Allotted to Judah under God’s covenant, Kiriath-baal and Rabbah demonstrate the breadth of the tribe’s inheritance and foreshadow the enduring prominence of its territory.
Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages (Joshua 15:60). This verse appears in the broader context of Joshua 15, describing the inheritance boundaries and cities allotted to the tribe of Judah after Israel entered the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership, around the late 15th to early 14th century BC. Kiriath-baal, also called Kiriath-jearim, is located in the hill country of Judah near the border of Benjamin and is a place of note later in Israel’s history, when the Ark of the Covenant was kept there for a time (1 Samuel 7:1-2). The city’s original name, meaning “city of Baal,” suggests it was once associated with the Canaanite deity, yet recognition of it as Kiriath-jearim (“city of forests”) reflects Israel's reorientation of the land’s identity toward worship of the LORD.
The mention of Rabbah, alongside Kiriath-baal, indicates the magnitude of Judah’s territorial inheritance. Though Rabbah is less prominent than Kiriath-jearim in the biblical narrative, its inclusion here underscores the completeness of Judah's allotment, with the verse noting that each city also possessed its own surrounding villages. The detail that these two cities, along with their smaller settlements, were incorporated into Judah’s territory highlights God fulfilling His promise to the Israelites, granting them a land rich with distinct communities and resources (Genesis 15:18-21).
By listing Kiriath-baal and Rabbah, Joshua 15:60 conveys the established order under God’s covenant: every tribe, and in this case Judah, received its rightful portion of the Promised Land. It illustrates God’s faithfulness in both large, historically prominent sites like Kiriath-jearim and lesser-known places such as Rabbah, showing that each location was integral in forming Israel’s collective inheritance.
God’s people received specific, tangible portions of land, fulfilling His promises to Abraham and anticipating a future hope wherein God would ultimately bring forth the Messiah through the tribe of Judah (Luke 3:33).
These two cities mark Judah’s expanded domain, reflecting both divine provision and a call to faithfully occupy and steward the land according to the covenant.
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Joshua 15:60 meaning
Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages (Joshua 15:60). This verse appears in the broader context of Joshua 15, describing the inheritance boundaries and cities allotted to the tribe of Judah after Israel entered the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership, around the late 15th to early 14th century BC. Kiriath-baal, also called Kiriath-jearim, is located in the hill country of Judah near the border of Benjamin and is a place of note later in Israel’s history, when the Ark of the Covenant was kept there for a time (1 Samuel 7:1-2). The city’s original name, meaning “city of Baal,” suggests it was once associated with the Canaanite deity, yet recognition of it as Kiriath-jearim (“city of forests”) reflects Israel's reorientation of the land’s identity toward worship of the LORD.
The mention of Rabbah, alongside Kiriath-baal, indicates the magnitude of Judah’s territorial inheritance. Though Rabbah is less prominent than Kiriath-jearim in the biblical narrative, its inclusion here underscores the completeness of Judah's allotment, with the verse noting that each city also possessed its own surrounding villages. The detail that these two cities, along with their smaller settlements, were incorporated into Judah’s territory highlights God fulfilling His promise to the Israelites, granting them a land rich with distinct communities and resources (Genesis 15:18-21).
By listing Kiriath-baal and Rabbah, Joshua 15:60 conveys the established order under God’s covenant: every tribe, and in this case Judah, received its rightful portion of the Promised Land. It illustrates God’s faithfulness in both large, historically prominent sites like Kiriath-jearim and lesser-known places such as Rabbah, showing that each location was integral in forming Israel’s collective inheritance.
God’s people received specific, tangible portions of land, fulfilling His promises to Abraham and anticipating a future hope wherein God would ultimately bring forth the Messiah through the tribe of Judah (Luke 3:33).
These two cities mark Judah’s expanded domain, reflecting both divine provision and a call to faithfully occupy and steward the land according to the covenant.