Bible Strands
Joshua 18:14
On the west side the border curved southward from the hill facing Beth-horon on the south and came out at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua describes the western boundary of the territory allotted to the tribe of Benjamin during the land distribution in Canaan. The passage defines the edge of this inheritance relative to neighboring tribal borders.
The words — The Hebrew verbs תָּאַר (ta'ar) and נָסַב (nasav) both describe the border's directional turning or curving. The phrase מִן־הָהָר (min-ha-har) literally marks the starting point as "from the mountain."
The thread — This boundary line intersects with Joshua 15:9 and 15:60, which track Judah’s northern border meeting the same landmarks. Kiriath-jearim later appears in 1 Samuel 7:1 as the hill location where the ark of the LORD was stored.
Why it lands — The text records a surveyed territorial line that ends at a specific Judahite city. It requires the reader to acknowledge that tribal inheritance was demarcated by fixed geographic points rather than open-ended claims.
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 thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Beth–horon southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjath–baal, which is Kirjath–jearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.
Cross-references
- 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).
- Joshua 15:60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, along with their villages.
- 1 Samuel 7:1 Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.
- 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.
- 1 Chronicles 13:5 So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.