Joshua 15:15

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before [was] Kirjathsepher.

Complete Jewish Bible:

From there he went up to fight the inhabitants of D'vir (D'vir was formerly called Kiryat-Sefer).

Berean Standard Bible:

From there he marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).

American Standard Version:

And he went up thence against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir beforetime was Kiriath-sepher.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And he went up^{H5927} thence to the inhabitants^{H3427} of Debir^{H1688}: and the name^{H8034} of Debir^{H1688} before^{H6440} was Kirjathsepher^{H7158}.

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Commentary for Joshua 15:15

Joshua 15:15 is a verse that falls within the larger narrative of the division of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel. After the Israelites, led by Joshua, had conquered much of the land of Canaan, it was time to allocate the territories to the various tribes according to the command of the Lord. Joshua 15 is specifically concerned with the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, which was one of the largest and most influential tribes.

The verse in question speaks of an individual who went up from a place (not specified in the verse itself) to the inhabitants of Debir. The historical context of this verse is the period after the initial conquest of Canaan, when the Israelites were settling the land and asserting their control over the cities within their allotted territories.

Debir, also known as Kiriath-sepher, was one of the cities within the tribal allotment of Judah. The name "Kiriath-sepher" means "city of books" or "city of scribes," suggesting it may have been a center of learning or record-keeping. The verse indicates a change in the city's name from Kiriath-sepher to Debir, which could imply a new beginning or a change in the city's significance following its capture by the Israelites.

The themes present in this verse include the fulfillment of God's promises to His people (the inheritance of the land), the establishment of tribal boundaries, and the transformation of the land from Canaanite control to Israelite possession. The renaming of cities was a common practice in the ancient world, symbolizing conquest and the imposition of a new identity or rule. This act of renaming thus serves as a physical and symbolic representation of the Israelites' claim to the land and their erasure of the former Canaanite influence.

In summary, Joshua 15:15 reflects the broader themes of divine promise, territorial conquest, and cultural transition as the Israelites take possession of the land of Canaan and begin to shape it according to their own societal and religious structures. The specific act of going up to Debir and the renaming of the city encapsulate the transformative process that the land and its inhabitants underwent during this formative period in Israel's history.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5927
   There are 817 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עָלָה
   Transliteration: ʻâlâh
   Pronunciation: aw-law'
   Description: a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative; arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, [idiom] mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, [phrase] perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.
   
2. Strong's Number: H3427
   There are 980 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָשַׁב
   Transliteration: yâshab
   Pronunciation: yaw-shab'
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry; (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.
   
3. Strong's Number: H1688
   There are 12 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דְּבִיר
   Transliteration: Dᵉbîyr
   Pronunciation: deb-eer'
   Description: or (shortened) דְּבִר; (Joshua 13:26 (but see לֹא דְבַר)), the same as דְּבִיר; Debir, the name of an Amoritish king and of two places in Palestine; Debir.
   
4. Strong's Number: H8034
   There are 771 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שֵׁם
   Transliteration: shêm
   Pronunciation: shame
   Description: a primitive word (perhaps rather from through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare שָׁמַיִם); an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character; [phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.
   
5. Strong's Number: H6440
   There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּנִים
   Transliteration: pânîym
   Pronunciation: paw-neem'
   Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.
   
6. Strong's Number: H7158
   There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קִרְיַת סַנָּה
   Transliteration: Qiryath Çannâh
   Pronunciation: keer-yath' san-naw'
   Description: or קִרְיַת סֵפֶר; from קִרְיָה and a simpler feminine from the same as סַנְסִן, or (for the latter name) סֵפֶר; city of branches, or of a book; Kirjath-Sannah or Kirjath-Sepher, a place in Palestine; Kirjath-sannah, Kirjath-sepher.