Joshua 15 · Verse 8

Joshua 15:8

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:
Joshua 15:8, King James Version

Joshua 15:8 in other translations

BSBFrom there the border went up the Valley of 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.
WEBThe border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the side of the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem) southward; and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the farthest part of the valley of Rephaim northward.
ASVand the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the side of the Jebusite southward (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 uttermost part of the vale of Rephaim northward;
YLTand the border hath gone up the valley of the son of Hinnom, unto the side of the Jebusite on the south (it is Jerusalem), and the border hath gone up unto the top of the hill-country which is on the front of the valley of Hinnom westward, which is in the extremity of the valley of the Rephaim northward;
DARBYand the border went up to the valley of the son of Hinnom, toward the south side of the Jebusite, that is, Jerusalem; and the border went up to the top of the mountain that is before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim northward;
BBEThen the line goes up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the south side of the Jebusite (which is Jerusalem): then up to the top of the mountain in front of the valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the farthest point of the valley of Rephaim on the north:
WebsterAnd the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom, to 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:

What does Joshua 15:8 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 The valley of the son of Hinnom - Who Hinnom was is not known, nor why this was called his valley. It was situated on the east of Jerusalem; and is often mentioned in Scripture. The image of the idol Molech appears to have been set up there; and there the idolatrous Israelites caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire in honor of that demon, 2Kgs 23:10. It was also called Tophet, see Jer 7:32. When King Josiah removed the image of this idol from this valley, it appears to have been held in such universal execration, that it became the general receptacle of all the filth and impurities which were carried out of Jerusalem; and it is supposed that continual fires were there kept up, to consume those impurities and prevent infection. From the Hebrew words גי בן הנם gei ben Hinnom, the valley of the son of Hinnom, and by contraction, גי הנם gei Hinnom, the valley of Hinnom, came the Γεεννα, Gehenna of the New Testament, called also Γεεννα του πυρος, the Gehenna of fire, which is the emblem of hell, or the place of the damned. See Mat 5:22, Mat 5:29, Mat 5:30; Mat 10:28; Mat 18:9, etc. In the East it is common to add the name of the father to that of the son, e.g., "This land belongs to Goborka the son of Kake Prusada." But this addition is not made till after the father's death. This custom prevailed also in the west. It is common among the aborigines of both Ireland and Wales. The same is Jerusalem - This city was formerly called Jebus; a part of it was in the tribe of Benjamin; Zion, called its citadel, was in the tribe of Judah. The valley of the giants - Of the Rephaim. See the notes on Gen 6:4; Gen 14:5; Deu 2:7, Deu 2:11. On this subject, a very intelligent clergyman favors me with his opinion in the following terms: - "The boundary between Judah and Benjamin went up from the valley of Hinnom on the east to the top of the hill southward, leaving Jebusi (or Jerusalem) to the northwest adjoining to Benjamin. This mount (Jebusi) lay between the two tribes, which the Jebusites possessed till the time of David. At the 63d verse here, it is said Judah could not drive out these people; and in Jdg 1:21, the same is said of the Benjamites. Each tribe might have attacked them at various times. There were various mounts or tops to these hills. Mount Zion and Moriah, where the temple stood, was in the tribe of Judah; Psa 78:68, Psa 78:69; Psa 87:2. "In Deu 33:12 it is said of Benjamin, the Lord shall dwell by him, i.e., near him, or beside his borders, between his shoulders; the line might be circular between the two hills or tops so as in part to encompass Mount Zion in the tribe of Judah, on which the temple stood. Benjamin's gate, (mentioned Jer 37:12, Jer 37:13; Jer 38:7), was the gate leading out of the city, into the tribe of Benjamin. So the gate of Ephraim, (2Kgs 14:13), was a gate which led towards the tribe of Ephraim. We give names to roads, etc., in the same way now. "Mount Calvary, (which was on the outside of the gate), seems to have been in the tribe of Benjamin. Query. Whether Calvary or Golgotha was so called from skulls being scattered about there, (as say some), or rather from the figure of the rock being shaped like a man's skull, with one face of it nearly perpendicular? I incline to this latter opinion. I believe the Jews did not suffer human bones, even of malefactors, to lie about." - J. C.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 15:1-12

Joshua allotted to Judah, Ephraim, and the half of Manasseh, their inheritances before they left Gilgal. Afterwards removing to Shiloh, another survey was made, and the other tribes had their portion assigned. In due time all God's people are settled.

