Joshua 15:55 — Word Study
WLCמָע֥וֹן׀ כַּרְמֶ֖ל וָזִ֥יף וְיוּטָּֽה׃
BSAMaonMâʻôwn [a city in Palestine] CarmelKarmel [a fruitful hill] ZiphZîyph [a Judahite town, meaning battlement] JuttahYuṭṭâh [a town in the mountains of Judah, meaning stretched out]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מָע֥וֹן׀ | Maon | Noun proper |
| כַּרְמֶ֖ל | Carmel | Noun proper |
| וָזִ֥יף | and Ziph | Conjunction, noun proper |
| וְיוּטָּֽה׃ | and Juttah | Conjunction, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, |
| KJV | Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah, |
| ASV | Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah, |
| YLT | Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah, |
| WEB | Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jutah, |
| BBE | Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah; |
All translations agree on the names of the towns listed in this verse.
The verse consists of a single main clause listing the towns, emphasizing their collective significance.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, 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 15:55
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 15:55 lists towns within the territory of Judah, emphasizing the geographic distribution of cities allocated to the tribes of Israel. This verse is part of a larger section that details the cities and their surrounding villages, highlighting the settlement patterns in the land of promise.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Samuel 23:25 | and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there. |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 25:2–7 | Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. |
| 3 | 2 Chronicles 26:10 | Since he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain, he built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns. And since he was a lover of the soil, he had farmers and vinedressers in the hill country and in the fertile fields. |
| 4 | Isaiah 35:2 | It will bloom profusely and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. |
| 5 | 1 Kings 18:42 | So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מָעוֹן, ma.'ongenerated
The word מָעוֹן (ma'on) is a noun proper, referring to both a city in Judah and a man from the tribe of Judah. It is built from the root meaning 'residence' or 'habitation', indicating a place of dwelling.
In this verse, מָעוֹן signifies the city of Maon, which is associated with the inhabitants known as the Maonites. The term captures both the location and its significance in the tribal history of Judah.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the names of the towns listed in this verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse is straightforward, consisting of a noun phrase that names the cities. The finite verb is implied as part of the larger context of listing towns.
The Hebrew word order places the names of the cities in a series, emphasizing the collective identity of these locations within the territory of Judah.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מָעוֹן as μαωρ, indicating a direct correspondence with the Hebrew term. This choice reflects a consistent understanding of the city's significance.
The other towns are also translated with similar directness, maintaining their identities as places of habitation within the land of Judah.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:55 lists four towns in Judah: Maon, Carmel, Ziph, and Juttah. These locations are significant in the history of the Israelites as they settled in the Promised Land.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
These towns represent the geographical distribution of land among the tribes of Israel, particularly the tribe of Judah.
Yes, these towns appear in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting their importance in the history of Israel.
The names reflect characteristics of the locations: Maon refers to a dwelling place, Carmel means garden-land, Ziph means battlement, and Juttah means stretched out.
These towns were part of the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah, showcasing their settlement and influence in the region.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do the names of these towns reveal about the culture and geography of ancient Judah?
- How do the locations of these towns reflect the historical context of the Israelites settling in the Promised Land?
- In what ways can understanding the significance of these towns enhance our reading of the biblical narrative?
- How might the meanings of these names inspire us in our own lives today?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:55 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleMaon, Carmel,.... Maon was the dwelling place of Nabal the Carmelite, whose possessions were in Carmel, and were not far from one another, 1 Samuel 25:2.
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMaon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah, Maon , [Septuagint, Maoor; Alexandrian, Maoon] - now Ma'in, a town in ruins, situated on a round hill called Tell Ma'in, twenty minutes distance from Carmel
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleMaon; of which see 25:2. Carmel; Nabal’ s country, 1 Samuel 25$. Ziph; which gave its name to the neighbouring mountain, .
Read Matthew Poole on Joshua 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 55. Maon] In a desert to which this town gave name, David took refuge for a considerable time from the persecution of Saul; and in this place Nabal the Carmelite had great possessions. See 1 Samuel 23:24-25; 1 Samuel 25:2. Carmel] Not the celebrated mount of that name, but a village, the residence of Nabal. See 1 Samuel 25:2. It was near Maon, mentioned above, and was about ten miles eastward of Hebron. It is the place where Saul erected a trophy to himself after the defeat of the Amalekites; see 1 Samuel 15:12. Ziph] See Clarke on Joshua 15:24.
Read AdamClarke on Joshua 15 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges55. Maon] Group III, consists of ten cities, on the south-east of the two preceding groups, towards the desert:—
Read Cambridge on Joshua 15 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible55. The third cluster of mountain cities lies east of the other two, toward the desert. Maon, modern Main, nine miles south-southeast of Hebron, is conspicuously situated on a conical hill.
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
Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jutah,
Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
Tyndale line
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah,
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah;
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Iuttah,
Strictly literal
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah,
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
Ma'on, Carmel, and Ziph, and Yutah,
Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
From the Latin
Maon and Carmel and Ziph and Jota,
Simplified
In addition: Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah;
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 מָע֥וֹן׀ כַּרְמֶ֖ל וָזִ֥יף וְיוּטָּֽה׃. The Septuagint matches three of the four names, indicating a strong agreement between these ancient texts.
