Joshua 15:61 — Word Study
WLCבַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר בֵּ֚ית הָעֲרָבָ֔ה מִדִּ֖ין וּסְכָכָֽה׃
BSA[These were] in the wildernessmidbâr [desert, waste land] Beth-arabahBêyth hâ-ʻĂrâbâh [house of the desert valley] MiddinMiddîyn△ [meaning measures] SecacahÇᵉkâkâh△ [near the Dead Sea]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר | in the wilderness | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| בֵּ֚ית | Beth | Noun proper |
| הָעֲרָבָ֔ה | Arabah | Noun proper |
| מִדִּ֖ין | Middin | Noun proper |
| וּסְכָכָֽה׃ | and Secacah | Conjunction, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | These were in the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, |
| KJV | In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah, |
| ASV | In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah, |
| YLT | In the wilderness: Beth-Arabah, Middin, and Secacah, |
| WEB | In the wilderness, Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, |
| BBE | In the waste land, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah; |
Where they part company is in the rendering of specific city names, but there is agreement on the term for wilderness.
The main clause introduces the setting, followed by a list of cities, emphasizing their location.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 5 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 15:61
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 — Cities of Judah in the Wildernessgenerated
Joshua 15:61 lists cities allocated to the tribe of Judah, specifically those located in the wilderness. This verse highlights the geographical context of these cities, which were essential for the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land. The wilderness setting emphasizes the challenges faced by the Israelites and the significance of these cities as places of refuge and sustenance.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 15:6 | went up to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. |
| 2 | Joshua 18:18 | Then it went on to the northern slope of Beth-arabah and went down into the valley. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מִדְבָּר, ba.mid.Bargenerated
The noun מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'wilderness' or 'desert,' derived from a root meaning to drive. It refers to uninhabited land, often associated with solitude or open fields. In this verse, it indicates the geographical setting where these cities are located, emphasizing their remoteness and the challenges of survival in such environments.
The parsing as a common masculine singular noun suggests it is a general term for wilderness areas. This term is frequently used throughout the Hebrew Bible to describe the places where the Israelites wandered, highlighting the significance of the wilderness in their journey.
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 is introduced by the phrase בַּמִּדְבָּר, in the wilderness, which sets the context for the following noun phrases that list the cities. The structure indicates that the wilderness is the setting for the three cities mentioned.
Each city name follows the main clause, forming a series of noun phrases that describe specific locations within the wilderness, emphasizing their geographical significance.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word βαδδαργις to translate מִדְבָּר, which suggests a general understanding of wilderness but may not carry the same connotations as the Hebrew term. This choice indicates a broader interpretation of the wilderness concept, potentially encompassing various types of uninhabited land.
The translation choices for the city names also reflect a different approach in the Septuagint, which may not align directly with the Hebrew, indicating a variation in how these locations were understood in the Greek-speaking world.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 15:61 lists three cities that were located in the wilderness of Judah: Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah. These cities are significant as they were part of the land allocated to the tribe of Judah and reflect the geographical context of the Israelites' journey.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
'Beth-arabah' means 'house of the desert valley,' indicating its geographical location.
These cities highlight the areas inhabited by the tribe of Judah and their significance during the Israelites' journey.
'Middin' means 'measures,' which may refer to its role in trade or agriculture.
Secacah is mentioned as being near the Dead Sea, indicating its geographical significance.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the geography of ancient Judah from this verse?
- How do the names of these cities reflect their characteristics or significance?
- In what ways did the wilderness shape the experiences of the Israelites?
- How can understanding these locations enhance our reading of the biblical narrative?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 15:61 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIn the wilderness,.... The wilderness of Judea, which was not a desert and uninhabited but had many cities and villages in it, those that follow: Betharabah; the first of these seems to be in the
Read John Gill on Joshua 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIn the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah, In the wilderness , [ bamidbaar (H4057)] Midbar, when preceded by the article, is generally applied to designate the Arabian desert; but sometimes
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 15 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe wilderness; so the Hebrews call places either uninhabited by men, or having but few inhabitants.
