Joshua 15:55

Translation
King James Version
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
Ask
KJV (with Strong's)
Maon H4584, Carmel H3760, and Ziph H2128, and Juttah H3194,
Ask
Complete Jewish Bible
Ma'on, Karmel, Zif, Yutah,
Ask
Berean Standard Bible
Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
Ask
American Standard Version
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah,
Ask
World English Bible Messianic
Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jutah,
Ask
Geneva Bible (1599)
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Iuttah,
Ask
Young's Literal Translation
Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
Ask
See also
Joshua 15:241 Samuel 25:21 Samuel 23:251 Samuel 23:141 Samuel 23:151 Kings 18:422 Chronicles 26:10
See on the biblical-era map
Dan, Ephraim, and Benjamin
Dan, Ephraim, and Benjamin View full PDF
Canaan Overview
Canaan Overview View full PDF
Judah and Simeon
Judah and Simeon View full PDF

Map © Biblica Open Bible Maps · CC BY-SA 4.0

In the KJVVerse 6,258 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Joshua 15:55 meticulously enumerates four specific towns—Maon, Carmel, Ziph, and Juttah—as integral components of the territorial inheritance allocated to the tribe of Judah within the Promised Land. This verse, embedded within a comprehensive geographical survey, serves as a powerful testament to the precise fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Israel, highlighting His unwavering faithfulness and meticulous provision in establishing His chosen people securely within their divinely ordained boundaries in the rugged hill country of Judah.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Joshua 15 provides an exhaustive and detailed account of the vast and strategically significant territory allotted to the tribe of Judah, the largest and most prominent of the Israelite tribes. Following the initial conquests and the general division of the land among the tribes, this chapter offers a precise delineation of Judah's boundaries (verses 1-12) and then an extensive, region-by-region enumeration of its cities (verses 21-63). Verse 55 is situated within the list of cities located in the "hill country" (verses 48-60), specifically its southern sector. These seemingly dry geographical lists are, in fact, profoundly significant, serving as crucial evidence for the literal fulfillment of God's promises, the orderly establishment of Israel within Canaan, and as a vital legal and historical record solidifying Judah's divinely sanctioned claim to its inheritance.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The meticulous allocation of specific tribal territories was foundational to Israel's national identity and their unique covenant relationship with Yahweh. Land in the ancient Near East was not merely property but a tangible manifestation of God's faithfulness to the Abrahamic covenant, which explicitly promised a land where His people would dwell securely and multiply (e.g., as seen in God's promise to Abram in Genesis 12:7). The exhaustive nature of these land lists mirrors the common ancient Near Eastern practice of meticulously documenting land grants, treaties, and boundaries, which held immense legal, social, and religious significance. The towns mentioned in Joshua 15:55—Maon, Carmel, Ziph, and Juttah—were situated in the rugged and often contested hill country of Judah, a region bordering the wilderness that would later serve as a crucial backdrop for pivotal events in Israelite history, particularly during the period of the united monarchy.