מָע֥וֹן׀ כַּרְמֶ֖ל וָזִ֥יף וְיוּטָּֽה׃
3 of the 4 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 15:55
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.
מָעוֹן (ma`own) refers to a residence or habitation and is associated with a city in Judah located south of Hebron. It also denotes a man from the tribe of Judah mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:45. The term encompasses both the city and its inhabitants, known as the Maonites.
מָעוֹן n.pr.
loc. in Judah
m. in Judah
gent. named with Sidonians and Amalek as ancient foes of Isr.
base
H4584 מָעוֹן
4584 Ma`own maw-ohn'
the same as 4583; a residence; Maon, the name of an Israelite
and of a place in Palestine:--Maon, Maonites. Compare 1010,
4586.
see HEBREW for 04583
see HEBREW for 01010
see HEBREW for 04586
מָעוֹן (ma.on) — Maon.
§ Maon or Maonites = "habitation"
a city of Judah located 8 miles south of Hebron
מָעוֹן (ma.on) — Maon.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.2.45;
son of: Shammai (H8060H)
§ Maon or Maonites = "habitation"
1) a man of Judah
2) the inhabitants of the city of Maon
3) a city of Judah located 8 miles south of Hebron
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
Maon
Habitation, a town in the tribe of Judah, about 7 miles south of Hebron, which gave its name to the wilderness, the district round the conical hill on which the town stood. Here David hid from Saul, and here Nabal had his possessions and his home (1 Sam. 23:24, 25; 25:2). “Only some small foundations of hewn stone, a square enclosure, and several cisterns are now to be seen at Maon. Are they the remains of Nabal’s great establishment?” The hill is now called Tell M’ain.
(habitation), one of the cities of the tribe of Judah, in the district of the mountains. (Joshua 15:55) Its interest for us lies in its connection with David. (1 Samuel 23:24,25) The name of Maon still exists in Main , a lofty conical hill, south of and about seven miles distant from Hebron.
house; place of sin
כַּרְמֶל (kar-mel) refers to both a mountain and a town in Palestine, specifically known as Carmel. The name suggests meanings related to fertility and abundance, translating to 'garden-land.' It is located on the Mediterranean coast and south of Hebron, with fertile slopes noted in the entries.
כַּרְמֶל n.pr.mont. et urb. Carmel
mt.-promontory on Mediterranean, with fertile slopes, Tel el-Amarna
city, 3 h. S. of Hebron
base
H3760 כַּרְמֶל n. pr. mont. et urb. Carmel . mt.-promontory on Mediterranean, with fertile slopes, Tel el-Amarna
. city, 3 h. S. of Hebron
3760 Karmel kar-mel'
the same as 3759; Karmel, the name of a hill and of a town in
Palestine:--Carmel, fruitful (plentiful) field, (place).
see HEBREW for 03759
כַּרְמֶל (kar.mel) — Carmel.
§ Carmel = "garden-land"
a town in the mountains on the west side of the Dead Sea and south of Hebron
כַּרְמֶל (kar.mel) — (Mount) Carmel.
§ Carmel = "garden-land"
a mountain on the Mediterranean coast of northern Israel, just below Haifa
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
(1) A beautifully wooded mountain range running for about 13 miles in a south-easterly direction from the promontory which drops on the shore of the Mediterranean near Haifa, at the southern extremity of the plain of Acre, to the height of el-Machraqah which overlooks the plain of Esdraelon. On the top of the promontory, at a height of 500 ft. the monastery of Elias stands. From this point there is a gradual ascent until the greatest height is reached at Esfiyeh (1,742 ft.), the peak at el-Machraqah being only some 55 ft. lower. The mountain--usually named with the article, "the Carmel"--still justifies its name, "the garden with fruit trees." The steep slopes on the North and East, indeed, afford little scope for cultivation, although trees and brushwood grow abundantly. But to the South and West the mountain falls away to the sea and the plain in a series of long, fertile valleys…
Carmel
A park; generally with the article, “the park.” (1.) A prominent headland of Central Palestine, consisting of several connected hills extending from the plain of Esdraelon to the sea, a distance of some 12 miles or more. At the east end, in its highest part, it is 1,728 feet high, and at the west end it forms a promontory to the bay of Acre about 600 feet above the sea. It lay within the tribe of Asher. It was here, at the east end of the ridge, at a place called el-Mukhrakah (i.e., the place of burning), that Elijah brought back the people to their allegiance to God, and slew the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Here were consumed the “fifties” of the royal guard; and here also Elisha received the visit of the bereaved mother whose son was restored by him to life (2 Kings 4:25-37). “No mountain in or around Palestine retains its…
(fruitful place or park). A mountain which forms one of the most striking and characteristic features of the country of Palestine. It is a noble ridge, the only headland of lower and central Palestine, and forms its southern boundary, running out with a bold bluff promontory, nearly 600 feet high, almost into the very waves of the Mediterranean, then extending southeast for a little more than twelve miles, when it terminates suddenly in a bluff somewhat corresponding to its western end. In form Carmel is a tolerably continuous ridge, its highest point,a bout four miles from the eastern end, being 1740 feet above the sea. That which has made the name of Carmel most familiar to the modern world is its intimate connection with the history of the two great prophets of Israel, Elijah and Elisha. (2 Kings 2:25; 4:25;
A fruitful field,
1. A city of Judah, on a mountain of the same name, eight miles south by east of Hebron, Jos 15:55. On this mountain Saul, returning from his expedition against Amalek, erected a trophy; and here Nabal the Carmelite, Abigail’s husband, dwelt, 1Sa 15:12,25. Its ruins indicate that it was a large place.
