And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages:

JOSHUA 15:32KJV
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Joshua 15:32 (KJV)

What does Joshua 15:32 mean?

Joshua 15:32 lists several towns—Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—stating that, together with their surrounding villages, there are twenty-nine cities in total. This verse is part of a detailed record of the towns allotted to the tribe of Judah as their inheritance in the land of Canaan.

The book of Joshua records how the land of Canaan was divided among the tribes of Israel after they entered the land. In this section, Joshua is recounting the specific towns and villages assigned to Judah, providing a careful inventory to show the completeness and fairness of the distribution. The verse emphasizes the organization and thoroughness of the tribal inheritance.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 15:32

  • לְבָאוֹת (Lebaoth): This name is often understood to mean "lionesses" or "lairs," and it is one of the towns listed for Judah. The specific meaning of the name may reflect something about the location or its history.
  • עָרִים (ʿarim, "cities"): This word refers to settled, fortified places, not just small villages. The use of this word highlights that these were established communities.
  • כָּל־הֶעָרִים עֶשְׂרִים וְתֵשַׁע (kol-heʿarim ʿesrim ve-teshaʿ, "all the cities are twenty and nine"): The Hebrew phrase counts up the total, showing the careful record-keeping in the division of the land.
  • חֲצֵרֵיהֶן (ḥatserihen, "their villages"): This word refers to smaller settlements or hamlets associated with the main towns, indicating that the inheritance included not just the cities but also their surrounding communities.

Why Joshua 15:32 matters

  • Joshua 15:32 shows the attention to detail in the division of the land, underlining the importance of each tribe's inheritance being clearly defined and recorded.
  • The verse helps clarify that the inheritance included both main towns and their outlying villages, which would have been important for the daily lives and livelihoods of the people.
  • This list connects to the larger narrative of Joshua, where the fulfillment of God's promise to give Israel the land is demonstrated through the careful allotment of territory to each tribe.

Where else these words appear

“Ain” Hebrew H5871 · used in 5 verses

  • Numbers 34:11 And the coast shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward:
  • Joshua 19:7 Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages:
  • Joshua 21:16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

“Rimmon” Hebrew H7417 · used in 13 verses

  • Joshua 19:7 Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages:
  • Judges 21:13 And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.
  • 2 Kings 5:18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.

“nine” Hebrew H8672 · used in 57 verses

  • Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
  • Numbers 34:13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:
  • 2 Kings 25:8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: