2996. Yabneh

Lexical Summary

Yabneh: Jabneh

Original Word: יַבְנֶה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Yabneh
Pronunciation: yahb-neh'
Phonetic Spelling: (yab-neh')
KJV: Jabneh
NASB: Jabneh
Word Origin: [from H1129 (בָּנָה - built)]

1. a building
2. Jabneh, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Jabneh

From banah; a building; Jabneh, a place in Palestine -- Jabneh.

see HEBREW banah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from banah
Definition
"he causes to build," a Philistine city
NASB Translation
Jabneh (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

יַבְנֶה proper name, of a location (he causeth to build) a Philistine city 2 Chronicles 26:6 ᵐ5^L Ἰαβνη (B Ἀβεννηρ) compare Ἰεμναθ ᵐ5^L Joshua 15:46 (A Ἰεμναι); = יַבְנְאֵל 1 q. v.

Topical Lexicon

Location and Identification

Yabneh was a fortified coastal town situated in Philistia between Ashdod and the mouth of the Sorek River, roughly thirty kilometers southwest of modern Tel Aviv. In later Greek and Roman sources it is called Jamnia; today the site is identified with modern Yavne. Its position on the Via Maris made it a strategic point controlling trade and military movement along the southern Levantine coast.

Biblical Occurrence

2 Chronicles 26:6 records its single mention:

“He went out and fought the Philistines; he broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. Then he built cities near Ashdod and among the Philistines.”

Placed within the Chronicler’s account of King Uzziah’s expansion, this verse testifies that Yabneh’s defenses fell during a divinely blessed campaign against long-standing Philistine strongholds.

Historical Background

1. Philistine Control: From the period of the Judges through much of the Monarchy, the Philistines dominated the coastal plain. Yabneh, together with Gath and Ashdod, formed part of their defensive ring.
2. Uzziah’s Expansion (c. 792–740 BC): The king’s victories marked a reversal of Judah’s fortunes after the setbacks under earlier rulers. By razing Yabneh’s wall and erecting Judean settlements in its hinterland, Uzziah asserted covenant blessings of territorial security promised in Leviticus 26:6–8.
3. Post-Exilic and Intertestamental Eras: Renamed Jamnia, the city later became a Hellenistic polis and, following the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, a refuge for Jewish scholarship. Although this later history lies outside the Old Testament, it displays God’s continued orchestration of redemptive history around places first noted in Scripture.

Archaeological and Later History

Excavations at Tel Yavne have uncovered Iron Age fortifications consistent with a walled settlement destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. Persian-period remains show resettlement, while Roman layers attest to Jamnia’s prominence as a port and administrative center. These findings corroborate the Chronicler’s statement that Uzziah both tore down and built up in this region.

Theological and Devotional Insights

• God Grants Victory over Entrenched Strongholds: The dismantling of Yabneh’s wall illustrates how the LORD empowers obedient leadership to pull down oppositions that appear immovable (compare 2 Corinthians 10:4).
• Building after Breaking: Uzziah’s pattern—destruction of enemy walls followed by construction of new cities—reflects the divine rhythm of judgment and restoration. Believers are called not only to resist evil but also to establish works of righteousness in its place (Isaiah 58:12).
• Covenant Faithfulness and National Security: Chronicler theology links Judah’s military success to covenant obedience (2 Chronicles 26:4–5). Yabneh’s fall therefore serves as proof that spiritual fidelity produces tangible societal blessing.

Lessons for Ministry Today

1. Strategic Strongholds Still Matter: Just as Yabneh controlled a trade corridor, modern ministry must recognize cultural “choke points” (media, education, policy) where gospel influence can be advanced once barriers are removed.
2. Leadership under Divine Direction: Uzziah sought the LORD and prospered; contemporary leaders likewise secure lasting fruit by aligning strategy with Scripture.
3. Rebuilding Communities: After victory, Uzziah “built cities.” Churches and missions should follow deliverance with constructive discipling, community development, and the planting of Christ-centered institutions.

Related Biblical Themes and Cross-References

• Divine aid against the Philistines: 1 Samuel 7:10–14; 2 Samuel 8:1.
• Walls as symbols of security and pride: Isaiah 2:15; Revelation 18:7–8.
• Building for the LORD’s glory: 1 Chronicles 22:19; 1 Corinthians 3:9–15.

Forms and Transliterations

יַבְנֵ֔ה יבנה yaḇ·nêh yaḇnêh yavNeh

Englishman's Concordance

2 Chronicles 26:6
HEB: וְאֵת֙ חוֹמַ֣ת יַבְנֵ֔ה וְאֵ֖ת חוֹמַ֣ת
NAS: and the wall of Jabneh and the wall
KJV: and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall
INT: of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2996
1 Occurrence

yaḇ·nêh — 1 Occ.