Read Matthew Poole on Joshua 15 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(61) In the wilderness—i.e., in the mountains near the Dead Sea three places have been identified—viz., Secacah (Sikkkeh), the City of Salt (Tell el-Milh), and En-gedi (Ain Jidy). (See 1 Samuel 24:1, &c.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Joshua 15 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges61–63. Cities in the Wilderness This section relates to the cities in “the Wilderness” between the Mountain and the Dead Sea, and includes one Group of six cities:— 1. Beth-arabah, see above, Joshua 15:6; Joshua 2. Middin; 3. Secacah; 4. Nibshan, sites unknown, places not mentioned elsewhere; 5. The city of Salt, “Civitas Salis,” Vulgate, probably near the Valley of Salt, at the southern end of the Dead Sea, where the Edomites suffered several defeats (2 Samuel 8:13; 2 Kings 14:7; 1 Chronicles 18:12); 6. En-gedi, “the spring of the wild goat” or “gazelle,” from the numerous ibexes or Syrian chamois which inhabit these cliffs, now Ain Jidy. “Here,” remarks Canon Tristram, “a copious warm…
Read Cambridge on Joshua 15 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible61. The wilderness — The wild and rugged territory along the west side of the Dead Sea. Only six cities are mentioned as belonging to this entire district.
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
These were in the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,
In the wilderness, Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,
These were in the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,
These cities were in the desert: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,
Tyndale line
In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah;
In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the wildernes were Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
Strictly literal
— In the wilderness: Beth-Arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the wilderness: Beth-Arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the wilderness: Beth-Arabah, Middin, and Secacah,
In the wilderness, Beth-ha'arabah, Middin, and Sechachah,
In the wilderness, there were Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,
From the Latin
In the desert Betharaba, Meddin and Sachacha,
Simplified
In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,
In the waste land, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah;
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 presents the verse as בַּמִּדְבָּר בֵּ֚ית הָעֲרָבָ֔ה מִדִּ֖ין וּסְכָכָֽה׃. The Septuagint shows some alignment with the Hebrew text, but only two of the five words match directly, indicating some differences in translation and interpretation.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר בֵּ֚ית הָעֲרָבָ֔ה מִדִּ֖ין וּסְכָכָֽה׃
2 of the 5 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 15:61
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.
מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.
[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3
ref
מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness
tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds
uninhabited land
large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities
fig.
base
H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness
4057 midbar mid-bawr'
from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open
field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;
also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,
wilderness.
see HEBREW for 01696
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.
1) mouth
1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.
1) wilderness
1a) pasture
1b) uninhabited land, wilderness
1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)
1d) wilderness (fig.)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).
This name means wilderness, uninhabited land
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
wil'-der-nes.
See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Wilderness
(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (
See DESERT.
בֵּית הָֽעֲרָבָה n.pr.loc. (place of the depression) reckoned to Judah, to Benjamin
base
H1026 בֵּית הָֽעֲרָבָה
1026 Beyth ha-`Arabah bayth haw-ar-aw-baw
from 1004 and 6160 with the article interposed; house of the
Desert; Beth-ha-Arabah, a place in Palestine:--Beth-arabah.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 06160
בֵּית הָֽעֲרָבָה (bet ha.a.ra.vah) — Beth-arabah.
§ Beth-arabah = "house of the desert valley" or "place of the depression"
a place in Judah or in Benjamin
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
Beth
Occurs frequently as the appellation for a house, or dwelling-place, in such compounds as the words immediately following:
the most general word for a house or habitation. It has the special meaning of a temple or house of worship Beth is more frequently employed in compound names of places than any other word.
House, forms a part of many compounds names of places, and sometimes means the place or dwelling; and at others the temple. This word becomes Beit in modern Arabic.
בֵּית הָֽעֲרָבָה n.pr.loc. (place of the depression) reckoned to Judah, to Benjamin
base
H1026 בֵּית הָֽעֲרָבָה
1026 Beyth ha-`Arabah bayth haw-ar-aw-baw
from 1004 and 6160 with the article interposed; house of the
Desert; Beth-ha-Arabah, a place in Palestine:--Beth-arabah.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 06160
בֵּית הָֽעֲרָבָה (bet ha.a.ra.vah) — Beth-arabah.
§ Beth-arabah = "house of the desert valley" or "place of the depression"
a place in Judah or in Benjamin
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
ar'-a-ba, a-ra'-ba ha-`arabhah, ("the Arabah"): This word indicates in general a barren district, but is specifically applied in whole or in part to the depression of the Jordan valley, extending from Mount Hermon to the Gulf of Akabah. In the King James Version it is transliterated only once (Jos 18:18) describing the border of Benjamin. Elsewhere it is rendered "plain." But in the Revised Version (British and American) it is everywhere transliterated. South of the Dead Sea the name is still retained in Wady el-Arabah. In De 1:1; 2:8 (the King James Version "plain") the southern portion is referred to; in De 3:17; 4:49; Jos 3:16; 11:2; 12:3 and
Arabah
Plain, in the Revised Version of 2 Kings 14:25; Josh. 3:16; 8:14; 2 Sam. 2:29; 4:7 (in all these passages the A.V. has “plain”); Amos 6:14 (A.V. “wilderness”). This word is found in the Authorized Version only in Josh. 18:18. It denotes the hollow depression through which the Jordan flows from the Lake of Galilee to the Dead Sea. It is now called by the Arabs el-Ghor. But the Ghor is sometimes spoken of as extending 10 miles south of the Dead Sea, and thence to the Gulf of Akabah on the Red Sea is called the Wady el-Arabah.
