Joshua 15:36 — Word Study
WLCוְשַׁעֲרַ֙יִם֙ וַעֲדִיתַ֔יִם וְהַגְּדֵרָ֖ה וּגְדֵרֹתָ֑יִם עָרִ֥ים אַרְבַּֽע־ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
BSAShaaraimShaʻărayim [a town of double gates] AdithaimʻĂdîythayim△ [meaning double ornament] and GederahGᵉdêrâh [a place of walls] (or Gederothaim)Gᵉdêrôthayim△ fourteenʼarbaʻ [ten and four] citiesʻîyr [towns with walls or watchmen] along with their villageschâtsêr [small settlements, court yards]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְשַׁעֲרַ֙יִם֙ | and Shaaraim | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וַעֲדִיתַ֔יִם | and Adithaim | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וְהַגְּדֵרָ֖ה | and Gederah | Conjunction, particle, noun proper |
| וּגְדֵרֹתָ֑יִם | and Gederothaim | Conjunction, noun proper |
| עָרִ֥ים | cities | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| אַרְבַּֽע־ | four- | Adj |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה | teen | |
| 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 | Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim)—fourteen cities, along with their villages. |
| KJV | And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages: |
| ASV | and Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages. |
| YLT | and Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities and their villages. |
| WEB | Shaaraim, Adithaim and Gederah (or Gederothaim); fourteen cities with their villages. |
| BBE | And Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen towns with their unwalled places. |
Where they part company is עָרִ֥ים — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause introduces the cities, with a numeral phrase quantifying them, followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the inclusion of villages.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, AdamClarke & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 8 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 15:36
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 15:36 lists several cities in the territory of Judah, highlighting the importance of these locations in the ancient landscape of Israel. This enumeration serves to establish the boundaries and settlements that were significant to the tribes of Israel, particularly Judah and Simeon. The mention of villages alongside cities indicates the community structure and the organization of settlements in this region.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Samuel 17:52 | Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שַׁעֲרַיִם, ve.sha.'a.Ra.yimgenerated
The word שַׁעֲרַ֫יִם (Sha`arayim) means "double gates" and refers to a town located in both Judah and Simeon. It is a dual form derived from another Hebrew word, indicating its significance as a place with two gates.
The lexicons consistently identify it as a geographical location in the Shephelah of Judah and the Negev, emphasizing its role as a fortified settlement.
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 of the verse lists the cities, with the finite verb implied in the context. The structure emphasizes the cities and their collective significance.
The Hebrew word order places the cities first, indicating their importance, followed by the numeral phrase that quantifies them, highlighting the total of fourteen cities.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שַׁעֲרַיִם as σακαριμ, which suggests a direct borrowing of the name without altering its meaning. This indicates a continuity in the recognition of the place.
The Greek rendering does not provide additional interpretive layers but maintains the geographical reference, consistent with the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:36 lists the cities of Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim, totaling fourteen cities along with their villages. This verse highlights important locations in the territory of Judah.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Shaaraim means 'double gates' and refers to a town located in ancient Judah.
The cities represent important settlements in the territory of Judah, indicating the organization of communities in ancient Israel.
The verse mentions a total of fourteen cities along with their villages.
Adithaim means 'double ornament,' suggesting a place of beauty or significance.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the community structure in ancient Judah from this list of cities?
- How do the names of these cities reflect their geographical or cultural significance?
- In what ways do these cities contribute to our understanding of the historical landscape of Israel?
- How might the concept of 'double' in the names of Shaaraim and Adithaim relate to their physical characteristics?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:36 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Sharaim,.... Sharaim seems to be the Saara of Jerom, which he describes as a village on the borders of Eleutheropolis, to the north as you go to Nicopolis (or Emmaus), about ten miles from it in
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages: Sharaim , [ Sha`arayim (H8189), two gates.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleObject. There are fifteen numbered. Answ. Either one of them was no city strictly called; or Gederah and Gederothaim is put for Gederah or Gederothaim, so called, possibly, because the city was double, as there want not instances of one city divided into two parts, called the old and the new city. So the conjunction and is put for the disjunctive or, whereof examples have been given before.
