Joshua 21:15 — Word Study
WLCוְאֶת־ חֹלֹן֙ וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ וְאֶת־ דְּבִ֖ר וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ׃
BSAHolonChôlôwn [a city in Moab, with sandy terrain] DebirDᵉbîyr [an Amoritish king's name, a town in Manasse's territory]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| חֹלֹן֙ | Holon | Noun proper |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ | pasture lands its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| דְּבִ֖ר | Debir | Noun proper |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ׃ | pasture lands its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Holon, Debir, |
| KJV | And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs, |
| ASV | and Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs, |
| YLT | and Holon and its suburbs, and Debir and its suburbs, |
| WEB | Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, |
| BBE | And Holon with its grass-lands, and Debir with its grass-lands; |
All translations agree on the names of the cities חֹלֹן and דְּבִ֖ר — see How Translations Differ.
The verse consists of a main clause listing the cities followed by their associated pasturelands, structured simply as a series of noun phrases.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, 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 21:15
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 Given to the Levitesgenerated
Joshua 21:15 provides a list of cities allocated to the Levites, highlighting the specific locations that were significant for their pastoral and community life. This allocation is part of a broader narrative in which the land of Canaan is divided among the tribes of Israel, ensuring that the Levites, who served as priests, had designated cities for their habitation and sustenance.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 15:51 | Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven cities, along with their villages. |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 6:58 | Hilen, Debir, |
| 3 | Joshua 12:13 | the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; |
| 4 | Joshua 15:49 | Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֹלֹן, cho.Longenerated
The word חֹלֹן (cho.Lon) is a proper noun indicating a city in Moab, characterized by sandy terrain. This city is mentioned in several biblical texts, including Joshua 15:51 and 1 Chronicles 6:58. Its name suggests a geographical feature, likely referring to its sandy landscape.
As a proper noun, חֹלֹן serves to identify a specific location, emphasizing its role in the context of the Levitical cities. The city is part of the inheritance that the Levites received, which is significant for their religious and social functions within Israelite society.
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 main clause lists the cities and their associated pasturelands, structured simply as a series of noun phrases. The finite verb is implied in the context, as the verse is part of a list of allocations.
The order of the phrases emphasizes the cities first, followed by their pasturelands, highlighting the importance of both the locations and their surrounding areas for the Levites.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, חֹלֹן is translated as Holon, and דְּבִ֖ר as Debir. This direct correspondence indicates that the translators retained the Hebrew names, showing their significance in the context of land allocation.
The Septuagint's use of these names suggests continuity in the understanding of these locations from Hebrew to Greek, emphasizing their established identities in the biblical narrative.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 21:15 lists the cities of Holon and Debir, along with their pasturelands, as part of the cities given to the Levites. These locations are significant for the community and religious life of the Israelite tribes.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Holon and Debir are cities allocated to the Levites, which served as important locations for their community and pastoral life.
The pasturelands are mentioned to indicate the areas surrounding the cities that would provide sustenance for the Levites and their flocks.
These cities are part of the broader distribution of land among the tribes of Israel, ensuring that the Levites had designated places to live and serve.
Yes, Holon and Debir are mentioned in other biblical texts, such as Joshua 15:51 and 1 Chronicles 6:58, indicating their historical significance.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from the allocation of cities to the Levites about God's provision for His people?
- How do the geographical features of cities like Holon influence their significance in biblical narratives?
- In what ways can we apply the concept of designated spaces for worship and community in our lives today?
- How does understanding the historical context of places like Debir enhance our reading of the biblical text?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 21:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Holon with her suburbs,.... [See comments on Joshua 15:51]; and Debir with her suburbs; [See comments on Joshua 15:49].
Read John Gill on Joshua 21 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWhich the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 21 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHolon, called Hilen, , as Juttah here is called Ashan, , and Kibzaim called Jokmeam, , and so some others, the names of the places being changed by length of time, and upon special occasions, as was frequent among the Jews; though their doctors add, that some of these places here mentioned, being now in the Canaanites’ possession, and not speedily recovered from them, there were others put in their stead.