  • Key Themes: The detailed enumeration of towns in Joshua 15, including the specific locations in verse 55, contributes significantly to several overarching theological and narrative themes within the book of Joshua and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it powerfully underscores the Fulfillment of God's Promises, demonstrating God's absolute fidelity to His word by literally delivering the land He had promised to Abraham's descendants centuries earlier (e.g., the covenant established in Genesis 15:18-21). Secondly, these lists highlight Divine Order and Inheritance, showcasing God's meticulous, sovereign, and just distribution of the land, ensuring each tribe received its designated portion according to His perfect plan. This precision emphasizes that God's work is purposeful and orderly, not chaotic. Lastly, these geographical records establish Israel's Identity and Belonging within the land, solidifying their presence and future as a divinely established nation under God's rule, rooting their history and destiny in specific, tangible locations.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Maon (Hebrew, Mâʻôwn', H4584): Derived from a root meaning "residence," Maon signifies a dwelling place or habitation. As a specific town in Judah, its name underscores the establishment of Israelite settlements and the fulfillment of the promise of a secure dwelling for God's people in the land.
  • Carmel (Hebrew, Karmel', H3760): Meaning "fruitful field" or "garden land," Carmel's name evokes imagery of fertility, abundance, and blessing. Its inclusion highlights the rich agricultural potential and desirable nature of the land God provided for Judah, contrasting with the surrounding wilderness.
  • Ziph (Hebrew, Zîyph', H2128): Related to a word meaning "flowing," Ziph likely refers to a spring or possibly a place associated with the smelting of metals. This name points to the geographical features and potential resources within Judah's territory, even as its later narrative association becomes one of treachery.
  • Juttah (Hebrew, Yuṭṭâh', H3194): Derived from a root meaning "extended," Juttah suggests a place that is spread out or extensive. Its name, though not immediately revealing of its character, signifies another distinct and established settlement within the vast expanse of Judah's allotted inheritance.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Maon": This town, situated in the southern hill country of Judah, was a specific and tangible part of Judah's inheritance. Its inclusion signifies a particular settlement within the divinely allotted territory, representing a concrete piece of the fulfillment of God's promise. Maon is notably mentioned in later narratives as a place where David sought refuge from King Saul.
  • "Carmel": As a fertile and prosperous area, Carmel represented a valuable and blessed portion of Judah's inheritance. Its mention here firmly establishes its belonging to the tribe. Later, it becomes the home of Nabal and Abigail, where the narrative of David's character and God's providential care are vividly unfolded, demonstrating the significance of even seemingly mundane geographical details in the unfolding of biblical history.
  • "and Ziph": Ziph's inclusion confirms its status as a Judahite town within the allocated territory. This location gains particular narrative significance as it is repeatedly mentioned as a hiding place for David from King Saul, and its inhabitants, the Ziphites, twice betrayed David's location to Saul, highlighting the dangers and complexities faced even within the promised land.
  • "and Juttah": Juttah, also located in the hill country, is listed as another town belonging to Judah. Its specific importance is further illuminated in Joshua 21:16, where it is designated as one of the Levitical cities, underscoring its role within the religious and administrative structure of the newly settled Israel, even if it features less prominently in narrative events than Carmel or Ziph.