(burnt up). Although this word appears in the Authorized Version in its original shape only in (Joshua 18:18) yet in the Hebrew text it is of frequent occurrence. It indicates more particularly the deep-sunken valley or trench which forms the most striking among the many striking natural features of Palestine, and which extends with great uniformity of formation from the slopes of Hermon to the Elanitic Gulf (Gulf of Akabah) of the Red Sea; the most remarkable depression known to exist on the surface of the globe. Through the northern portion of this extraordinary fissure the Jordan rushes through the lakes of Huleh and Gennesaret down its tortuous course to the deep chasm of the Dead Sea. This portion, about 150 miles in length, is known amongst the Arabs by the name of el-Ghor . The southern boundary of the (Ghor is the wall of…
→ See BETH-ARABAH
מִדִּין (mid.din) refers to a city of Judah mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in Joshua 15:61. It is noted as one of the six cities located in the wilderness, but its exact site is unknown. The word is derived from a variation of another term, מִדִּין (Middin), which means 'measures'.
מִדִּין n.pr.loc. city of Judah Jos 15:61, site unknown
ref
H4081 מִדִּין
4081 Middiyn mid-deen'
a variation for 4080:--Middin.
see HEBREW for 04080
מִדִּין (mid.din) — Middin.
§ Middin = "measures"
one of the 6 cities of Judah located in the wilderness
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
mid'-in (middin; in GB, Ainon, "springs"): One of the six cities in the wilderness of Judah (Jos 15:61). There are not many possible sites. The Hebrew name may possibly survive in Khirbet Mird, a very conspicuous site with many ancient cisterns overlooking the plateau el Bukea`, above which it towers to a height of 1,000 ft.; it is the Mons Mardes of early Christian pilgrims; the existing remains are Byzantine. It is a site of great natural strength and was clearly once a place of some importance. The Greek reading Ainon, "place of springs," suggests the neighborhood of the extensive oasis of `Ain Feshkhah at the northwest corner of the Dead Sea where there are at Kh. Kumram remains of buildings and a rock-cut aqueduct. See PEF, III, 210, 212, Sh XVIII.
E. W. G. Masterman
Middin
Measures, one of the six cities “in the wilderness,” on the west of the Dead Sea, mentioned along with En-gedi (Josh. 15:61).
(measures), a city of Judah, (Joshua 15:61) one of the six specified as situated in the district of "the midbar" (Authorized Version "wilderness").
judgment; striving
סְכָכָה (sekakhah) refers to a location in the wilderness of Judah, specifically identified as Secacah, which means 'thicket.' It is mentioned in Joshua 15:61 as one of the six cities of Judah located near the Dead Sea. The word is derived from a root meaning 'inclosure,' indicating its geographical significance.
סְכָכָה n.pr.loc. in wilderness of Judah Jos 15:61
ref
H5527 סְכָכָה
5527 Ckakah sek-aw-kaw'
from 5526; inclosure; Secacah, a place in
Palestine:--Secacah.
see HEBREW for 05526
סְכָכָה (se.kha.khah) — Secacah.
§ Secacah = "thicket"
one of the 6 cities of Judah located in the wilderness bordering on the Dead Sea
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
se-ka'-ka, sek'-a-ka (cekhakhah; Codex Vaticanus Aichioza; Codex Alexandrinus Sochocha): One of the six cities "in the wilderness of Judah" (Jos 15:61), that is in the uncultivated lands to the West of the Dead Sea, where a scanty pasturage is still obtained by wandering Bedouin tribes. There are many signs in this district of more settled habitation in ancient times, but the name Secacah is lost. Conder proposed Khirbet edition Diqqeh] (also called Khirbet es Siqqeh), "the ruin of the path," some 2 miles South of Bethany. Though an ancient site, it is too near the inhabited area; the name, too, is uncertain (PEF, III, 111, Sh XVII).
E. W. G. Masterman
Secacah
Enclosure, one of the six cities in the wilderness of Judah, noted for its “great cistern” (Josh. 15:61). It has been identified with the ruin Sikkeh, east of Bethany.
shadow; covering; defense