What is the meaning of Joshua 15:60? Kiriath-baal “From there, the boundary curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim)….” (Joshua 15:9). • The name “Kiriath-baal” tells us the city had once been identified with the Canaanite deity Baal. Its inclusion in Judah’s inheritance (Joshua 15:20) shows how thoroughly the LORD displaced pagan strongholds and fulfilled His promise that “every place your foot treads will be yours” (Deuteronomy 11:24). • Later history highlights the city’s strategic and spiritual importance. When David prepared to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem, he “assembled all Israel… to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim” (1 Chronicles 13:5-6; cf. 2 Samuel 6:2). The site became a staging point for national worship rather than idolatry, demonstrating God’s power to redeem territory and people alike. (that is, Kiriath-jearim) • Scripture immediately clarifies the older, pagan name with the covenant name “Kiriath-jearim,” meaning “city of forests” (cf. Joshua 18:14). The change signals a new identity rooted in the LORD rather than Baal. • During the judges period, “the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the LORD… and it remained there twenty years” (1 Samuel 7:1-2). While Israel mourned after the LORD, the ark’s quiet presence in this city underscored God’s faithfulness despite national waywardness. • In Nehemiah’s day, descendants from “Kiriath-jearim” returned from exile (Nehemiah 7:29), proving the city’s ongoing place in God’s redemptive storyline. and Rabbah • Rabbah here is a lesser-known hill-country town of Judah, distinct from the larger Ammonite city also called Rabbah (2 Samuel 12:26). Its listing shows that God valued even the smaller, out-of-the-way communities. • 1 Chronicles 2:54 pairs “Rabbah” with the clan of the Zorathites, linking it to Judah’s broader family heritage. Each village, however obscure, formed part of the tapestry through which Messiah would ultimately come (Matthew 1:1-3). two cities • Joshua 15 groups towns numerically to emphasize order and completeness. By noting “two cities,” the text points to careful boundary keeping—an echo of God’s orderly creation (Genesis 1) and His precise covenant terms (Numbers 34:2). • The tally assures the tribes that “not one word” of the LORD’s promise failed (Joshua 21:45). Every plot of land, large or small, was accounted for. along with their villages • The phrase widens the lens from city centers to surrounding hamlets, reminding readers that God’s gift of the land encompassed fields, orchards, and homes (Deuteronomy 6:10-11). • Rural settlements would sustain Israel’s daily life—families farming, shepherds tending flocks, worshipers traveling to feast days (Deuteronomy 16:15-17). God’s care touched every household. • Later, Hezekiah’s reforms reached “from Beersheba to Kiriath-jearim” (2 Chronicles 31:5-6), confirming that villages around these towns remained vital centuries after Joshua. summary Joshua 15:60 highlights two Judahite towns—once tied to idolatry, now folded into God’s covenant inheritance—together with their surrounding villages. The verse showcases the LORD’s faithfulness: He reclaims pagan territory, records every boundary, provides for rural as well as urban life, and weaves each community into His unfolding plan of redemption. |
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