The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

JOSHUA 12:15KJV
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Joshua 12:15 (KJV)

What does Joshua 12:15 mean?

Joshua 12:15 records that the king of Libnah and the king of Adullam were each defeated—one king from each city. This verse is part of a list naming the kings conquered by the Israelites under Joshua’s leadership during their campaign in Canaan.

The book of Joshua is recounting, for the Israelites, a detailed record of their victories as they took possession of the land. This verse simply lists two cities—Libnah and Adullam—each with its own king, showing the methodical nature of the conquest and the thoroughness in recording each victory.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 12:15

  • מֶלֶךְ (melekh, “king”): This word appears twice, emphasizing that each city had its own ruler, highlighting the political structure of Canaan at the time.
  • לִבְנָה (Livnah, “Libnah”) and עֲדֻלָּם (Adullam, “Adullam”): These are the specific city names, grounding the account in real locations known to the original audience.
  • אֶחָד (echad, “one”): The word “one” after each king underlines that each city had a single king defeated, reinforcing the completeness of the conquest.

Why Joshua 12:15 matters

  • This verse helps clarify that the conquest was not just against large kingdoms but included many smaller city-states, each with its own king.
  • Listing each king and city by name emphasizes the thoroughness and historical detail of the record, which would have been important for the Israelites’ sense of accomplishment and fulfillment of God’s promises.
  • The verse connects to the wider passage by showing the cumulative nature of Israel’s victories, building a sense of momentum and completeness in the narrative.

Where else these words appear

“Adullam” Hebrew H5725 · used in 8 verses

  • Joshua 15:35 Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,
  • 2 Samuel 23:13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
  • 2 Chronicles 11:7 And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

“Libnah” Hebrew H3841 · used in 17 verses

  • Numbers 33:20 And they departed from Rimmonparez, and pitched in Libnah.
  • Joshua 10:39 And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.
  • 2 Kings 23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.