Joshua 15:57 — Word Study
WLCהַקַּ֖יִן גִּבְעָ֣ה וְתִמְנָ֑ה עָרִ֥ים עֶ֖שֶׂר וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
BSAKainQayin [Cain, a place of Kenite origin] GibeahGibʻâh [a city of Benjamin] and TimnahTimnâh [a town in Judah, meaning portion] tenʻeser citiesʻîyr [excitement, a place with a wall] along with their villageschâtsêr [surrounding settlements, court yards]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַקַּ֖יִן | Kain | Particle, noun gentilic both singular absolute |
| גִּבְעָ֣ה | Gibeah | Noun proper |
| וְתִמְנָ֑ה | and Timnah | Conjunction, noun proper |
| עָרִ֥ים | cities | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| עֶ֖שֶׂר | ten | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| 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 | Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten cities, along with their villages. |
| KJV | Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages: |
| ASV | Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages. |
| YLT | Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their villages. |
| WEB | Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages. |
| BBE | Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten towns with their unwalled places. |
Where they part company is וְחַצְרֵיהֶן — see How Translations Differ.
The structure shows one main clause with additional phrases providing detail about the cities and their count.
4 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 15:57
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 15:57 lists Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah as part of the cities allocated to the tribe of Judah. This verse highlights the geographical distribution of settlements in the region, emphasizing the importance of these cities in the context of Israel's history and land inheritance.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 15:10 | The border curled westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), went down to Beth-shemesh, and crossed to Timnah. |
| 2 | Genesis 38:12 | After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 14:1 | This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: |
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 can also imply excitement. It refers to a fortified place or settlement, often with walls for protection. In this verse, it denotes the cities of Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah as significant locations in the territory of Judah.
The plural form עָרִים indicates multiple cities, emphasizing the collective presence of these settlements. The parsing as a masculine plural noun suggests a focus on the physical locations that served as centers of community and activity.
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 finite verb is implied in the structure, with the noun phrases listing the cities followed by a count of them and their villages. The order of the cities emphasizes their significance in the listing.
The phrase structure shows that Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah are grouped together as part of a larger enumeration of cities, highlighting their collective importance in the region.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates גִּבְעָה as γαβαα, indicating a direct correspondence to the city of Gibeah. This choice reflects the continuity of place names in the Greek translation.
The Greek term θαμναθα for תִּמְנָה suggests a similar geographical significance, maintaining the identity of the location in the translation process.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:57 lists Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah as three cities in the territory of Judah, totaling ten cities along with their surrounding villages. This verse emphasizes the importance of these locations in the context of the land distribution among the tribes of Israel.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
These cities were part of the inheritance given to the tribe of Judah, highlighting their role in the historical and geographical landscape of ancient Israel.
The mention of villages indicates the settlements that surrounded these cities, showing the extent of habitation and community in the region.
This verse connects to the broader narrative of land allocation in Israel, as seen in other passages like Joshua 15:10.
Timnah means 'portion' and signifies a geographical area within the hill country of Judah.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from the cities mentioned in this verse about the history of Judah?
- How do the names of these cities reflect the cultural or geographical significance of the region?
- In what ways do the surrounding villages contribute to our understanding of ancient settlements?
- How does the enumeration of cities in this verse connect to the larger narrative of land distribution in the Bible?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:57 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleCain,.... Cain, or Hakain, "that Cain", we nowhere else read of; whether the name was given it by the old Canaanites, in memory of Cain, the son of Adam, is not certain: Gibeah; there were other
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryCain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages: Cain , [ ha-Qayin (H7014), the lance; Septuagint, Zaka naim; Alexandrian, Zanookeim] - unknown.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(57) The four first and the four last of these are all found. Maon, Carmel, and Ziph became famous in David’s wanderings (see the story of Nabal, 1 Samuel 25); and the Ziphites have covered themselves with infamy by their repeated efforts to betray him to Saul, who sought his life (1 Samuel 23:19; 1 Samuel 26:1).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Joshua 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 57. Timnah] A frontier town of the Philistines; it was in this place that Samson got his wife, see Judges 14:1-15:20.
Read AdamClarke 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
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten cities, along with their villages.
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten cities, along with their villages.
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah – a total of ten cities and their towns.
Tyndale line
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages.
Strictly literal
Kain, Gibeah and Timnah: ten cities and their hamlets.
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their villages.
Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities and their villages.
Kayin, Gib'ah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages.
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah. These were ten cities, including their villages.
From the Latin
Accain, Gabaa and Thamna: ten cities and their villages.
Simplified
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten towns with their ssociated villages.
Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten 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 הַקַּ֖יִן גִּבְעָ֣ה וְתִמְנָ֑ה עָרִ֥ים עֶ֖שֶׂר וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃, while the Septuagint matches five of the six words, showing a close alignment in the naming of these cities despite differences in word order.
הַקַּ֖יִן גִּבְעָ֣ה וְתִמְנָ֑ה עָרִ֥ים עֶ֖שֶׂר וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
5 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 15:57
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.
קַ֫יִן (Qayin) refers to both Cain, the eldest son of Adam and Eve and the first murderer, and a tribe associated with Moses' father-in-law, the Kenites. The word encompasses a personal name, a geographical location in southern Judah, and a tribal identity, with connections to the meanings of 'possession' and 'smiths'.
קַ֫יִן n.pr.
gent. tribe of Moses’ father-in-law
loc. in S. Judah
base
קַ֫יִן n.pr.m. Cain, eldest son of Adam and Eve
base
H7014a קַ֫יִן . gent. tribe of Moses’ father-in-law
. loc. in S. Judah
H7014b קַ֫יִן Cain, eldest son of Adam and Eve
7014 Qayin kah'-yin
the same as 7013 (with a play upon the affinity to 7069);
Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in
Palestine, and of an Oriental tribe:--Cain, Kenite(-s).
see HEBREW for 07013
see HEBREW for 07069
קַ֫יִן (qa.yin) — Kain.
§ Kenite = "smiths"
n pr gent
the tribe from which the father-in-law of Moses was a member and which lived in the area between southern Palestine and the mountains of Sinai
קַ֫יִן (qa.yin) — Cain.
A man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.4.1;
son of: Adam (H0121) and Eve (H2332);
brother of: Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352);
father of: Enoch (H2585)
Also named: Kain (Κάϊν "Cain" G2535)
§ Cain = "possession"
eldest son of Adam and Eve and the first murderer having murdered his brother
קַ֫יִן (qa.yin) — Kenite.
Ancestors of Heber (H2268H) or Hobab (H2246), first mentioned at Gen.15.19
Group of qe.ni (קֵינִי "Kenite" H7017)
§ Cain = "possession"
eldest son of Adam and Eve and the first murderer having murdered his brother
Art | N-proper — Particle · noun gentilic both singular absoluteHTd/Ngbsa
גִּבְעָה (Gib'ah) means 'hill' and refers to several locations in ancient Palestine, notably a city in the mountainous region of Judah and another in Benjamin, which is recognized as the birthplace of King Saul. The entries indicate that it is derived from a similar word, גִּבְעָה (H1389), emphasizing its geographical significance.
גִּבְעָה n.pr.loc. (hill)
a city of Judah
city of Benj.
a city of Ephraim
base
H1390 גִּבְעָה (hill)
1390 Gib`ah ghib-aw'
the same as 1389; Gibah; the name of three places in
Palestine:--Gibeah, the hill.
see HEBREW for 01389
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeah.
§ Gibeah = "hill"
a city in the mountain district of Judah
גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeah.
§ Gibeah = "hill"
a city of Benjamin, birthplace of king Saul
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
gib'-e-a (gibh`ah, "hill"): The Hebrew word denotes generally an eminence or hill, in distinction from har, which is used for mountain, or mountain range. It occurs, however, in two instances, as a place-name. Under GEBA (which see) we have seen that Geba, Gibeah, and Gibeon are liable to be confused. This arises from their resemblance in form and meaning.
(1) An unidentified city in the territory of Judah (Jos 15:57). It is named in the group containing Carmel, Ziph and Kain; it is therefore probably to be sought to the Southeast of Hebron. It may be one of the two villages mentioned by Eusebius, Onomasticon (s.v. "Gabathon"), Gabaa and Gabatha; in the East of the Daroma. It is probably identical with Gibeah mentioned in 2Ch 13:2.
