Joshua 15:33-35
And in the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Even though these towns are listed as belonging to Judah, two of them, Eshtaol and Zorah, would later be given to the tribe of Dan. This shows how God's plans can involve shifting boundaries and surprising distributions of people and territory.
This passage lists cities in the fertile lowland region of Judah's inheritance, part of a larger division of the land after the conquest. Eshtaol and Zorah, mentioned here, would later be assigned to the tribe of Dan, and are notably linked to the story of Samson. The entire chapter meticulously details the cities and territories allocated to Judah, illustrating the fulfillment of God's promise of land to His people.
Have you ever wondered what the landscape of the promised land actually looked like? This verse points us to a specific region with a distinct character.
Joshua 15:33 places several cities in 'the valley.' This refers to the Shephelah, a fertile lowland region west of the Judean mountains and east of the Mediterranean coast. It was known for its undulating terrain and rich soil, making it ideal for agriculture and dotted with numerous villages.
This verse lists cities belonging to Judah, but the story of these locations is more complex. What does this tell us about tribal boundaries?
Joshua 15:33 lists Eshtaol, Zorah, and Ashnah as cities within the inheritance of Judah. However, the biblical narrative shows that tribal boundaries weren't always static.
Understand the original words
shephelah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the flat, fertile coastal plain situated between the central Judean mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, often functioning as a strategic buffer zone and agricultural region. In the Bible, it is frequently associated with border disputes and control between Israel and the Philistines.
This list of cities in the lowland (Shephelah) reflects the initial division of land after the conquest. Notably, some of these cities, like Eshtaol and Zorah, later became significant during the period of the Judges, particularly as the home of Samson, before eventually being reassigned to the tribe of Dan and experiencing the upheavals of the kingdom's division and the Babylonian exile.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Israelites Conquer Canaan
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites invaded and conquered much of Canaan, distributing the land among the twelve tribes. This verse lists cities within Judah's allotted territory.
c. 1400-1300 BC
Settlement and Consolidation
Following the conquest, the tribes settled in their assigned regions. This period involved establishing cities and asserting control over the land, with Judah taking possession of its inheritance.
c. 1100-1000 BC
Rise of Samson
The cities of Eshtaol and Zorah became prominent as the birthplace and burial place of Samson, a judge of Israel known for his heroic feats against the Philistines.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
After King Solomon's death, the united kingdom split into two: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The cities listed remained part of Judah.
This passage directly links Eshtaol and Zorah to Samson's story, highlighting their significance as places connected to the Spirit of the Lord and his origins.
Judges 16:31This verse mentions Zorah as the burial place of Samson, connecting the location to a pivotal figure in Israel's history and underscoring the role of these cities in the broader narrative of Judges.
Joshua 19:41This verse shows that Eshtaol and Zorah, initially assigned to Judah, were later allotted to the tribe of Dan, illustrating the shifting boundaries and tribal distributions within the Promised Land.
Nehemiah 11:29This passage indicates that after the Babylonian exile, the descendants of Judah re-occupied Zorah, demonstrating the enduring presence and return to these ancestral lands.
Joshua 10:40This verse provides a broader context by listing the conquests of Judah in the 'lowland' (Shephelah), of which Eshtaol, Zorah, and Ashnah were a part, showing their inclusion in the larger territorial gains.
calvinJoshua 15:14-63: "And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak."
- And it came to pass as she came unto him, etc Although we may conjecture that the damsel Acsa was of excellent morals and well brought up, as marriage with her had been held forth as the special reward [149] of victory, yet perverse cupidity on her part is here disclosed. She knew that by the divine law women were specially excluded from hereditary lands, but she neverthe…
gillJoshua 15:33: "And in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,"
And in the valley,.... In Joshua 15:33 are enumerated the several cities belonging to the tribe of Judah which lay in the valley. Jerom (f) says, that now all the plain and champaign country near Eleutheropolis, which verges to the north and west, is called "Sephela", or the valley: Eshtaol; the two first of these seem to be given afterwards to the tribe of Dan, Joshua 19:41; between these two places Samson was born and buried,…
Even though these towns are listed as belonging to Judah, two of them, Eshtaol and Zorah, would later be given to the tribe of Dan. This shows how God's plans can involve shifting boundaries and surprising distributions of people and territory.
This passage lists cities in the fertile lowland region of Judah's inheritance, part of a larger division of the land after the conquest. Eshtaol and Zorah, mentioned here, would later be assigned to the tribe of Dan, and are notably linked to the story of Samson. The entire chapter meticulously details the cities and territories allocated to Judah, illustrating the fulfillment of God's promise of land to His people.
This passage lists cities in the fertile lowland region of Judah's inheritance, part of a larger division of the land after the conquest. Eshtaol and Zorah, mentioned here, would later be assigned to the tribe of Dan, and are notably linked to the story of Samson. The entire chapter meticulously details the cities and territories allocated to Judah, illustrating the fulfillment of God's promise of land to His people.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Joshua 15:33-35 is available in the Sola app.
Not all cities mentioned in Joshua's extensive lists are easily identifiable today. What does this teach us about the biblical record and our search for knowledge?
While Joshua 15:33 names well-known cities like Eshtaol and Zorah, it also includes 'Ashnah.' Unlike its neighbors, Ashnah's exact location remains unknown to modern scholars.
586 BC
Babylonian Exile
The Southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians, and many inhabitants were exiled. The cities in the lowland region, including those of Judah, fell under foreign control.
c. 539 BC
Return from Exile
Following the Persian conquest of Babylon, some Jewish exiles were permitted to return to Judah. Efforts were made to re-establish communities in the ancestral lands.
"And in the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah," — Even though these towns are listed as belonging to Judah, two of them, Eshtaol and Zorah, would later be given to the tribe of Dan. This shows how God's plans can involve shifting boundaries and surp…