Read Matthew Poole on Joshua 21 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges15. Holon] See ch. Joshua 15:51; 1 Chronicles 6:58. Debir] See ch. Joshua 15:15; Joshua 15:49.
Read Cambridge on Joshua 21 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible14-17. Jattir — Joshua 15:48. Eshtemoah — Joshua 15:50. Debir — Joshua 10:38. Juttah — Joshua 15:55. Beth-shemesh — Joshua 15:10. Gibeon — Joshua 9:3. Geba — Joshua 18:24.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Joshua 21 →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
Holon, Debir,
Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands,
Holon, Debir,
Holon, Debir,
Tyndale line
And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,
and Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs,
and Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs;
And Holon with its suburbs, and Debir with its suburbs,
And Holon with her suburbes, and Debir with her suburbes,
Strictly literal
and Holon and its suburbs, and Debir and its suburbs,
and Holon and its suburbs, and Debir and its suburbs,
and Holon and its outskirts, and Debir and its outskirts,
And Cholon with its open spaces, and Debir with its open spaces,
They also gave Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands,
From the Latin
And Holon, and Dabir,
Simplified
Holon, Debir,
And Holon with its grass-lands, and Debir with its grass-lands;
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 on the content of this verse, with six of the eight words matched. The Septuagint preserves the names of the cities, indicating a consistent understanding of their importance in the biblical tradition.
וְאֶת־ חֹלֹן֙ וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ וְאֶת־ דְּבִ֖ר וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶֽׁהָ׃
6 of the 8 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 21:15
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.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
חֹלוֹן, transliterated as Cholown, likely means 'sandy' and refers to two locations in ancient Palestine: one in Moab and another in Judah. The entries indicate its usage as a proper noun for these towns, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
חֹלוֹן, חֹלֹן n.pr.loc.
in Moab
in Judah
base
H2473 חֹלוֹן, חֹלֹן
2473 Cholown kho-lone'
or (shortened) Cholon {kho-lone'}; probably from 2344; sandy;
Cholon, the name of two places in Palestine:--Holon.
see HEBREW for 02344
חֹלוֹן (cho.lon) — Holon.
Holon = "sandy"
a town in the mountains of Judah given to the priests
Also named: chi.len (חִילֵן "Hilen" H2432)
חֹלוֹן (cho.lon) — Holon.
§ Holon = "sandy"
a city of Moab
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
ho'-lon (cholon or chowlon):
(1) One of the towns in the hill country of Judah (Jos 15:51) assigned to the Levites 21:15). In 1Ch 6:58 (Hebrew 43), it is HILEN (which see). The site may be the important ruins of Beit`Alam (see PEF, III, 313, 321, Sh XXI).
(2) Probably once an important town in the "plain," i.e. plateau, of Moab (Jer 48:21); the site is unknown.
(sandy). A town in the mountains of Judah. One of the first group, of which Debir was apparently the most considerable. (Joshua 15:51; 21:15) [HILEN] A city of Moab. (Jeremiah 48:21) only. No identification of it has yet taken place.
a window; grief
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
מִגְרָשׁ (migrash) refers to common or open land, often associated with areas where flocks are driven for pasture. It can denote a suburb or the space around a building, and is noted in Ezekiel 27:28. The term is derived from a root meaning to drive out.
מִגְרָשׁ n.m. common, common-land, open land
base
H4054 מִגְרָשׁ
4054 migrash mig-rawsh'
also (in plural) feminine (Ezek. 27:28) migrashah
{mig-raw-shaw'}; from 1644; a suburb (i.e. open country
whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area
around a building, or the margin of the sea:--cast out,
suburb.
see HEBREW for 01644
מִגְרָשׁ (mig.rash) — pasture.
common, common land, open land, suburb
HNcmpc/Sp3fs — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fs
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
דְּבִיר (deb-eer) refers to both a king of Eglon and a geographical location in ancient Palestine, specifically a town in the mountains of Judah and another in Gilead east of the Jordan. The term is associated with meanings like 'sanctuary' and 'not a pasture.' There is some overlap in naming, as it is also linked to Kiriath-sannah and Lo-debar.
