Bible Strands
Joshua 15:47
Ashdod, with its towns and villages; Gaza, with its towns and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and the coastline of the Great Sea.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua addresses the tribes of Israel while delineating the specific southern boundary of Judah’s allotted territory. This occurs during the final stage of the land distribution narrative.
The words — נַ֣חַל (Na.chal) denotes a wadi or seasonal stream, and עַד\־ ('ad-) marks the terminus of the border. These terms anchor the description to a fixed geographical endpoint.
The thread — The Brook of Egypt functions as the southern boundary marker in Joshua 15:4 and Numbers 34:5. Exodus 23:31 references the Sea of the Philistines as a border limit but does not mention the Brook of Egypt.
Why it lands — It defines the precise geographical extent of Judah’s inheritance, requiring the reader to recognize the concrete limits of the allotted territory without abstraction.
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
Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof:
Cross-references
- Joshua 15:4 It proceeded to Azmon, joined the Brook of Egypt, and ended at the Sea. This was their southern border.
- Exodus 23:31 And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
- Numbers 34:5 where it will turn from Azmon, join the Brook of Egypt, and end at the Sea.
- Joshua 13:3 from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;
- Judges 16:1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her.
- Jeremiah 47:1 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet about the Philistines before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.
- Jeremiah 47:5 The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. O remnant of their valley, how long will you gash yourself?
- Amos 1:6 This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Gaza, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they exiled a whole population, delivering them up to Edom.
- Zephaniah 2:4 For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon left in ruins. Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted.
- Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”