What is the meaning of Joshua 15:55? Maon • Joshua 15:55 begins, “Maon…”—one of the literal hill-country towns allotted to Judah. • The town later appears when David hid “in the wilderness of Maon” and Saul almost captured him until the LORD intervened (1 Samuel 23:24-28). That rescue underlines God’s covenant care for Judah’s future king. • Near Maon lived Nabal the Carmelite; in that same wilderness David learned to wait on the LORD rather than seize the throne by force (1 Samuel 25). • By including Maon in Judah’s boundary list, Joshua 15:55 quietly foreshadows those later events and reminds readers that every square mile God assigns has purpose and history in His redemptive plan. Carmel • “Carmel” follows in the verse—distinct from Mount Carmel on the coast. This Carmel sat only a few miles from Maon. • Saul once “set up a monument for himself in Carmel” after sparing King Agag (1 Samuel 15:12), highlighting the contrast between Saul’s self-interest and God’s call to obedience. • It was also where Nabal’s large estate lay; there David’s men requested provisions, and Abigail acted with wisdom (1 Samuel 25:2-35). • That storyline shows how a town named in Judah’s inheritance became a stage for God’s discipline of the proud and His protection of the humble. Ziph • Next comes “Ziph.” Twice the Ziphites informed Saul of David’s hiding place (1 Samuel 23:19; 26:1), prompting David’s heartfelt plea, “Save me, O God, by Your name” (Psalm 54:1, title). • Joshua 15:55 therefore records not just geography but the very hills where David learned reliance on God amid betrayal. • Even the negative actions of the Ziphites could not thwart the divine promise already attached to their land in Joshua’s time. Juttah • The verse ends, “Juttah.” Later, Juttah became one of the priestly cities given to “the sons of Aaron” (Joshua 21:16). • Having priests settled among Judah’s people anchored worship in everyday life and underscored that the LORD, not merely territory, was Judah’s chief inheritance (Numbers 18:20). • Luke records that after Gabriel’s announcement, Mary “went into the hill country of Judah” to visit Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-40). Early tradition places that visit in or near Juttah, tying the town to the coming of Messiah. summary Joshua 15:55 may look like a simple list, yet every name pulses with meaning. Maon points to God’s protection of David, Carmel to His opposition to pride and His care through Abigail, Ziph to faithful deliverance despite betrayal, and Juttah to priestly ministry and messianic anticipation. Together they show the LORD’s meticulous faithfulness: He allotted real towns to Judah, He later filled those towns with real stories of grace and judgment, and He still weaves every detail of His Word into one seamless, trustworthy narrative. |
    |