דְּבִיר
n. pr. m. king of Eglon
n. pr. loc.
N. border of Judah
town of the Gadites
a royal city of Canaanites
base
לִדְבִר n.pr.loc. only in Jos 13:26; E. of Jordan, in tribe of Gad
ref
H1688a דְּבִיר . n. pr. m. king of Eglon
. n. pr. loc. N. border of Judah
H1688b לִדְבִר E. of Jordan, in tribe of Gad
1688 Dbiyr deb-eer'
or (shortened) Dbir (Josh. 13:26 (but see 3810)) {deb-eer'};
the same as 1687; Debir, the name of an Amoritish king and of
two places in Palestine:--Debir.
see HEBREW for 03810
see HEBREW for 01687
דְּבִיר (de.vir) — Debir.
Debir = "sanctuary"
a town in the mountains of Judah west of Hebron and given to the priests and a city of refuge
Also named: qir.yat san.nah (קִרְיַת־סֵ֫פֶר "Kiriath-sannah" H7158)
לִדְבִר (lid.vir) — Debir.
Lo-debar = "not a pasture"
a town in Manasseh in Gilead east of the Jordan
Another name of lo de.var (לֹא דְבָר "Lo-debar" H3810)
דְּבִיר (de.vir) — Debir.
Lo-debar = "not a pasture"
a town in Manasseh in Gilead east of the Jordan
דְּבִיר (de.vir) — Debir.
A man living before Israel's Monarchy, only mentioned at Jos.10.3
§ Lo-debar = "not a pasture"
a town in Manasseh in Gilead east of the Jordan
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
Debir
Oracle town; sanctuary. (1.) One of the eleven cities to the west of Hebron, in the highlands of Judah (Josh. 15:49; Judg. 1:11-15). It was originally one of the towns of the Anakim (Josh. 15:15), and was also called Kirjath-sepher (q.v.) and Kirjath-sannah (49). Caleb, who had conquered and taken possession of the town and district of Hebron (Josh. 14:6-15), offered the hand of his daughter to any one who would successfully lead a party against Debir. Othniel, his younger brother (Judg. 1:13; 3:9), achieved the conquest, and gained Achsah as his wife. She was not satisfied with the portion her father gave her, and…
king of Eglon; one of the five kings hanged by Joshua. (Joshua 10:3,23) (B.C. 1440.)
A word, an oracle, Jud 1:11, a place called also KIRJATH-SEPHER, a city of books; and KIRJATH-SANNAH, a city of literature, Jos 5:15,15. Judging from the names, it appears to have been some sacred place among the Canaanites, and a repository of their records. It was a city in the south-west part of Judea, conquered from the Anakim by Joshua, but recaptured by the Canaanites, and resubdued by Othniel, and afterwards given to the priests, Jos 10:38,39 15:15-17 21:15. Its site is wholly lost. There was another Debir in Gad, and a third on the border of Benjamin, Jos 13:26 15:7.
an orator; a word
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
מִגְרָשׁ (migrash) refers to common or open land, often associated with areas where flocks are driven for pasture. It can denote a suburb or the space around a building, and is noted in Ezekiel 27:28. The term is derived from a root meaning to drive out.
מִגְרָשׁ n.m. common, common-land, open land
base
H4054 מִגְרָשׁ
4054 migrash mig-rawsh'
also (in plural) feminine (Ezek. 27:28) migrashah
{mig-raw-shaw'}; from 1644; a suburb (i.e. open country
whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area
around a building, or the margin of the sea:--cast out,
suburb.
see HEBREW for 01644
מִגְרָשׁ (mig.rash) — pasture.
common, common land, open land, suburb
HNcmpc/Sp3fs — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fs