4632. Mearah

Lexical Summary

Mearah: Mearah

Original Word: מְעָרָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: M`arah
Pronunciation: meh-aw-RAW
Phonetic Spelling: (meh-aw-raw')
KJV: Mearah
NASB: Mearah
Word Origin: [the same as H4631 (מְעָרָה - cave)]

1. cave
2. Mearah, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Mearah

The same as m'arah; cave; Mearah, a place in Palestine -- Mearah.

see HEBREW m'arah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as mearah
Definition
a cave region in Lebanon
NASB Translation
Mearah (1).

Topical Lexicon

Mearah

Location and Physical Features

The name itself points to a notable cave system on the northern Phoenician coast. Modern explorers have linked it with the vast grottoes that open above the Dog River (Nahr al-Kalb) north of Beirut or with the extensive limestone caverns near Jezzine, both of which command the coastal plain between Sidon and the Lebanon range. Either site fits the description of a landmark belonging to the Sidonians and lying on a west-to-east line that could extend to Aphek in the Beqaa Valley. The sheer size of these caves—some stretching hundreds of metres—made them natural strongholds, storehouses, and cultic shelters in antiquity.

Biblical Context

Joshua 13:4 records Mearah in the list of “all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites”. The verse appears in the section where the Lord instructs Joshua concerning territory still unconquered. Thus Mearah stands as a geographic marker of unfinished obedience: the land was deeded to Israel by divine promise yet remained under Phoenician control during Joshua’s lifetime and for centuries afterward (Judges 1:31; 2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Kings 5:6).

Historical Considerations

1. Phoenician Sphere. Sidon’s influence reached well beyond its walled harbor city. Maritime trade, cedar extraction, and purple-dye industry demanded inland routes linking forest to port; a massive cave on the coastal road would serve naturally as a caravan station and customs post.
2. Border Dynamics. The boundary line mentioned in Joshua 13 runs from the “south” coast northward and then eastward across Lebanon. Mearah and Aphek were reference points between Canaanite lowlands and Amorite highlands, underscoring the strategic complexity Israel faced.
3. Later References. While Mearah itself is not cited again, caves in the Lebanon range appear frequently in Assyrian and Greek campaigns, used as hiding places for villagers and as supply depots for passing armies.

Theological and Devotional Insights

• Unclaimed Inheritance. Mearah symbolizes promises possessed in title but not yet in experience. The Lord’s covenant was sure, yet Israel’s partial occupation reveals how unbelief and compromise can delay full enjoyment of God’s gifts (Hebrews 4:1-11).
• Light in Darkness. A cave evokes secrecy and shadow, yet Scripture converts the image: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). The gospel calls believers out of hidden, cave-like existence into open testimony.
• Refuge and Stronghold. David once found safety “in the cave of Adullam” (1 Samuel 22:1), prefiguring Christ as the ultimate refuge (Psalm 142). While Mearah may have sheltered Phoenician traders, the Church finds her security in the Rock that is higher than all earthly fortresses (Psalm 61:2).

Lessons for Ministry Today

1. Complete the Task. Like Joshua’s generation, modern believers must press on until every area of life and ministry is brought under the lordship of Christ. Leaving “Mearah” unconquered invites long-term compromise.
2. Know the Boundaries. Accurate knowledge of spiritual geography—calling, gifting, and responsibility—prevents mission drift. Joshua’s detailed border list, including this single cave, models careful stewardship.
3. Engage Frontier Peoples. The Sidonians represent unreached or resistant cultures on the edge of Israel’s inheritance. Faithful mission continues to push past familiar territory toward those still living in darkness.

Forms and Transliterations

וּמְעָרָ֛ה ומערה ū·mə·‘ā·rāh ūmə‘ārāh umeaRah

Englishman's Concordance

Joshua 13:4
HEB: אֶ֣רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֗י וּמְעָרָ֛ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לַצִּידֹנִ֖ים
NAS: of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians,
KJV: of the Canaanites, and Mearah that [is] beside the Sidonians,
INT: the land of the Canaanite and Mearah that Sidonians

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4632
1 Occurrence

ū·mə·‘ā·rāh — 1 Occ.