Bible Strands
Joshua 15:8
From there the border went up the Valley of Ben-hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua records the southern boundary of Judah’s inheritance, tracing a path from En-rogel upward through the Valley of Ben-hinnom toward the hill opposite the Valley of Rephaim.
The words — The text employs גֵּי (gei) for "valley" and כֶתֶף (ke.tef) for "slope," anchoring the border’s route along the Jebusite settlement.
The thread — This landmark reappears in Joshua 18:16 to orient the central tribal borders and surfaces in Joshua 15:63 and 18:28 as the site of Jebus, later identified as Jerusalem.
Why it lands — The verse maps a territorial line that later becomes a site of unresolved conflict, requiring readers to observe how claimed boundaries intersect with persistent human occupation.
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
And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:
Cross-references
- Joshua 18:16 Then it went down to the foot of the hill that faces the Valley of Ben-hinnom at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim and ran down the Valley of Hinnom toward the southern slope of the Jebusites and downward to En-rogel.
- Joshua 15:63 But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
- Joshua 18:28 Zelah, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen cities, along with their villages. This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
- Judges 19:10 But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
- Judges 1:21 The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
- 2 Kings 23:10 He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.
- Judges 1:8 Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.
- 2 Samuel 5:18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
- 2 Samuel 5:22 Once again the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
- 2 Chronicles 28:3 Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.