This verse situates Judah’s southern border through the valleys near Jerusalem, highlighting the city’s significance and God’s meticulous provision for His people.
Then we read in Joshua 15:8, Then the border went up the valley of Ben-hinnom to the slope of the Jebusite on the south (that is, Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain which is before the valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim toward the north (v.8). The text describes part of the boundary for the tribe of Judah, traveling through a location later known as the valley of Hinnom on the south side of the Jebusites, who inhabited the region on which ancient Jerusalem stood. The valley of Ben-hinnom, adjoining the valley of Rephaim to the north, served as a natural divider for the land distribution, providing a clear marker for Judah’s southern territory.
Joshua likely recorded this boundary around the late 14th century BC, after Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. The mention of “the slope of the Jebusite” refers to the Jebusite stronghold that would later become the city of Jerusalem (v.8). The Jebusites were a Canaanite people who dwelled in the hill country of Canaan near Jebus (Jerusalem), and they remained in the region until King David’s conquest around 1000 BC. The reference to the valley of Rephaim indicates territory once occupied by a people associated with great stature, underscoring the challenges Israel faced in settling the land.
By marking these geographical features, this verse underscores God’s faithfulness in granting the tribe of Judah its share of the Promised Land. The delineation of boundaries also established order among the tribes, reminding them of their covenant identity and the methods God used to allocate His blessing.
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Joshua 15:8 meaning
Then we read in Joshua 15:8, Then the border went up the valley of Ben-hinnom to the slope of the Jebusite on the south (that is, Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain which is before the valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim toward the north (v.8). The text describes part of the boundary for the tribe of Judah, traveling through a location later known as the valley of Hinnom on the south side of the Jebusites, who inhabited the region on which ancient Jerusalem stood. The valley of Ben-hinnom, adjoining the valley of Rephaim to the north, served as a natural divider for the land distribution, providing a clear marker for Judah’s southern territory.
Joshua likely recorded this boundary around the late 14th century BC, after Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. The mention of “the slope of the Jebusite” refers to the Jebusite stronghold that would later become the city of Jerusalem (v.8). The Jebusites were a Canaanite people who dwelled in the hill country of Canaan near Jebus (Jerusalem), and they remained in the region until King David’s conquest around 1000 BC. The reference to the valley of Rephaim indicates territory once occupied by a people associated with great stature, underscoring the challenges Israel faced in settling the land.
By marking these geographical features, this verse underscores God’s faithfulness in granting the tribe of Judah its share of the Promised Land. The delineation of boundaries also established order among the tribes, reminding them of their covenant identity and the methods God used to allocate His blessing.