Joshua 15:63 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
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.
a Jebusite or inhabitant of Jebus · definite article + noun, gentilic masculine singular absolute
inhabitants
יוֹשְׁבֵ֣יyo.she.Vei
H3427
properly · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural construct
Jerusalem
יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֔םye.ru.sha.Lim
H3389
Jerushalaim or Jerushalem · proper noun, a place name
children
בְנֵֽיve.nei-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Judah
יְהוּדָ֖הye.hu.Dah
H3063
Jehudah (or Judah) · proper noun, a place name
could
יָכְל֥וּyu.khe.lu
H3201
to be able · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person common plural
out
לְהֽוֹרִישָׁ֑םle.ho.ri.Sham
H3423
to occupy (by driving out previous tenants · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
Jebusites
הַיְבוּסִ֜יhay.vu.Si
H2983
a Jebusite or inhabitant of Jebus · definite article + noun, gentilic masculine singular absolute
dwell
וַיֵּ֨שֶׁבvai.Ye.shev
H3427
properly · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
children
בְּנֵ֤יbe.Nei
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
Judah
יְהוּדָה֙ye.hu.Dah
H3063
Jehudah (or Judah) · proper noun, a place name
Jerusalem
בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םbi.Ru.sha.Lim
H3389
Jerushalaim or Jerushalem · preposition + proper noun, a place name
day
הַיּ֥וֹםhai.Yom
H3117
a day (as the warm hours) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
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…
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 fir…
2 Samuel 5:6-9 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take…
1 Chronicles 11:4-8 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.
Romans 7:14-21 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Joshua 15:20–end
We have here a list of the several cities that fell within the lot of the tribe of Judah, which are mentioned by name, that they might know their own, and both keep it and keep to it, and might neither through cowardice nor sloth lose the possession of what was their own.
I. The cities are here named, and numbered in several classes, which they then could account for the reason of better than we can now. Here are, 1. Some that are said to be the uttermost cities towards the coast of Edom, Jos 15:21-32. Here are thirty-eight named, and yet said to be twenty-nine (Jos 15:32), because nine of these were afterwards transferred to the lot of Simeon, and are reckoned as belonging to that, as appea…
CITIES OF JUDAH. (Jos. 15:21-63)
the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah--There is given a list of cities within the tribal territory of Judah, arranged in four divisions, corresponding to the districts of which it consisted--the cities in the southern part (Jos 15:21-32), those in the lowlands (Jos 15:33-47), those in the highlands (Jos 15:48-60), and those in the desert (Jos 15:61-62). One gets the best idea of the relative situation of these cities by looking at the map.
Next: Joshua Chapter 16
Adam Clarke on Joshua 15:63
The Jebusites dwell - at Jerusalem unto this day - The whole history of Jerusalem, previously to the time of David, is encumbered with many difficulties. Sometimes it is attributed to Judah, sometimes to Benjamin, and it is probable that, being on the frontiers of both those tribes, each possessed a part of it. If the Jebusites were ever driven out before the time of David, it is certain they recovered it again, or at least a part of it - what is called the citadel or strong hold of Zion, (see Sa2 5:7), which he took from them; after which the city fell wholly into the hands of the Israelites. This verse is an additional proof that the book of Joshua was not written after the times of the Je…
"The sons of Judah" wished "to drive out" or "to destroy" "the Jebusites from Jerusalem, and they could not"; on account of which "the Jebusites dwelt with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem down to the present day." Beginning from the letter, we wish to inquire of those who suppose that these things can stand according to the letter, what is meant when it says "down to the present day" — a phrase that holy Scripture always employs to signify by it the eternity of the age, as when it says: "do not depart from the Lord on this present day," that is, as long as the age stands. Let them show me, then, how the "Jebusite," as long as the age stands, "dwells with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem," seeing that not even the "sons of Judah" themselves "dwell in Jerusalem." Therefore neither can this be true, that "the Jebusites dwell with the Jews in Jerusalem," since not even they themselves dwell in it. But let us understand these things spiritually, taking up the parable of the Gospel which says concerning the "tares": "let both grow together, lest perchance, when you wish to root up the tares, you root up together with them the wheat also." As therefore in the Gospel "the tares are permitted to grow together with the wheat," in the same way here too in Jerusalem, that is, in the church, there are certain "Jebusites," those who lead an ignoble and degenerate life, who are perverse both in faith and in deeds and in their whole manner of conduct. For it is not possible that the church be purged to clarity while it is on earth, so that neither any impious person nor any sinner may be seen to remain in it, but that all in it be holy and blessed and in whom no stain of sin at all may be caught. But just as it is said concerning the "tares": "lest perchance, in rooting up the tares, you root up together with them the wheat also," so also it can be said concerning those in whom there are either doubtful or hidden sins. For we do not say concerning those who are manifestly and evidently criminal, that they should not be expelled from the church. Hear then the Scripture saying that: "the sons of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, but they dwelt with them in Jerusalem down to the present day." Wherefore I beseech you who are faithful, that you so keep your life and conduct that you neither yourselves suffer scandal in anything nor cause scandal to others; but let it be to…
