Joshua 15:44 — Word Study
WLCוּקְעִילָ֥ה וְאַכְזִ֖יב וּמָֽרֵאשָׁ֑ה עָרִ֥ים תֵּ֖שַׁע וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
BSAKeilahQᵉʻîylâh [a fortified city] AchzibʼAkzîyb [a place of deceit] and MareshahMarʼêshâh [a city in the lowlands] ninetêshaʻ citiesʻîyr [towns with walls] along with their villageschâtsêr [surrounding settlements, unwalled places]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּקְעִילָ֥ה | and Keilah | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וְאַכְזִ֖יב | and Aczib | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וּמָֽרֵאשָׁ֑ה | and Mareshah | Conjunction, noun proper |
| עָרִ֥ים | cities | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| תֵּ֖שַׁע | nine | 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 | Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities, along with their villages. |
| KJV | And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages: |
| ASV | and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages. |
| YLT | and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities and their villages. |
| WEB | Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages. |
| BBE | And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine towns with their unwalled places. |
Where they part company is חָצֵר — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence presents a list of cities followed by a summary of their count and associated villages.
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 15:44
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 15:44 lists cities in the territory of Judah, highlighting Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah along with their villages. This enumeration reflects the organization of land distribution among the tribes of Israel, emphasizing the importance of these cities in the historical and geographical context of the region. The mention of villages suggests a thriving community around these fortified cities, which played a role in the defense and settlement of the area.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Samuel 23:1–14 | Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.” |
| 2 | Genesis 38:5 | Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him. |
| 3 | Micah 1:14 | Therefore, send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel. |
| 4 | Micah 1:15 | I will again bring a conqueror against you, O dweller of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — קְעִילָה, u.ke.'i.Lahgenerated
The word קְעִילָה (Q`iylah) is a proper noun referring to a fortified city in ancient Judah. Its root suggests a place that is enclosed or fortified, indicating its strategic importance. Keilah is specifically noted for its association with David's battles against the Philistines, marking it as a significant location in biblical history.
In this verse, Keilah is presented alongside Achzib and Mareshah, emphasizing its role as part of a network of fortified cities that contributed to the security and administration of the region.
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 is structured around the finite verb תֵּ֖שַׁע, nine, which serves as the predicate for the subject עָרִ֥ים, cities. The cities are listed in a noun phrase, followed by another noun phrase that describes the villages.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the number of cities first, followed by the specific names, highlighting the significance of the total count before detailing the individual locations.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates קְעִילָה as κεϊλαμ, indicating a direct correspondence in naming, which shows the translators' intent to maintain the original city's identity.
This choice reflects a consistent understanding of Keilah's importance in both the Hebrew and Greek texts, as a fortified city in the region.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:44 lists three important cities in Judah: Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah, along with a total of nine cities and their surrounding villages. These cities were significant for their fortifications and the communities that lived around them.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Keilah was a fortified city where David fought the Philistines, highlighting its strategic importance in biblical history.
Achzib means 'deceit' and is noted for its geographical significance in the region of Asher.
These cities represent the distribution of land among the tribes of Israel and their importance in the historical context.
Mareshah was a city in the lowlands of Judah, contributing to the defense and settlement patterns in the region.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the historical significance of these cities in Judah?
- How do the names of these cities reflect their characteristics or roles?
- In what ways do fortified cities contribute to the security of a region?
- How does understanding the geography of these cities enhance our reading of biblical narratives?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:44 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Keilah,.... The first of these is a well known city, which David saved from the hands of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 23:1, c.