2. A celebrated range of hills running northwest from the Plain of Esdraelon, and ending in the promontory which forms the bay of Acre. Its greatest height is about 1,500 feet; at its northeastern foot runs the brook Kishon, and a little farther north, the river Belus. On its northern point stands a convent of the Carmelite friars, an order established in the twelfth century, and having at the present day various branches in Europe. The foot of the northern part…
זִיף (ziyp) refers to Ziph, a city in southern Judah known for its location southeast of Hebron, described as a battlement. It is also the name of a man from the tribe of Judah, mentioned in the context of the Divided Monarchy. The entries indicate that Ziph has both geographical and personal significance in biblical texts.
זִיף n.pr.
n.pr.loc.
city S.E. from Hebron
city of southern Judah
n.pr.m. a son of יְהַלָּלְאֵל of Judah
base
H2128 זִיף
2128 Ziyph zeef
from the same as 2203; flowing; Ziph, the name of a place in
Palestine; also of an Israelite:--Ziph.
see HEBREW for 02203
זִיף (ziph) — Ziph.
§ Ziph = "battlement"
a city in southern Judah, between Ithnan and Telem
זִיף (ziph) — Ziph.
Ziph = "battlement"
a city of Judah, southeast of Hebron, between Carmel and Juttah in the highland district
Also named: zi.phi (זִיפִי "Ziphite" H2130)
זִיף (ziph) — Ziph.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.2.42;
son of: Mareshah@1Ch.2.42 (H4337)
§ Ziph = "battlement"
1) a son of Jehaleleel, a descendant of Judah, and brother of Ziphah
2) a city in southern Judah, between Ithnan and Telem
3) a city of Judah, southeast of Hebron, between Carmel and Juttah in the highland district
זִיף (ziph) — Ziph.
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.16;
son of: Jehallelel (H3094);
brother of: Ziphah (H2129), Tiria (H8493) and Asarel (H0840)
§ Ziph = "battlement"
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
Ziph
Flowing. (1.) A son of Jehaleleel (1 Chr. 4:16).
(2.) A city in the south of Judah (Josh. 15:24), probably at the pass of Sufah.
(3.) A city in the mountains of Judah (Josh. 15:55), identified with the uninhabited ruins of Tell ez-Zif, about 5 miles south-east of Hebron. Here David hid himself during his wanderings (1 Sam. 23:19; Ps. 54, title).
(battlement), the name of two towns in Judah. In the south, named between Ithnan and Telem. (Joshua 15:24) It does not appear again in the history, nor has any trace of has been met with. In the highland district, named between Carmel and Juttah. (Joshua 15:55) The place is immortalized by its connection with David. (1 Samuel 23:14,15,24; 26:2) These passages show that at that time it had near it a wilderness (i,e, a waste pasture-ground) and a wood. The latter has disappeared but the former remains. The name of Zif if, found about three miles south of Hebron, attached to a rounded hill of some 100 feet in height, which is called Tell Zif . Son of Jehaleleel. (1 Chronicles…
A city of Judah, four miles south-east of Hebron; near it were wild fastness in which David for a long time lay hid, 1Sa 23:14,15.
this mouth or mouthful; falsehood
יֻטָּה (yut.tah) refers to Juttah, a town in the mountains of Judah, described as meaning 'stretched out.' It is located near Maon and Carmel, with a modern equivalent identified as 'Yutta.' The word is built from the root meaning 'extended' (H5186).
יֻטָּה, יוּטָּה n.pr.loc. town in Judah
base
H3194 נָטָה
3194 Yuttah yoo-taw'
or Yuwtah {yoo-taw'}; from 5186; extended; Juttah (or Jutah),
a place in Palestine:--Juttah.
see HEBREW for 05186
יֻטָּה (yut.tah) — Juttah.
§ Juttah = "stretched out"
a town in the mountains of Judah, in the neighbourhood of Maon and Carmel; modern 'Yutta'
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
Juttah
Extended, a Levitical city in the mountains or hill-country of Judah (Josh. 15:55; 21:16). Its modern name is Yutta, a place about 5 1/2 miles south of Hebron. It is supposed to have been the residence of Zacharias and Elisabeth, and the birthplace of John the Baptist, and on this account is annually visited by thousands of pilgrims belonging to the Greek Church (Luke 1:39). (See MARY.)
(stretched out), a city in the mountain region of Judah, in the neighborhood of Maon and Carmel. (Joshua 15:55) The place is now known as Yutta .
turning away
→ A Levitical city in the territory of the tribe of Judah Jos 15:55; 21:16