Bible Strands
Joshua 15:9
From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the precise path of the tribal boundary assigned to Judah. The line moves from a hilltop toward a specific spring before curving toward Baalah.
The words — הַגְּב֜וּל (ha.g.vul) means "the border," while תָּאַ֨ר (ta.'ar) describes its winding or curved movement. מַעְיַן מֵי־נֶפְתּ֔וֹחַ (ma'.yan mei nef.to.ach) identifies the landmark of the spring at the Waters of Nephtoah.
The thread — Baalah, clarified as Kiriath-jearim, reappears in Joshua 18:15 as a southern border anchor, 1 Chronicles 13:6 as the site where David retrieved the ark, and Judges 18:12 as a reference point for the Danite migration.
Why it lands — The verse maps a concrete geographical route to fix Judah's inheritance without ambiguity. Readers must acknowledge how specific topographical markers ground the allocation of land.
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 was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjath–jearim:
Cross-references
- 1 Chronicles 13:6 David and all Israel went up to Baalah of Judah (that is, Kiriath-jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name.
- Joshua 18:15 On the south side the border began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim and extended westward to the spring at the Waters of Nephtoah.
- Judges 18:12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.
- Joshua 9:17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
- 2 Samuel 6:2 And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name—the name of the LORD of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it.