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages: Keilah , [Septuagint, Keilam] - grouped with Nezib and Mareshah; but its site has not been fixed by modern explorers.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(44) Of the nine towns in Joshua 15:42-44, Conder identifies five.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Joshua 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 44. Keilah] This town was near Hebron, and is said to have been the burying-place of the prophet Habakkuk. David obliged the Philistines to raise the siege of it; (see 1 Samuel 23:1-13;) but finding that its inhabitants had purposed to deliver him into the hands of Saul, who was coming in pursuit of him, he made his escape. See this remarkable case explained in the note on Deuteronomy 32:15. Mareshah] Called also Maresheth and Marasthi; it was the birth-place of the prophet Micah. Near this place was the famous battle between Asa, king of Judah, and Zera, king of Cush or Ethiopia, who was at the head of one thousand thousand men, and three hundred chariots. Asa defeated this immense…
Read AdamClarke on Joshua 15 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible44. Keilah was a walled town not far from Nezib. Its inhabitants were delivered from the oppression of the Philistines by David and his men, who afterwards for a time settled in the town. 1 Samuel 23:1-13.
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
Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities, along with their villages.
Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.
Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities, along with their villages.
Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah – a total of nine cities and their towns.
Tyndale line
And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:
and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.
and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.
And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:
And Keilah, and Aczib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages.
Strictly literal
and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities and their hamlets.
and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities and their villages.
and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities and their villages.
And Ke'ilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages.
Keilah, Akzib, Mareshah. These were nine cities, including their villages.
From the Latin
And Ceila and Achzib and Maresa: nine cities, and their villages.
Simplified
Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah—nine towns with their associated villages.
And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine 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 closely in this verse, matching all six words. The Septuagint preserves the names and structure, indicating a strong textual tradition for this enumeration.
וּקְעִילָ֥ה וְאַכְזִ֖יב וּמָֽרֵאשָׁ֑ה עָרִ֥ים תֵּ֖שַׁע וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
6 of the 6 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 15:44
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.
קְעִילָה (Q`iylah) refers to a location in Judah, specifically a city known as Keilah, which is described as a fortress. The name may derive from a root meaning to enclose, suggesting a fortified place. It is situated in the lowlands of Judah, northwest of Hebron, and is mentioned in relation to the Philistines.
קְעִילָה 18 n.pr.loc. in Judah, toward Philistines
base
H7084 קְעִילָה
7084 Q`iylah keh-ee-law'
perhaps from 7049 in the sense of inclosing; citadel; Keilah,
a place in Palestine:--Keilah.
see HEBREW for 07049
קְעִילָה (qe.i.lah) — Keilah.
§ Keilah = "fortress"
a city in the lowlands of Judah northwest of Hebron
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
ke-i'-la (qe`ilah; Keeilam):
(1) A city of the Shephelah mentioned (Jos 15:44) along with Nezib, Aehzib and Mareshah. Among those who repaired the walls of Jerusalem was "Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, for his district. After him repaired their brethren, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah" (Ne 3:17,18).
1. David and Keilah:
It is, however, from the story of the wandering of David that we have most information regarding this place. It was a city with gates and bars (1Sa 23:7). The Philistines came against it and commenced robbing the threshing-floors. David, after twice inquiring of Yahweh, went down with his 600 men (1Sa…
Keilah
Citadel, a city in the lowlands of Judah (Josh. 15:44). David rescued it from the attack of the Philistines (1 Sam. 23:1-8); but the inhabitants proving unfaithful to him, in that they sought to deliver him up to Saul (13), he and his men “departed from Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go.” They fled to the hill Hareth, about 3 miles to the east, and thence through Hebron to Ziph (q.v.). “And David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in a wood” (1 Sam. 23:15). Here Jonathan sought him out, “and strengthened his hand in God.” This was the last interview between David and Jonathan (23:16-18). It is the modern Khurbet Kila. Others identify it with Khuweilfeh, between Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) and Beersheba…
(fortress), a city of the Shefelah, or lowland district of Judah. (Joshua 15:44) Its main interest consists in its connection with David. (1 Samuel 23:7-13) It is represented by Kila , a site with ruins, on the lower road from Beit Jibria to Hebron.
A city in the plains of Judah, which David once relieved from a siege by the Philistines, but which afterwards sought to deliver him up to Saul, 1Sa 23:1-13; Ne 3:17.