Read Matthew Poole on Joshua 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 36. Gederah] See Clarke on Joshua 12:13. Fourteen cities] Well reckoned, we shall find fifteen cities here; but probably Gederah and Gederothaim (Joshua 15:36) are the same. See Clarke on Joshua 15:32.
Read AdamClarke on Joshua 15 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges36. fourteen cities] The LXX. omits Gederothaim, which makes fourteen instead of fifteen cities.
Read Cambridge on Joshua 15 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible36. Fourteen cities — Fifteen are enumerated, which discrepancy may be explained as that in Joshua 15:32, or by supposing, as is very probable, that the last named city, Gederothaim, is an ancient
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
Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim)—fourteen cities, along with their villages.
Shaaraim, Adithaim and Gederah (or Gederothaim); fourteen cities with their villages.
Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim)—fourteen cities, along with their villages.
Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim) – a total of fourteen cities and their towns.
Tyndale line
And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:
and Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages.
and Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages.
And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:
And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteene cities with their villages.
Strictly literal
and Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities and their hamlets.
and Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities and their villages.
and Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities and their villages.
And Sha'arayim, and 'Adithayim, and Gederah, and Gede-rothayim: fourteen cities with their villages.
Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (that is, Gederothaim). These were fourteen cities in number, including their villages.
From the Latin
And Saraim and Adithaim and Gedera and Gederothaim: fourteen cities, and their villages.
Simplified
Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim—fourteen towns with their associated villages.
And Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen 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 the enumeration of cities. The Septuagint matches six of the eight words in the Hebrew text, maintaining the core elements of the listing.
וְשַׁעֲרַ֙יִם֙ וַעֲדִיתַ֔יִם וְהַגְּדֵרָ֖ה וּגְדֵרֹתָ֑יִם עָרִ֥ים אַרְבַּֽע־ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
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 15:36
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.
שַׁעֲרַ֫יִם (Sha`arayim) means "double gates" and refers to a town located in both Judah and Simeon. It is a dual form derived from another Hebrew word, indicating its significance as a place with two gates. The entries consistently identify it as a geographical location in the Shephelah of Judah and the Negeb.
שַׁעֲרַ֫יִם n.pr.loc.
in the Shephelah of Judah
in the Negeb (Simeon)
base
H8189 שַׁעֲרַ֫יִם
8189 Sha`arayim shah-ar-ah'-yim
dual of 8179; double gates; Shaarajim, a place in
Palestine:--Shaaraim.
see HEBREW for 08179
שַׁעֲרַ֫יִם (sha.a.ra.yim) — Shaaraim.
§ Shaaraim = "double gate"
a town in Judah
שַׁעֲרַ֫יִם (sha.a.ra.yim) — Shaaraim.
Shaaraim = "double gate"
a town in Simeon
Another name of sha.ru.chen (שָׁרוּחֶ֑ן "Sharuhen" H8287)
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
sha-a-ra'-im (sha`arayim, "two gates"; Sakareim; the King James Version Sharaim):
(1) A city in the Shephelah or "lowland" of Judah mentioned (Jos 15:36) in close association with Socoh and Azekah; the vanquished army of the Philistines passed a Shaaraim in their flight from Socoh toward Gath and Ekron (1Sa 17:52). It is possible that in this latter reference the "two gates" may refer--as Septuagint implies--to the two Philistine strongholds themselves. Shaaraim has been identified with Tell Zakariya (see however AZEKAH) and with Kh. Sa`ireh (PEF, III, 124, Sh XVII), an old site West of Beit `Atab. Both proposals are hazardous.
(2) One of the towns of Simeon (1Ch 4:31), called (
Shaaraim
Two gates. (1.) A city in the plain of Judah (1 Sam. 17:52); called also Sharaim (Josh. 15:36).
(2.) A town in Simeon (1 Chr. 4:31).
(two gates), a city in the territory allotted to Judah, (Joshua 15:36) in Authorized Version incorrectly Sharaim. (1 Samuel 17:52) Shaaraim one of the towns of Simeon, (1 Chronicles 4:31) must be a different place.
gates; valuation; hairs
עֲדִיתַ֫יִם (Adiythayim) refers to a town in the lowland of Judah, meaning 'double ornament' or 'double prey.' It is a dual form derived from a feminine root, and is mentioned in Joshua 15:36. The entries consistently identify it as a place name without significant disagreement.
