Josh. 19:13) is ham-mthonar
{ham-meth-o-awr'}; passive participle of 8388 with the
article; the (one) marked off, i.e. which pertains; mistaken
for part of the name.
see HEBREW for 077
see HEBREW for 07416
see HEBREW for 08388
רִמּוֹן (rim.mon) — Rimmon.
§ Rimmon = "pomegranate"
n pr dei
the deity of wind, rain, and storm, worshipped by the Syrians of Damascus
רִמּוֹן (rim.mon) — Rimmon.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.4.2;
father of: Baanah (H1196), Rechab (H7394)
§ Rimmon = "pomegranate"
a Benjamite of Beeroth, the father of Rechab and Baanah, the murderers of Ishbosheth
רִמּוֹן (rim.mon) — (Rock of) Rimmon.
§ Rimmon = "pomegranate"
the Rock; a cliff or inaccessible natural fastness in which the 600 Benjamites who escaped the slaughter of Gibeah took refuge
רִמּוֹן (rim.mon) — Rimmon.
Rimmon = "pomegranate"
a town in the southern portion of Judah allotted to Simeon
Another name of a.yin (עַ֫יִן "Ain" H5871G)
רִמּוֹן, רִמּוֹנוֹ (rim.mon) — Rimmon.
Rimmon = "pomegranate"
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
Rimmon
Pomegranate. (1.) A man of Beeroth (2 Sam. 4:2), one of the four Gibeonite cities. (See Josh. 9:17.)
(2.) A Syrian idol, mentioned only in 2 Kings 5:18.
(3.) One of the “uttermost cities” of Judah, afterwards given to Simeon (Josh. 15:21, 32; 19:7; 1 Chr. 4:32). In Josh. 15:32 Ain and Rimmon are mentioned separately, but in 19:7 and 1 Chr. 4:32 (comp. Neh. 11:29) the two words are probably to be combined, as forming together the name of one place…
a deity worshipped by the Syrians of Damascus, where there was a temple or house of Rimmon. (2 Kings 5:18) Rimmon is perhaps the abbreviated form of Hadad-rimmon, Hadad being the sun-god of the Syrians. Combining this with the pomegranate which was his symbol, Hadad-rimmon would then he the sun-god of the late summer, who ripens the pomegranate and other fruits.
exalted; pomegranate
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
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.…
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
Adj — AdjHAcbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;
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