אַכְזִיב (Akziyb) refers to two towns in ancient Palestine, one in the lowland of Judah and another in Asher by the Sea of Galilee. The name is associated with the meaning 'deceitful,' likening it to a winter torrent that fails in summer. The word is built from a root related to deceit, as noted in various lexicons.
אַכְזִיב n.pr.loc.
in lowland of Judah
in Asher
base
H392 אַכְזִיב
392 'Akziyb ak-zeeb'
from 391; deceitful (in the sense of a winter- torrent which
fails in summer); Akzib, the name of two places in
Palestine:--Achzib.
see HEBREW for 0391
אַכְזִיב (akh.ziv) — Achzib.
§ Achzib = "deceit"
a town in the lowland of west Judah
אַכְזִיב (akh.ziv) — Achzib.
§ Achzib = "deceit"
a town in Asher by the Sea of Galilee
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
מָרֵשָׁה (Mar'eshah) refers to a location in the lowlands of Judah, meaning 'crest of a hill.' It is associated with two Israelites and is noted in the context of the Shephelah region. The name appears in 1 Chronicles 4:21, where it identifies a man from the tribe of Judah.
מָרֵשָׁה and מָרֵאשָׁה n.pr.loc. (etym. dub.) in (the Shephelah of) Judah
base
H4762 מָרֵשָׁה, מָרֵאשָׁה, מַרְאֵשָׁה, מַרֵשָׁה
4762 Mar'eshah mar-ay-shaw'
or Mareshah {mar-ay-shaw'}; formed like 4761; summit;
Mareshah, the name of two Israelites and of a place in
Palestine:--Mareshah.
see HEBREW for 04761
מָרֵשָׁה (mar.e.shah) — Mareshah.
§ Mareshah = "crest of a hill"
one of the cities in the lowlands of Judah
מָרֵשָׁה (mar.e.shah) — Mareshah.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.21;
son of: Laadah (H3935)
§ Mareshah = "crest of a hill"
one of the cities in the lowlands of Judah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
ma-re'-sha (mareshah; Septuagint: Codex Vaticanus Bathesar; Codex Alexandrinus Maresa): A town in the Shephelah of Judah named with Keilah and Achzib (Jos 15:44). It occupied such a position that Rehoboam thought well to fortify it for the protection of Jerusalem (2Ch 11:8). In the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah, Asa overwhelmed Zerah the Ethiopian and his army, pursuing them as far as Gezer (2Ch 14:9). From Mareshah came Eliezer the prophet who denounced disaster upon the commercial copartnery of Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah (2Ch 20:37). The place is mentioned in Mic (2Ch 1:15). Mareshah was plundered and burned by Judas…
Mareshah
Possession, a city in the plain of Judah (John. 15:44). Here Asa defeated Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chr. 14:9, 10). It is identified with the ruin el-Mer’ash, about 1 1/2 mile south of Beit Jibrin.
A town in Judah, Jos 15:44, fortified by Rehobaoam, 2Ch 11:8, and the birthplace of Micah. In a valley near by, Asa defeated Zerah with an immense host of Ethiopians, 2Ch 14:9-13. It probably lay on the western border of Judah, just south of Eleutheropolis.
from the beginning; an inheritance
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.…
תֵּ֫שַׁע (tesha`) means 'nine' and can refer to both the cardinal and ordinal forms of the number. It may also appear in combination with other numbers. The word is possibly derived from the idea of turning towards the next full number, ten.
תֵּ֫שַׁע, תִּשְׁעָה 58 n.m. et f. a nine, nonad
base
H8672 תֵּ֫שַׁע, תִּשְׁעָה nine, nonad
8672 tesha` tay'-shah
or (masculine) tishtah {tish-aw'}; perhaps from 8159 through
the idea of a turn to the next or full number ten; nine or
(ord.) ninth:--nine (+ -teen, + -teenth, -th).
see HEBREW for 08159
תֵּ֫שַׁע (te.sah) — nine.
1) nine, nonad
1a) nine (as cardinal number)
1b) ninth (as ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
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