Read the full comment on Joshua 15:1-12 →

Joshua 15:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְעָלָ֨הve.'a.Lahand it goes upH5927
הַגְּב֜וּלha.ge.Vulthe borderH1366
גֵּ֣יgei[the] valley ofH1516
בֶן\־ven-BenH1121
הִנֹּ֗םhi.NomHinnomH2011
אֶל\־'el-toH413
כֶּ֤תֶףKe.tef[the] slope ofH3802
הַיְבוּסִי֙hay.vu.Sithe Jebusite[s]H2983
מִנֶּ֔גֶבmi.Ne.gevfrom [the] southH5045
הִ֖יאhi'thatH1931
יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑םye.ru.sha.Lim[is] JerusalemH3389
וְעָלָ֨הve.'a.Lahand it goes upH5927
הַגְּב֜וּלha.ge.Vulthe borderH1366
אֶל\־'el-toH413
רֹ֣אשׁrosh[the] top ofH7218
הָהָ֗רha.Harthe mountainH2022
אֲ֠שֶׁר'a.SherwhichH834
עַל\־'al-[is] onH5921
פְּנֵ֤יpe.Nei[the] face ofH6440
גֵֽי\־gei-[the] valley ofH1516
הִנֹּם֙hi.Nom[Ben] HinnomH2011
יָ֔מָּהYa.mahwest -wardH3220
אֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherwhichH834
בִּקְצֵ֥הbik.Tzeh[is] at [the] end ofH7097
עֵֽמֶק\־'e.mek-[the] valley ofH6010
רְפָאִ֖יםre.fa.'Im[the] RephaitesH7497
צָפֹֽנָה\׃tza.Fo.nahnorth -wardH6828

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 15:8

  • Joshua 18:16

    And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to En–rogel,

  • Joshua 15:63

    As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

  • Joshua 18:28

    And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

  • Judges 19:10

    But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.

  • 2 Kings 23:10

    And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

  • Judges 1:21

    And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

  • Isaiah 17:5

    And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim.

  • 2 Chronicles 28:3

    Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

  • Jeremiah 19:6

    Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.

  • Jeremiah 19:2

    And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,

  • Judges 1:8

    Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

  • 2 Samuel 5:22

    And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
valley of the son.A valley near to Jerusalem.
18:16; 2Ki 23:10; 2Ch 28:3; Jer 7:31,32; 19:2,6,14
the Jebusite.
63; 18:28; Jud 1:8,21; 19:10
valley of the giants.Situated apparently west of Jerusalem and mount Moriah.
18:16; 2Sa 5:18,22; Isa 17:5
the valley of Rephaim.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 15:7

    And the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is before the going up to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of En–shemesh, and the goings out thereof were at En–rogel:

  • Joshua 15:8

    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:

  • Joshua 15:9

    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:

Read all of Joshua 15

Joshua 15:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y sube este término por el valle del hijo de Hinnom al lado del Jebuseo al mediodía: esta es Jerusalem. Luego sube este término por la cumbre del monte que está delante del valle de Hinnom hacia el occidente, el cual está al cabo del valle de los gigantes al norte:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et la frontière montait la vallée de Ben-Hinnom, vers le côté méridional de Jébus, qui est Jérusalem; et la frontière montait au sommet de la montagne qui est en face de la vallée de Hinnom, à l’occident, qui est à l’extrémité de la vallée des Rephaïm, au nord;
German
Elberfelder 1871		und die Grenze stieg das Tal des Sohnes Hinnoms hinauf, nach der Südseite der Jebusiter, das ist Jerusalem; und die Grenze stieg zu dem Gipfel des Berges hinauf, welcher vor dem Tale Hinnom, gegen Westen, am Ende der Talebene der Rephaim, gegen Norden liegt;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ascenditque per convallem filii Ennom ex latere Jebusæi ad meridiem, hæc est Jerusalem: et inde se erigens ad verticem montis, qui est contra Geennom ad occidentem in summitate vallis Raphaim contra aquilonem: