824. Eshan
Lexical Summary
Eshan: Eshan

Original Word: אֶשְׁעָן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Esh`an
Pronunciation: ay-SHAWN
Phonetic Spelling: (esh-awn')
KJV: Eshean
NASB: Eshan
Word Origin: [from H8172 (שָׁעַן - relied)]

1. support
2. Eshan, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Eshean

From sha'an; support; Eshan, a place in Palestine -- Eshean.

see HEBREW sha'an

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from shaan
Definition
"support," a place in Judah
NASB Translation
Eshan (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
אֶשְׁעָ֑ן proper name, of a location in hills of Judah Joshua 15:52, Σομα, ᵐ5L Εσαν.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical setting

אֶשְׁעָן (Esh’an, Eshean) appears a single time—“Arab, Dumah, Eshan” (Joshua 15:52)—in the list of hill-country towns granted to Judah. Its placement within Joshua 15 situates it among the boundary markers that documented the land God swore to Abraham and delivered through Joshua, underscoring covenant fulfillment (Joshua 21:43-45).

Geographical context

Identified with a ruin southwest of Hebron, Eshean occupied the limestone heights that descend toward the Negev. The location commanded local routes linking Hebron and the Beersheba basin, with terraced slopes fit for olives and grain. Springs in nearby wadis and tower foundations point to a modest but strategic agricultural outpost guarding Judah’s interior.

Historical significance

1. Tribal consolidation

Grouped with eleven other hill-country settlements (Joshua 15:48-52), Eshean contributed to Judah’s defensive spine, anchoring clan life and judicial gatherings during the Judges era before Jerusalem became the nation’s focal point.

2. Covenant witness

Every named town served as a legal boundary stone. By recording even a small place like Eshean, Scripture provides a detailed title deed proving that “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed” (Joshua 21:45).

3. Later occupation

Archaeological surveys in the Hebron district reveal Iron-Age and intermittent Hellenistic occupation layers, suggesting that communities such as Eshean participated in the rural resilience that sustained Judah through monarchy, exile, and restoration.

Theological themes

• Divine attention to detail: The inclusion of Eshean testifies that nothing in God’s plan is insignificant, echoing “even the hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30).
• Corporate identity: As Eshean gains significance within the wider map of Judah, believers find their identity within the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-26).
• Stewardship: Settlers were tasked with cultivating and defending their allotted territory, modeling faithful stewardship for ministry today (2 Timothy 4:2).

Ministry applications

• Affirm small congregations: Eshean legitimizes modest, rural ministries as crucial to God’s mission.
• Strengthen biblical literacy: Teaching boundary lists can bolster confidence in Scripture’s historical reliability.
• Inspire personal gratitude: Joshua’s territorial records encourage believers to thank God for their own “portion” (Psalm 16:5-6).

Related passages

Genesis 15:18-21; Joshua 15:20-63; Joshua 21:43-45; Matthew 10:30; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26; 2 Timothy 4:2.

Eshean’s lone mention thus becomes a testimony to covenant faithfulness, the value of every community in God’s redemptive work, and the call to diligent stewardship of whatever sphere the Lord entrusts.

Forms and Transliterations
וְאֶשְׁעָֽן׃ ואשען׃ veeshAn wə’eš‘ān wə·’eš·‘ān
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Joshua 15:52
HEB: אֲרַ֥ב וְרוּמָ֖ה וְאֶשְׁעָֽן׃
NAS: Arab and Dumah and Eshan,
KJV: Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,
INT: Arab and Dumah and Eshan

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 824
1 Occurrence


wə·’eš·‘ān — 1 Occ.

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