Gibeah
A hill or hill-town, “of Benjamin” (1 Sam. 13:15), better known as “Gibeah of Saul” (11:4; Isa. 10:29). It was here that the terrible outrage was committed on the Levite’s concubine which led to the almost utter extirpation of the tribe of Benjamin (Judg. 19; 20), only six hundred men surviving after a succession of disastrous battles. This was the birthplace of Saul, and continued to be his residence after he became king (1 Sam. 10:26; 11:4; 15:34). It was reckoned among the ancient sanctuaries of Palestine (10:26; 15:34; 23:19; 26:1; 2 Sam. 21:6-10), and hence it is called “Gibeah of God” (1 Sam. 10:5, R.V.…
a word employed in the Bible to denote a hill. Like most words of this kind it gave its name to several towns and places in Palestine, which would doubtless be generally on or near a hill. They are -- Gibeah, a city in the mountain district of Judah, named with Maon and the southern Carmel, (Joshua 15:57) and comp. 1Chr 2:49 etc. Gibeah of Benjamin first appears in the tragical story of the Levite and his concubine. (Judges 19:20) It was then a "city," with the usual open street or square, (Judges 19:15,17,20) and containing 700 "chosen men," ch. (Judges 20:15) probably the same whose skill as slingers is preserved in…
A hill,
1. A city of Benjamin, 1Sa 13:15, and the birthplace and residence of Saul king of Israel; whence it is frequently called "Gibeah of Saul," 1Sa 11:4; 15:34; 23:19; 26:1; 2Sa 21:6; Isa 10:29. Gibeah was also famous for its sins; particularly for its sins; particularly for that committed by forcing the young Levite’s wife, who went to lodge there; and for the war which succeeded it, to the almost entire extermination of the tribe of Benjamin, Jud 19:1- 30. Scripture remarks, that this occurred at a time when there was no king in Israel, and when every one did what was right in his own eyes. Dr. Robinson found…
תִּמְנָה (timnah) refers to a location in the hill country of Judah and on its border, likely meaning 'portion' or 'territory.' It is identified as the name of two places in Palestine, also known as Timnath or Thimnathah. The entries consistently describe its geographical significance without notable disagreement.
תִּמְנָה, תִּמְנָ֫תָה n.pr.loc. (prob. = portion, territory)
place in hill-country of Judah
place on border of Judah
base
H8553 תִּמְנָה, תִּמְנָ֫תָה . place in hill-country of Judah
. place on border of Judah
8553 Timnah tim-naw'
from 4487; a portion assigned; Timnah, the name of two places
in Palestine:--Timnah, Timnath, Thimnathah.
see HEBREW for 04487
תִּמְנָה (tim.nah) — Timnah.
§ Timnath or Timnah or Thimnathah = "portion"
a town on the northern boundary of Judah later assigned to Dan
תִּמְנָה (tim.nah) — Timnah.
§ Timnath or Timnah or Thimnathah = "portion"
a town in the hill country of Judah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
tim'-na (timnah, timnathah (Jos 19:43; Jud 14:1,2,5), "allotted portion; Codex Vaticanus Thamnatha; also several Greek variations; King James Version has Timnath in Ge 38:12,13,14; Jud 14:1,2,5; and Thimnathah in Jos 19:43):
(1) A town in the southern part of the hill country of Judah (Jos 15:57). Tibna proposed by Conder, a ruin 8 miles West of Bethlehem, seems too far N. (PEF, III, 53, Sh XVII). It is possible this may be the "Timnah" of Ge 38:12,13,14.
Timnah
A portion. (1.) A town of Judah (Josh. 15:10). The Philistines took possession of it in the days of Ahaz (2 Chr. 28:18). It was about 20 miles west of Jerusalem. It has been identified with Timnatha of Dan (Josh. 19:43), and also with Timnath (Judg. 14:1,5).
(2.) A city in the mountains of Judah (Josh.15:57)= Tibna near Jeba’.
(3.) A “duke” or sheik of Edom (Gen. 36:40).
(portion). A place which formed one of the landmarks on the north boundary of the allotment of Judah. (Joshua 15:10) It is probably identical with the Thimnathah of (Joshua 19:43) and that again with the Timnath, or, more accurately, Timnathah, of Samson (Judges 14:1,2,5) and the Thamnatha of the Maccabees. The modern representative of all these various forms of the same name is probably Tibneh, a village about two miles west of Ain Shems (Beth-shemesh). In the later history of the Jews, Timnah must have been a conspicuous place. It was fortified by Bacchides as one of the most important military posts of Judea. 1 Macc. 9:50. A town in the mountain district of Judah. (Joshua…
forbidding
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.…
עֶשֶׂר (eser) means 'ten' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root related to counting, specifically indicating the number ten and its use in combination with other numbers. The Aramaic equivalent is עֲשַׂר (asar), also meaning 'ten.'
עֶשֶׂר, עֲשָׂרָה 176 n.m. and f. ten
base
H6235 עֶשֶׂר, עֲשָׂרָה ten
6235 `eser eh'ser
masculine of term aasarah {as-aw-raw'}; from 6237; ten (as an
accumulation to the extent of the digits):--ten, (fif-,
seven-)teen.
see HEBREW for 06237
עֶשֶׂר (e.ser) — ten.
1) ten
1a) ten
1b) with other numbers
Aramaic equivalent: a.sar (עֲשַׂר "ten" H6236)
Adj — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
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