And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron,

JOSHUA 19:43KJV
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Joshua 19:43 (KJV)

What does Joshua 19:43 mean?

Joshua 19:43 lists three towns—Elon, Thimnathah, and Ekron—as part of the territory assigned to the tribe of Dan during the division of the Promised Land among the Israelite tribes. This verse is part of a larger passage detailing the specific boundaries and cities given to each tribe.

In the book of Joshua, Joshua is overseeing the allocation of land to the tribes of Israel after their conquest of Canaan. Joshua 19:43 is one verse in a section that names the towns included in Dan’s inheritance. These place names help define the area that the tribe of Dan would settle in and are part of a historical record of how the land was distributed.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 19:43

  • אֵילוֹן (Elon, transliterated "Elon"): This name means "oak" or "terebinth," and it often refers to a place associated with large trees. Its mention here marks a specific location in Dan’s territory.
  • תִּמְנָתָה (Thimnathah, transliterated "Timnathah"): This town is sometimes identified with Timnah, a place known elsewhere in the Bible. The name helps pinpoint the southern or western edge of Dan’s land.
  • עֶקְרוֹן (Ekron, transliterated "Ekron"): Ekron was a well-known Philistine city. Its inclusion in Dan’s territory shows the border between Israelite and Philistine lands, though later history shows Dan struggled to hold it.

Why Joshua 19:43 matters

  • Joshua 19:43 clarifies the specific towns that marked the boundaries of Dan’s inheritance, grounding the story in real geography.
  • The mention of Ekron highlights the challenges the tribe of Dan would face, as this city was a stronghold of the Philistines and not always under Israelite control.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme in Joshua of God’s promises being fulfilled through the concrete, detailed division of the land among the tribes.

Where else these words appear

“Elon” Hebrew H356 · used in 7 verses

  • Genesis 26:34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
  • Genesis 46:14 And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.
  • Judges 12:11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

“Thimnathah” Hebrew H8553 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 38:12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
  • Joshua 15:10 And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah:
  • Judges 14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

“Ekron” Hebrew H6138 · used in 20 verses

  • Joshua 13:3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
  • 1 Samuel 6:16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
  • 2 Kings 1:6 And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.