Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 28:18
The Philistines had also raided the cities of the foothills and the Negev of Judah, capturing and occupying Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, and Gederoth, as well as Soco, Timnah, and Gimzo with their villages.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The chronicler records events during Ahaz’s reign after Edomites attacked Judah, noting that Philistines simultaneously raided Judah’s southern territories. This verse documents the territorial losses before the text explains their theological cause.
The words — פָּשׁטוּ (pa.she.tu) translates as “they had made a raid,” and יִלְכְּדוּ (yi.lkə.du) means “they had captured.” These verbs describe the Philistines’ systematic seizure of specific foothill and Negev settlements.
The thread — The conquered cities appear alongside similar geographic markers in Joshua 15:10 and Ezekiel 16:27. The chronicler uses these locations to trace the pattern of Judah’s shrinking borders across different biblical books.
Why it lands — The text lists captured towns and their villages without moral commentary, leaving the explanation for the following verse. Readers observe how military defeat is recorded factually before divine judgment is stated.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth–shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 16:57 before your wickedness was uncovered? Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all those around her, and by the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you.
- Ezekiel 16:27 Therefore I stretched out My hand against you and reduced your portion. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd conduct.
- Joshua 15:10 The border curled westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), went down to Beth-shemesh, and crossed to Timnah.
- Joshua 15:41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen cities, along with their villages.
- Joshua 15:48 These were in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,
- Judges 14:1 One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
- 1 Samuel 6:9 but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.”
- 2 Chronicles 11:10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.