Joshua 15:51 — Word Study
WLCוְגֹ֥שֶׁן וְחֹלֹ֖ן וְגִלֹ֑ה עָרִ֥ים אַֽחַת־ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
BSAGoshenGôshen [a region in Palestine] HolonChôlôwn [a city in Moab] and GilohGilôh [a city in the mountains of Judah] elevenʼechâd [one plus ten] citiesʻîyr [towns with walls or watchmen] along with their villageschâtsêr [small settlements, unwalled places]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְגֹ֥שֶׁן | and Goshen | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וְחֹלֹ֖ן | and Holon | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וְגִלֹ֑ה | and Giloh | Conjunction, noun proper |
| עָרִ֥ים | cities | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| אַֽחַת־ | one [plus] | Adj |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה | ten | |
| 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 | Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven cities, along with their villages. |
| KJV | And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages: |
| ASV | and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages. |
| YLT | and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities and their villages. |
| WEB | Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages. |
| BBE | And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven towns with their unwalled places. |
Where they part company is חָצֵר — see How Translations Differ.
The verse presents a main clause listing the cities, with a subordinate clause detailing the total number and their 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 15:51
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 15:51 is part of the detailed listing of cities allocated to the tribe of Judah. This verse specifically mentions Goshen, Holon, and Giloh, indicating their significance in the region. The passage provides a glimpse into the geographical and administrative organization of ancient Israel, highlighting the importance of these cities and their villages.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 10:41 | Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon. |
| 2 | Joshua 11:16 | So Joshua took this entire region: the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah, and the mountains of Israel and their foothills, |
| 3 | 2 Samuel 15:12 | While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עָרִ֥ים, 'a.Rimgenerated
The Hebrew word עִיר ('iyr) means 'city' and is used in the Bible to refer to towns that are often fortified or have watchmen. The plural form 'arim indicates multiple cities, emphasizing the number of settlements in the region.
This word appears frequently in the Old Testament, indicating its importance in describing urban centers in ancient Israel. The parsing as a masculine plural noun shows that it refers to more than one city, in this case, the three mentioned in the verse.
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: וְגֹ֥שֶׁן, וְחֹלֹ֖ן, and וְגִלֹ֑ה. The structure emphasizes the conjunctions that link the cities together, indicating they are part of a single list.
The phrase עָרִ֥ים serves as the subject, while אַֽחַת־ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה and וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן provide additional information about the number of cities and their villages, respectively.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עָרִ֥ים as πόλεις (póleis), meaning 'cities'. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing urban centers.
However, the translation of חָצֵר as ἕνδεκα (hénteka) indicates a focus on the number of villages, which may reflect a different understanding of the term in the Greek context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:51 lists three cities: Goshen, Holon, and Giloh, which are part of the territory given to the tribe of Judah. It states that there are eleven cities in total, including their villages, which are smaller settlements nearby.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Goshen means 'drawing near' and refers to a significant location where the Israelites lived in Egypt and also a region in Palestine.
Holon is a city in Moab, and its name means 'sandy', indicating its terrain.
Giloh is a city in the mountains of Judah, known as the hometown of Ahithophel, and its name is associated with the concept of 'exile'.
The number of cities indicates the extent of the territory allocated to the tribe of Judah and reflects the organization of settlements in ancient Israel.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do the names of these cities tell us about their geographical and cultural significance?
- How do the cities mentioned in this verse relate to the overall narrative of the allocation of land in Joshua?
- In what ways can we see the importance of villages alongside cities in ancient Israel?
- What can we learn from the historical context of these cities for understanding modern settlements?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:51 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Goshen,.... Of Goshen in the land of Canaan, [See comments on Joshua 10:41]; and Holon, of which there is no other mention; and Giloh was the city of Ahitophel, 2 Samuel 15:12; eleven cities with
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages: Goshen , [Septuagint, Gosom]. Its site is unknown. Holon (sandy) or Hilen (1 Chronicles 6:58) [Septuagint, Chalou] - not ascertained.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(51) Goshen is thought by some to give a name to the land of Goshen in Joshua 10:41, but the place is insignificant, and not identified; and to take the land of Goshen as frontier or border land seems a very much more reasonable interpretation. Giloh—the home of Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s and Absalom’s counsellor (2 Samuel 15:12, &c).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Joshua 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 51. Goshen] See Clarke on Joshua 10:41. Giloh] The country of the traitor Ahithophel, 2 Samuel 15:12.
Read AdamClarke on Joshua 15 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible51. Giloh, perhaps identical with the modern Rafat, a little south of Eshtemoh, was the birth-place of Ahithophel, and the scene of his suicide. 2 Samuel 15:12; 2 Samuel 17:23.
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
Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven cities, along with their villages.
Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.
Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven cities, along with their villages.
Goshen, Holon, and Giloh – a total of eleven cities and their towns.
Tyndale line
And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:
and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.
and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.
And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages:
And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh: eleuen cities with their villages,
Strictly literal
and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities and their hamlets.
and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities and their villages.
and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities and their villages.
And Goshen, and Cholon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages.
Goshen, Holon, and Giloh. These were eleven cities, including their villages.
From the Latin
Gosen and Olon and Gilo: eleven cities and their villages.
Simplified
Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven towns with their associated villages.
And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven 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 lists the cities as וְגֹ֥שֶׁן וְחֹלֹ֖ן וְגִלֹ֑ה עָרִ֥ים אַֽחַת־ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃. The Septuagint matches six of the seven words, indicating a strong agreement between the two texts on the main elements of the verse.