Yet it moves me that it said that they "could not cast out the Jebusites," that is, those who are interpreted as trampling. And therefore let us see who they are in the church that trample. Those, without doubt, of whom the Lord spoke in the Gospels: "do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor your pearls before swine, lest perchance they trample them under their feet and, turning, tear you to pieces." This, then, is the "Jebusite," the trampling, those who unworthily hear the word of God and, when they have heard it, neither depart as unbelievers nor remain as believers, but, having received the knowledge of the mysteries and having scrutinized the more secret things of our faith, "turning" afterward attack us, and by their contradictions "tear apart" our hearts, "trampling" the "pearls" of the Lord's word and staining the ornaments of faith. Concerning these, then, it is said that "the sons of Judah could not cast out the Jebusite from Jerusalem down to the present day." Something similar is written also concerning Ephraim; for the Scripture says: "and Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanite, who dwelt in Gazer; and the Canaanite dwelt in Ephraim down to the present day." "Ephraim" is interpreted as fructification. He therefore who bears fruit and grows in faith "cannot exterminate the Canaanite," the worst seed, the accursed seed, the seed ever shifting, ever uncertain; for this is what "Canaanite" is interpreted to mean. And it is certain that with him who bears fruit and grows, the "Canaanite" always "dwells"; for the stirrings of temptations never cease from him. But if you truly bear fruit in God and see someone of this sort restless, turbulent, shifting, know that he is a "Canaanite." And if you cannot cast him out of the church, because "the sons of Ephraim could not drive out the Canaanites," observe that which the Apostle admonishes, saying: "withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks restlessly." But since Solomon urges that "these things which we read be written on the heart in threefold manner," that also, besides those things which we have said, which occurs to my heart, I shall bring forth to your ears, and do you that which is written, that while one speaks the rest may examine. While I therefore speak what I feel, do you discern and examine whether it is right or less than right. Concerning Jerusalem we have frequently said that it is…
Dictionary and topics
Dagon’s house — (1 Sam. 5:2), or Beth-dagon, as elsewhere rendered (Josh. 15: 41; 19:27), was the sanctuary or temple of Dagon. The Beth-dagon of Josh. 15:41 was one of the cities of the tribe of Judah, in the…
Hazor — Enclosed; fortified. (1.) A stronghold of the Canaanites in the mountains north of Lake Merom (Josh. 11:1-5). Jabin the king with his allied tribes here encountered Joshua in a great battle. Joshua…
Joshua, Book Of — Named from Joshua the son of Nun, who is the principal character in it. The book may be regarded as consisting of three parts:
Judah — Praise, the fourth son of Jacob by Leah. The name originated in Leah’s words of praise to the Lord on account of his birth: “Now will I praise [Heb. odeh] Jehovah, and she called his name Yehudah”…
Judah, Tribe of — Judah and his three surviving sons went down with Jacob into Egypt (Gen. 46:12; Ex. 1:2). At the time of the Exodus, when we meet with the family of Judah again, they have increased to the number of…
Zion — Sunny; height, one of the eminences on which Jerusalem was built. It was surrounded on all sides, except the north, by deep valleys, that of the Tyropoeon (q.v.) separating it from Moriah (q.v.),…
Jerusalem · The Jebusites: Held possession of, with Judah and Benjamin — The Jebusites: Held possession of, with Judah and Benjamin
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Gill on Joshua 15:63
As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem,.... From whom the city was called Jebus, Judges 19:10. The Jews say, that these Jebusites were not those of the seven nations; but there was a man whose name was Jebus, and he was of the Philistines, of the seed of Abimelech, and the place was called by his name Jebus; and the men of that family that dwelt at Jerusalem, their names were called Jebusites, having their descent from him; so Araunah, the Jebusite, was king of that place: and the fort of that place was Zion, which was at Jerusalem: so Kimchi relates from their Rabbins, and with whom Jarchi agrees, but without any foundation; there is no doubt to be made of it, that these Jebusit…
Joshua 15:14-63
14. And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
14. Expulit inde Caleb tres filios Enac, Sezadi, et Ahiman, et Thalmai qui fuerunt filii Enac.
15. And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher.
15. Ascenditque inde ad habitatores Debir, cujus nomen antea fuit Ciriath-sepher.
16. And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
16. Dixitque Caleb, qui percusserit Ciriath-sepher, et ceperit eam, dabo ei Achsa filiam meam in uxorem.
17. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he ga…
In vv. 21-63 there follows a list of the towns of the tribe of Judah, arranged in the four districts into which the land was divided, according to the nature of the soil, viz., the south-land (negeb), the lowland (shephelah) on the Mediterranean Sea, the mountains, and the desert of Judah.
Jos 15:21-32
The towns in the south land. - Negeb (south-land) was the name given to the southernmost district of Canaan in its full extent, from the Arabah, at the southern end of the Dead Sea, right across to the coast of the Mediterranean, and from the southern border of Canaan, as described in Jos 15:2-4, as far north as Wady Sheriah, below Gaza, on the western side, and up to the mountains and desert…
Even though Jerusalem was assigned to the tribe of Benjamin (18:28), it was not conquered in Joshua’s day. • to this day: The Jebusites’ continued presence later caused Judah trouble (Judg 1:21).
Rashi on Joshua 15:63
The descendants of Yehudah were unable to expel them. We learned in Sifri: “Rabbi Yehoshua be Korcho says, ‘They were really able [to expel them] but they were not permitted to do so because of the oath that Avrohom had sworn to Avimelech.31See Bereishis 21:23. These Yevusim were descendants of Avimelech, whom Avrohom had sworn not to harm. Avimelech witnessed all the miracles that God performed on Avrohom’s behalf, and he asked him to swear that he would not harm him or his descendants for three generations and Avrohom agreed. These Yevusim Were not part of the Yevusi nation,32Why then were they called Yevusim? Rashi goes on to explain that they were actually of the Philishtim and thus prot…