Literary Devices

The primary literary device employed in Joshua 15:55, and indeed throughout much of Joshua 15, is Enumeration or Cataloging. This involves the systematic listing of items—in this case, specific towns—to convey a sense of comprehensiveness, order, and meticulous detail. The exhaustive nature of these lists serves to establish profound Geographical Precision and Verisimilitude, grounding the narrative in historical reality and emphasizing the tangible, literal nature of the inheritance God provided. By naming each town, the text underscores the precise fulfillment of God's promises. Furthermore, for readers familiar with later biblical narratives, the inclusion of towns like Carmel and Ziph can be seen as a subtle form of Foreshadowing, hinting at future events and the significant roles these locations will play in the lives of key figures such as David, thereby enriching the historical and narrative depth of the biblical account.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

The listing of towns like Maon, Carmel, Ziph, and Juttah in Joshua 15:55, though seemingly mundane and purely geographical, carries profound theological weight. It serves as a powerful testament to God's unwavering faithfulness, His meticulous attention to detail, and His absolute sovereignty in fulfilling His ancient promises. Just as He precisely measured, delineated, and allocated the land to each tribe, so too does He work with divine precision in the lives of His people, ensuring that every word of His covenant comes to pass. This detailed record highlights God's sovereign control over history and geography, demonstrating that His redemptive plan is not vague or abstract but concrete, tangible, and meticulously executed. It reminds us that every detail in God's grand narrative, even those that appear small or incidental, contributes to the unfolding of His redemptive purposes and the establishment of His kingdom.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Joshua 15:55, a seemingly dry list of names, offers profound and spiritually nourishing insights for contemporary believers. It serves as a powerful reminder that God is a God of both grand promises and meticulous detail. Just as He faithfully and precisely fulfilled His ancient promises to Israel concerning a physical inheritance in the land, so too does He remain utterly faithful to every promise He has made to us, His spiritual children. This verse encourages us to cultivate a deep trust in God's precise and orderly plan for our lives, even when the path ahead seems unclear, the details overwhelming, or the waiting long. It teaches us that every aspect of our lives, much like every town in Judah's inheritance, is known and purposed by God. We are called to live in confident assurance that the God who delivered a physical land to His people will also deliver on His spiritual promises, providing for us, guiding us, and ultimately leading us into the full, eternal inheritance we have in Christ. This passage cultivates a deeper appreciation for the historical grounding of our faith and the unwavering reliability of God's Word, demonstrating that even the "mundane" or "detailed" parts of Scripture are imbued with divine purpose and profound truth.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the meticulous detail of land distribution in Joshua 15, including verse 55, strengthen your faith in God's faithfulness to His promises in your own life?
  • In what ways might we be prone to overlook or undervalue the "mundane" or "detailed" parts of Scripture, and what spiritual insights might we miss by doing so?
  • How does the concept of a "promised inheritance" in Joshua relate to the spiritual inheritance believers have in Christ today, and what does this mean for our present hope?

FAQ

Why are these detailed lists of towns so important in the book of Joshua?

Answer: These detailed lists, like the one in Joshua 15:55, are critically important for several reasons. Firstly, they serve as an irrefutable historical and legal record, demonstrating the literal and precise fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Abraham and his descendants to give them the land of Canaan (e.g., as first promised in Genesis 12:7). They prove that God's word is utterly reliable and that He meticulously carries out His plans. Secondly, they establish the definitive boundaries and specific inheritances of each tribe, preventing future disputes and ensuring an orderly and just settlement of the land. This highlights God's divine order, justice, and wisdom in governance. Thirdly, they ground the biblical narrative in tangible geography, emphasizing that these events are not mythical but occurred in real places with real people, solidifying Israel's identity and their legitimate claim to the land. Finally, for later generations, these lists served as a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and a call to occupy, steward, and defend the land He had graciously given them.

What is the significance of the specific towns mentioned in Joshua 15:55 (Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah)?

Answer: While their primary significance in this verse is their inclusion in Judah's divinely apportioned inheritance, several of these towns gain further prominence and meaning in later biblical narratives. Carmel is famously associated with Nabal and Abigail, where David's character is tested and God's providence is strikingly evident. Ziph is known as a place where David hid from King Saul, and its inhabitants twice notoriously betrayed David's location, highlighting the complexities of loyalty and the dangers faced even within the promised land. Maon is closely linked to Carmel and also served as a hiding place for David during his flight from Saul. Juttah is later explicitly identified as one of the Levitical cities, indicating its crucial role in the religious and administrative infrastructure of Israel. Thus, these seemingly ordinary place names become significant backdrops for key events, demonstrating how God weaves His grand redemptive story through specific historical and geographical contexts.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

While Joshua 15:55 meticulously describes a physical inheritance of land for the tribe of Judah, its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment points profoundly to the spiritual inheritance and eternal rest that believers receive in Jesus Christ. The precise and meticulous division of the land in Canaan foreshadows the perfect and complete provision of God for His people through Christ. Just as the earthly land was a gift secured by God's sovereign power and unwavering faithfulness, so too is our spiritual inheritance in Christ an unmerited gift, not earned by human works, but secured eternally by His finished work on the cross. Jesus is the true "Promised Land" or "Rest" that the earthly Canaan could only imperfectly represent. He is the one who leads His people into their eternal dwelling, a "better country—a heavenly one" (Hebrews 11:16). Through His atoning sacrifice, we are granted an "inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). The detailed boundaries of Judah's land find their ultimate, boundless expression in the immeasurable spiritual blessings and eternal life that are ours in Christ, who is "our peace" and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 1:27). He is the true and complete fulfillment of all God's promises, providing an inheritance that transcends physical location and endures for all eternity.

Copy as

Commentary on Joshua 15 verses 20–63

We have here a list of the several cities that fell within the lot of the tribe of Judah, which are mentioned by name, that they might know their own, and both keep it and keep to it, and might neither through cowardice nor sloth lose the possession of what was their own.

I. The cities are here named, and numbered in several classes, which they then could account for the reason of better than we can now. Here are, 1. Some that are said to be the uttermost cities towards the coast of Edom, Jos 15:21-32. Here are thirty-eight named, and yet said to be twenty-nine (Jos 15:32), because nine of these were afterwards transferred to the lot of Simeon, and are reckoned as belonging to that, as appears by comparing Jos 19:2, etc.; therefore those only are counted (though the rest are named) which remained to Judah. 2. Others that are said to be in the valley (Jos 15:33) are counted to be fourteen, yet fifteen are named; but it is probable that Gederah and Gederathaim were either two names or two parts of one and the same city. 3. Then sixteen are named without any head of distinction, Jos 15:37-41, and nine more, Jos 15:42-44. 4. Then the three Philistine-cities, Ekron, Ashdod, and Gaza, Jos 15:45-47. 5. Cities in the mountains, eleven in all (Jos 15:48-51), nine more (Jos 15:52-54), ten more (Jos 15:55-57), six more (Jos 15:58, Jos 15:59), then two (Jos 15:60), and six in the wilderness, a part of the country not so thick of inhabitants as some others were.

II. Now here, 1. We do not find Bethlehem, which was afterwards the city of David, and was ennobled by the birth of our Lord Jesus in it. But that city, which at the best was but little among the thousands of Judah (Mic 5:2), except that it was thus dignified, was now so little as not to be accounted one of the cities, but perhaps was one of the villages not named. Christ came to give honour to the places he was related to, not to receive honour from them. 2. Jerusalem is said to continue in the hands of the Jebusites (Jos 15:63), for the children of Judah could not drive them out, through their sluggishness, stupidity, and unbelief. Had they attempted it with vigour and resolution, we have reason to think God would not have been wanting to them to give them success; but they could not do it, because they would not. Jerusalem was afterwards to be the holy city, the royal city, the city of the great King, the brightest ornament of all the land of Israel. God has designed it should be so. It may therefore be justly looked upon as a punishment of their neglect to conquer other cities which God had given them that they were so long kept out of this. 3. Among the cities of Judah (in all 114) we meet with Libnah, which in Joram's days revolted, and probably set up for a free independent state (Kg2 8:22), and Lachish, where king Amaziah was slain (Kg1 14:19); it led the dance in idolatry (Mic 1:13); it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion. Giloh, Ahithophel's town, is here mentioned, and Tekoa, of which the prophet Amos was, and near which Jehoshaphat obtained that glorious victory, Ch2 20:20, etc., and Maresha, where Asa was a conqueror. Many of the cities of this tribe occur in the history of David's troubles. Adullam, Ziph, Keilah, Maon, Engedi, Ziklag, here reckoned in this tribe, were places near which David had most of his haunts; for, though sometimes Saul drove him out from the inheritance of the Lord, yet he kept as close to it as he could. The wilderness of Judah he frequented much, and in it John Baptist preached, and there the kingdom of heaven commenced, Mat 3:1. The riches of this country no doubt answered Jacob's blessing of this tribe, that he should wash his garments in wine, Gen 49:11. And, in general, Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise, not envy.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 20–63. Public domain.
Copy as
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as

Continue studying Joshua 15:55 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.

Read & Compare

Commentaries

Original Language & Research

Sermons, Hymns & Audio

TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.