וְגֹ֥שֶׁן וְחֹלֹ֖ן וְגִלֹ֑ה עָרִ֥ים אַֽחַת־ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה 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 15:51
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.
גֹּ֫שֶׁן (Goshen) refers to a region in northern Egypt, east of the lower Nile, where the Israelites lived during their time in Egypt. It may also denote a city on the southern border of Judah, though its exact location is unclear. The name is thought to mean "drawing near."
גֹּ֫שֶׁן n.pr.loc.
district in Egypt E. of lower Nile
a city—not clearly located, but on southern border of Judah.
base
H1657 גֹּ֫שֶׁן . district in Egypt E. of lower Nile
. a city—not clearly located, but on southern border of Judah.
1657 Goshen go'-shen
probably of Egyptian origin; Goshen, the residence of the
Israelites in Egypt; also a place in Palestine:--Goshen.
גֹּ֫שֶׁן (go.shen) — Goshen.
§ Goshen = "drawing near"
a region in northern Egypt, east of the lower Nile, where the children of Israel lived from the time of Joseph to the time of Moses
גֹּ֫שֶׁן (go.shen) — Goshen.
§ Goshen = "drawing near"
1) a district in southern Palestine between Gaza and Gibeon
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
Goshen
(1.) A district in Egypt where Jacob and his family settled, and in which they remained till the Exodus (Gen. 45:10; 46:28, 29, 31, etc.). It is called “the land of Goshen” (47:27), and also simply “Goshen” (46:28), and “the land of Rameses” (47:11; Ex. 12:37), for the towns Pithom and Rameses lay within its borders; also Zoan or Tanis (Ps. 78:12). It lay on the east of the Nile, and apparently not far from the royal residence. It was “the best of the land” (Gen. 47:6, 11), but is now a desert. It is first mentioned in Joseph’s message to his father. It has been identified with the modern Wady Tumilat, lying between the eastern part of the Delta and the west border…
The name of a part of Egypt where the Israelites dwelt during the whole period of their sojourn in that country. It was probably situated on the eastern border of the Nile, extending from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. It contained the treasure-cities of Rameses and Pittim. It was a pasture land, especially suited to a shepherd people, and sufficient for the Israelites, who there prospered, and were separate from the main body of the Egyptians. A district in southern Palestine conquered by Joshua. (Joshua 10:41) It lay between Gaza and Gibeon. A town in the mountains of Judah, probably in a part of the country of Goshen.
1. The name of the tract of country in Egypt which was inhabited by the Israelites from the time of Jacob to that of Moses. It was probably the tract lying east of the Pelusian arm of the Nile, towards Arabia. See EGYPT. It appears to have reached to the Nile, Ex 1:22 2:3, since the Jews ate fish in abundance, Nu 11:5, and "practiced artificial irrigation", De 11:10. It was near Heliopolis and Rameses, and not far from the capital of Egypt, Ge 45:10 47:11 Ex 8:1-12:51. It was a part of "the best of the land," at least for the pastoral Hebrews, Ge 46:34, and was…
approaching; drawing near
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
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
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
גִּלֹה (Giloh) refers to a city located in the mountains of Judah, known as the hometown of Ahithophel. The name is derived from a root meaning 'open,' and it is associated with the concept of 'exile.' The lexicons consistently identify it as a place in Palestine without significant disagreement.
גִּלֹה n.pr.loc. city in mountains of Judah
base
H1542 גִּלֹה, גִּילֹה
1542 Giloh ghee-lo'
or (fully) Giyloh {ghee-lo'}; from 1540; open; Giloh, a place
in Palestine:--Giloh.
see HEBREW for 01540
גִּלֹה (gi.loh) — Giloh.
Giloh = "exile"
a city in the mountains of Judah, home town of Ahithophel
Also named: gi.lo.ni (גִּילֹנִי "Gilonite" H1526)
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
gi'-lo (giloh): A town in the hill country of Judah mentioned along with Jattir, Socoh, Debir, Eshtemoa, etc. (Jos 15:51). Ahithophel came from here (2Sa 15:12) and is called the Gilonite (2Sa 23:34). Driver infers from this last that the original form was Gilon, not Giloh. Probably the ruins Kb. Jala, in the hills 3 miles Northwest of Hulhul, mark the site (PEF, III, 313, Sh XXI).
Giloh
Exile, a city in the south-west part of the hill-country of Judah (Josh. 15:51). It was the native place or residence of the traitor Ahithophel “the Gilonite” (Josh. 15:51; 2 Sam. 15:12), and where he committed suicide (17:23). It has been identified with Kurbet Jala, about 7 miles north of Hebron.
(exile), a town in the mountainous part of Judah, named in the first group with Debir and Eshtemoh, (Joshua 16:51) it was the native place of the famous Ahithophel. (2 Samuel 15:12)
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.…
אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.
אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one
one
= each, every
= a certain
= indef. art.
only, & (fem.) once
one … another, one … the other
as ordinal first
in combin.
base
H259 אֶחָד one . one
. = each, every
. = a certain
. = indef. art.
. only, & (fem.) once
. one … another, one … the other
. as ordinal first
. in combin.
259 'echad ekh-awd'
a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an
ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,
any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +
eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,
other, some, together,
see HEBREW for 0258
אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.
1) one (number)
1a) one (number)
1b) each, every
1c) a certain
1d) an (indefinite article)
1e) only, once, once for all
1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one
1g) first
1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)
Adj — AdjHAcfsc
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