Lexical Summary Bizyothyah: Bizyothyah Original Word: בִּזְיוֹתְיָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Bizjothjah From bazah and Yahh; contempts of Jah; Bizjothjah, a place in Palestine -- Bizjothjah. see HEBREW bazah see HEBREW Yahh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bazah and Yah Definition "contempts of the LORD," a place near Beersheba NASB Translation Biziothiah (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בִּזְיוֺתְיָה proper name, of a location according to ᵑ0 place near Beersheba Joshua 15:28; but read probably וּבְנוֺתֶיהָ ᵐ5 and her daughters (villages, compare בת below בן) see Nehemiah 11:27 (WeSm 215 HollenbAlex. Übers. Joshua 14 Di and others) בזק (Aramaic בְּזַק, Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Bizjothjah (also rendered Biziothiah) is listed among the southern towns allotted to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:21-32). It lay in the Negev, the arid expanse that stretches south of the Judean highlands toward the Wilderness of Zin. The sequence “Hazar Shual, Beersheba, and Biziothiah” (Joshua 15:28) places the site in the general vicinity of Beersheba, a regional hub for flocks, wells, and trade routes. While its precise location has not been confirmed archaeologically, scholars often associate it with a tell or ruin south-southeast of modern Beersheba near the Wadi es-Sebai, fitting the pattern of clustered settlements that guarded water sources and grazing lands. Biblical Occurrence and Context Bizjothjah appears only once in Scripture, within the extensive catalogue of cities that defined Judah’s inheritance. Joshua 15 divides these holdings into four natural regions: the Negev, the lowland (Shephelah), the hill country, and the wilderness. Bizjothjah stands among the Negev towns (verses 21-32), underscoring Judah’s responsibility to occupy and steward even the harshest landscapes. The listing reflects the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His covenant promise of land (Genesis 17:8) and His sovereignty in assigning each tribe its portion (Joshua 14:1-2). Historical Background The conquest under Joshua (late fifteenth or early thirteenth century B.C., depending on one’s chronology) reorganized Canaan’s geopolitical map. Southern Judah, once controlled by Amorite and other local kingdoms (Numbers 13:29), became a buffer against incursions from the desert peoples—Amalekites, Edomites, and later Nabataeans. Settlements like Bizjothjah fortified trade arteries that linked Hebron and Beersheba to Egypt’s eastern approaches. During the United Monarchy, this network helped Solomon extend administrative districts southward (1 Kings 4:7-19). After the exile, returning Judeans re-occupied many Negev towns (Nehemiah 11:27-30), though Bizjothjah itself is not named, suggesting either decline or absorption into larger neighboring centers. Archaeological and Topographical Considerations Proposed identifications include Khirbet Beit Bazi or Khirbet Abu-Tushiya, both small tells with Iron Age pottery scatter and proximity to ancient routes. Strategically, these sites overlook wadis that funnel seasonal rains toward Beersheba’s wells. Their modest size aligns with Judah’s pattern of establishing satellite hamlets around a main city to secure pastureland and provide early warning against raiders. Excavations of comparable Negev settlements reveal four-room houses, cistern systems, and defensive walls, illustrating how faith communities adapted to scarcity while maintaining ritual purity and social cohesion. Theological Significance 1. Covenant Fulfillment: Each named town is a tangible witness that “not one word has failed of all the good things the Lord had promised” (Joshua 21:45). Bizjothjah, though obscure, embodies the meticulous care with which God apportions blessing. Lessons for Ministry Today • God values seemingly insignificant places and people. A single-verse town receives eternal mention, encouraging believers laboring in remote fields that their work is recorded in heaven (Hebrews 6:10). Key Cross-References Genesis 26:23-33 – Beersheba as a covenant location frames the region housing Bizjothjah. Numbers 34:1-5 – Southern border descriptions clarify why Negev towns were militarily vital. 1 Samuel 30:1-20 – Amalekite raids on nearby Ziklag illustrate the dangers these settlements faced. Nehemiah 11:27-30 – Post-exilic resettlement indicates ongoing strategic importance of the southern towns. 1 Peter 1:4 – The imperishable inheritance finds early earthly reflection in allotted lands like Bizjothjah. Forms and Transliterations וּבִזְיוֹתְיָֽה׃ ובזיותיה׃ ū·ḇiz·yō·wṯ·yāh ūḇizyōwṯyāh uvizyotYahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:28 HEB: וּבְאֵ֥ר שֶׁ֖בַע וּבִזְיוֹתְיָֽה׃ NAS: and Beersheba and Biziothiah, KJV: and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah, INT: and Hazar-shual and Beersheba and Biziothiah 1 Occurrence |
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