3375. Yiron

Lexical Summary

Yiron: Yiron

Original Word: יִרְאוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Yirown
Pronunciation: yee-ROHN
Phonetic Spelling: (yir-ohn')
KJV: Iron
NASB: Yiron
Word Origin: [from H3372 (יָרֵא - Fear)]

1. fearfulness
2. Jiron, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Jiron, a place in Pal

From yare'; fearfulness; Jiron, a place in Pal:

see HEBREW yare'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from yare
Definition
a city in Naphtali
NASB Translation
Yiron (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

יִרְאוֺן proper name, of a location city in Naphtali Joshua 19:38, probably Jarûn Bd^{Pal 261} Survey^{i. 204}.

Topical Lexicon

Geographic Setting

Yiron was one of the nineteen fortified towns assigned to the tribe of Naphtali during the division of Canaan under Joshua. It lay in the rugged highlands of upper Galilee, likely on or near the modern site of Yaroun just north of the present-day border between Israel and Lebanon. This strategic position placed Yiron on the northern frontier of Israel’s inheritance, overlooking key trade and military routes that connected the Phoenician coast with inland Syria.

Biblical Context

Joshua 19:38 includes Yiron among the final group of Naphtalite towns: “Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh. There were nineteen cities, together with their villages”. Though the Scriptures record no specific events at Yiron, its single mention firmly anchors it within the covenant allotment, underscoring the completeness of God’s promise to the patriarchs (Genesis 15:18-21; Joshua 21:43-45).

Historical Significance

1. Northern Gateway: Yiron’s elevated location served as a watchpoint against incursions from Aram and Phoenicia. Control of such towns helped Israel secure her borders during the unsettled era of the Judges and the early monarchy.
2. Levitical Influence: While Yiron itself is not designated a Levitical city, its proximity to Kedesh and other priestly centers suggests that priestly teaching on worship and covenant fidelity would have reached its inhabitants, reinforcing the spiritual integrity of Naphtali.
3. Later Conflicts: Extra-biblical records from the Assyrian campaigns under Tiglath-Pileser III mention depopulation of Galilean settlements (compare 2 Kings 15:29). Towns like Yiron likely experienced deportation and Gentile resettlement, foreshadowing the “Galilee of the Gentiles” referenced in Isaiah 9:1-2 and fulfilled in Matthew 4:13-16.

Theological Observations

• Name and Theme of Reverent Fear: Yiron is derived from the Hebrew root yārē’ (“to fear, revere”). Although the town fades from the narrative, its very name silently calls Israel to walk in the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7; Ecclesiastes 12:13).
• Faithfulness in the Seemingly Small: Scripture records only a single verse about Yiron, yet that brief mention forms part of the broader testimony that “not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45). Even the least-known inheritance reminds believers that God notices every boundary stone (Deuteronomy 32:8-9).
• Border Theology: Yiron stood on the edge of Israelite territory. Throughout biblical history, God often uses borderlands to showcase His grace to outsiders (Ruth 1:1-4; John 4:4-42). The town’s placement foreshadows the later expansion of salvation to the nations through the gospel.

Ministry Reflections

1. Locality and Legacy: Churches today serve particular neighborhoods much as Yiron served its surrounding villages. Faithful ministry in out-of-the-way places advances God’s purposes just as surely as service in well-known centers.
2. Encouragement for Small Congregations: Yiron’s brief appearance illustrates that obscurity in human records does not equal insignificance in divine economy (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
3. Vigilance on the Frontier: Like Yiron guarding Israel’s northern border, believers are called to spiritual watchfulness (1 Peter 5:8-9), protecting sound doctrine and holy living in a world of encroaching unbelief.

Archaeological Notes

Surveys near modern Yaroun have uncovered Iron Age pottery and defensive structures compatible with a fortified Israelite settlement. While conclusive identification remains tentative, the finds align with the biblical depiction of a walled town contributing to Naphtali’s defensive network.

Key Reference

Joshua 19:38.

Forms and Transliterations

וְיִרְאוֹן֙ ויראון veyirOn wə·yir·’ō·wn wəyir’ōwn

Englishman's Concordance

Joshua 19:38
HEB: וְיִרְאוֹן֙ וּמִגְדַּל־ אֵ֔ל
NAS: and Yiron and Migdal-el, Horem
KJV: And Iron, and Migdalel, Horem,
INT: and Yiron and Migdal-el Horem

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3375
1 Occurrence

wə·yir·’ō·wn — 1 Occ.