Lexical Summary Yabneel: Yabneel Original Word: יַבְנְאֵל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jabneel From banah and 'el: built of God; Jabneel, the name of two places in Palestine -- Jabneel. see HEBREW banah see HEBREW 'el NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom banah and el Definition "El causes to build," two cities in Isr. NASB Translation Jabneel (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs יַבְנְאֵל proper name, of a location (El causeth to build; compareבניהו, יַבְנֶה) — 1 town in Judah Joshua 15:11; (ᵐ5L Ἰαβνηλ) = יַבְנֶה (q. v.) 2Chronicles 26:6; = Greek Iamnia, modern YebnaBdPal 161. 2 town in Naphtali Joshua 19:33. Topical Lexicon Geographic setting and identification Two distinct towns share the name Jabneel. 1. Southern Jabneel marked the north-western corner of Judah’s inheritance (Joshua 15:11). Lying in the fertile Judean Shephelah, it is commonly identified with modern Yavne on Israel’s coastal plain, roughly twenty miles south-west of Jerusalem and two miles from the Mediterranean Sea. Historical background Southern Jabneel occupied an important frontier zone between Israel and the Philistines. Though apportioned to Judah in Joshua’s day, archaeological strata suggest shifting control during the Judges period and Philistine pressure in the early Monarchy. King Uzziah later “broke down the wall of Jabneh” (2 Chronicles 26:6), indicating renewed Judean dominance. After the Babylonian exile, the town (Greek Iamneia) flourished as a Hellenistic port and, following the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, became the seat of the rabbinic Sanhedrin—underscoring its ongoing strategic and religious value. Northern Jabneel, on Naphtali’s frontier, guarded the ascent from the Jordan Valley into Galilee. Its location along ancient trade routes made it a natural border marker. Egyptian topographical lists from the late Bronze Age may reference the same settlement, attesting to its antiquity. Biblical usage Jabneel appears only in the allotment lists of Joshua, yet the Spirit chose to record it twice, once for Judah and once for Naphtali, affirming that “Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed” (Joshua 21:45). Each named site testifies that every tribe received a measured inheritance; even seemingly obscure border towns mattered in the divine survey of the land. Theological significance 1. Divine construction and security. The underlying sense of the name highlights that true establishment comes from God, echoing Psalm 127:1: “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Archaeology and extra-biblical testimony Excavations at Tel Yavne have uncovered Iron Age fortifications, Persian-period storage pits, and extensive Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine remains, confirming continuous occupation. At Yavne’el, survey work has revealed Bronze Age pottery, Israelite walls, and a Roman-era necropolis, aligning with the biblical chronology and attesting to the town’s strategic longevity. Ministry applications • God notices every “Jabneel” in a believer’s life—the small assignments and hidden corners of service. Faithfulness there anchors broader kingdom work. Key references Joshua 15:11; Joshua 19:33; supporting context Joshua 21:43-45; 2 Chronicles 26:6; Psalm 127:1; Acts 17:26. Forms and Transliterations וְיַבְנְאֵ֖ל ויבנאל יַבְנְאֵ֑ל יבנאל veyavneEl wə·yaḇ·nə·’êl wəyaḇnə’êl yaḇ·nə·’êl yaḇnə’êl yavneElLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:11 HEB: הַֽבַּעֲלָ֖ה וְיָצָ֣א יַבְנְאֵ֑ל וְהָי֛וּ תֹּצְא֥וֹת NAS: and proceeded to Jabneel, and the border KJV: and went out unto Jabneel; and the goings out INT: Baalah and proceeded to Jabneel and the goings out Joshua 19:33 2 Occurrences |
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