עֲדִיתַ֫יִם n.pr.loc. town of Judah Jos 15:36
ref
H5723 עֲדִיתַ֫יִם
5723 `Adiythayim ad-ee-thah'-yim
dual of a feminine of 5706; double prey; Adithajim, a place
in Palestine:--Adithaim.
see HEBREW for 05706
עֲדִיתַ֫יִם (a.di.ta.yim) — Adithaim.
§ Adithaim = "double ornament"
a town in the lowland of Judah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
ad-i-tha'-im (`adhithayim "double ornament, passage, or prey"): A city in "the lowland" (Shephelah, not as the King James Version "valley") of Judah (Jos 15:36). Site unknown, but possibly same as ADIDA (which see).
(double ornament), a town belonging to Judah, lying in the low country, and named, between Sharaim and hag-Gederah, in (Joshua 15:36) only.
assemblies; testimonies
→ A city of Judah Jos 15:36
גְּדֵרָה (Gderah) refers to a location in ancient Judah, identified as a city mentioned in Joshua 15:36. The term is linked to the concept of a 'hedge' or 'wall,' indicating its possible defensive features. The entries consistently describe it as a place in Palestine without significant disagreement.
גְּדֵרָה n.pr.loc. a city of Judah Jos 15:36
ref
H1449 גְּדֵרָה
1449 Gderah ghed-ay-raw'
the same as 1448; (with the article) Gederah, a place in
Palestine:--Gederah, hedges.
see HEBREW for 01448
גְּדֵרָה (ge.de.rah) — Gederah.
§ Gederah = "wall"
a town of Judah in the lowland country
Conj | Art | N-proper — Conjunction · particle · noun properHC/Td/Npl
Gederah
The fortress; a fortified place, a town in the plain (shephelah) of Judah (Josh. 15:36). This is a very common Canaanite and Phoenician name. It is the feminine form of Geder (12:13); the plural form is Gederoth (15:41). This place has by some been identified with Jedireh, a ruin 9 miles from Lydda, toward Eleutheropolis, and 4 miles north of Sur’ah (Zorah), in the valley of Elah.
(a sheepfold), a town of Judah in the lowland country, (Joshua 15:36) apparently in its eastern part. No town bearing this name has, however, been yet discovered in this hitherto little-explored district.
→ A city in the plain of Judah Jos 15:3,6
גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יִם (Gderothayim) refers to a location in Judah, meaning "two walls." It is a dual form derived from the root word for a wall, indicating a place characterized by double walls. This term appears in Joshua 15:36.
גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יִם n.pr.loc. in Judah Jos 15:36
ref
H1453 גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יִם, גְּדֵרֹתַיִם
1453 Gderothayim ghed-ay-ro-thah'-yim
dual of 1448; double wall; Gederothajim, a place in
Palestine:--Gederothaim.
see HEBREW for 01448
גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יִם (ge.de.ro.ta.yim) — Gederothaim.
§ Gederothaim = "two walls"
a town in the low country of Judah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
ged-e-ro-tha'-im (gedherathayim, "place of enclosures"): Stands as the 15th in a list which professes to give only the names of 14 cities in the Judean Shephelah (Jos 15:36). the King James Version margin suggests that we might read "or" for "and" after Gederah, but this is impossible. Septuagint reads, "and its cattle shelters." Probably, however, the name has arisen by dittography from the preceding GEDERAH (which see).
(two sheepfolds), a town in the low country of Judah, (Joshua 15:36) named next in order to Gederah.
hedges
→ A city in the plain of the tribe of Judah Jos 15:36
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;
עָשָׂר (asar) means 'ten' and is used exclusively in combination with other numbers to form the teen numbers (11-19), both as cardinal and ordinal forms. The entries indicate that it is derived from another Hebrew root, but do not elaborate on its etymology.
עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
base
H6240 עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
6240 `asar aw-sawr'
for 6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also
(ordinal) -teenth:--(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-,
six-, thir-)teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, +
twelve(-th).
see HEBREW for 06235
עָשָׂר (a.sar) — ten.
1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers)
1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19
HAcbsa — HAcbsa
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