Lexical Summary Neqeb: Hole, cavity, perforation Original Word: נֶקֶב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Nekeb The same as neqeb; dell; Nekeb, a place in Palestine -- Nekeb. see HEBREW neqeb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom naqab Definition see NH0129. Brown-Driver-Briggs נֶ֫קֶב proper name, of a location only in ׳אֲדָמִי הַנּ Joshua 19:33 (ᵐ5 Αρμε καὶ Ναβωκ; A. Αρμαι καὶ Νακεβ; ᵐ5L Αδεμμη αννεκβ); on border of Naphtali; apparently a pass (Arabic  , road between, mountains). Topical Lexicon Name and Significance Neqeb appears once in Scripture (Joshua 19:33) as part of the compound place-name “Adami-Nekeb.” The term itself conveys the idea of a hollow or pass—terrain language that suggests a gap, gorge, or narrow defile cutting through the hills west of the Sea of Galilee. Because boundary descriptions in Joshua regularly follow identifiable geographic features, the use of a topographical word inside a proper name indicates that the site was known for such a natural formation. Geographical Setting Joshua sets Adami-Nekeb on the southern border of Naphtali, between the oak at Zaanannim and Jabneel, on a line running east toward the Jordan. The stretch lies in lower Galilee, a region defined by rolling limestone ridges, fertile basins, and abrupt valleys. A “pass” in this area would have served as a practical corridor linking interior settlements with the Jordan Valley and the Via Maris coastal route. Such a location naturally became a landmark for tribal allotment. Biblical Context “ Their border went from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, including Adami-Nekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan.” (Joshua 19:33) 1. Tribal Inheritance. The single mention of Neqeb is imbedded in a legal land-grant. Every boundary stone and every named hamlet testified that the Lord “drove out nations” and “allotted to them an inheritance” (Psalm 78:55). The record of Adami-Nekeb therefore stands as part of the divine title deed safeguarding Naphtali’s claims. Historical and Archaeological Considerations Archaeologists have proposed several sites north of modern Tiberias and west of the Jordan River, pointing to valleys that open onto the Huleh Basin. None can be proven, but the search highlights strategic realities: whoever controlled such a pass controlled trade and military movement between Galilee and the interior. In later centuries Aramean and Assyrian armies marched through Galilee along similar corridors, underscoring why clear boundary markers mattered to Israel’s tribes. Theological and Ministry Implications • Precision in Scripture encourages confidence that God governs both the grand sweep of redemption history and the minute details of geography. Associated Passages for Further Study Numbers 34 (model for boundary descriptions) Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (allotment of nations) Psalm 16:5-6 (“lines have fallen for me in pleasant places”) Acts 17:26-27 (God setting boundaries for peoples) Summary Though mentioned only once, Neqeb functions as a tangible witness to the faithfulness of God in granting Israel her land, an emblem of precision in biblical revelation, and a quiet reminder that every detail—down to a lone rocky pass—carries enduring theological weight. Forms and Transliterations הַנֶּ֛קֶב הנקב han·ne·qeḇ hanNekev hanneqeḇLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 19:33 HEB: בְּצַעֲנַנִּ֗ים וַאֲדָמִ֥י הַנֶּ֛קֶב וְיַבְנְאֵ֖ל עַד־ KJV: and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, INT: Zaanannim and Adami-nekeb Nekeb and Jabneel far 1 Occurrence |
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