Joshua 15:8

8 The border followed the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite ridge (that is, Jerusalem). It ascended to the top of the mountain opposite Hinnom Valley on the west, at the northern end of Rephaim Valley;

Joshua 15:8 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 15:8

And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom
Which belonged to a man of that name formerly; and was near Jerusalem, placed by Jerom ^F12 to the east of it; but Reland ^F13 rather thinks it is to the south. It was infamous for the sacrifices of children to Moloch in it, by burning them, or causing them to pass through fire: hence, in allusion to it, hell fire is often in the New Testament called "Geenna", ( Matthew 5:22 Matthew 5:29 Matthew 5:30 ) ( 10:28 ) ( 18:9 ) ( Matthew 23:15 Matthew 23:33 ) ( Mark 9:43 Mark 9:45 Mark 9:47 ) ( Luke 12:5 ) ( James 3:6 ) ; this border from the salt sea, and from Jordan, is all along said to "go up", because from hence to Jerusalem was an ascent, that lying on higher ground:

unto the south side of the Jebusite;
of the place the Jebusite inhabited:

the same is Jerusalem;
which was formerly called Jebus, from the inhabitants of it; yea, Jebusi, as here, and so may intend not the inhabitants, but the place, see ( Joshua 18:28 ) ( Judges 19:10 ) ; and here the Jebusites lived, at least in some part of it, until the time of David, ( 2 Samuel 5:6-8 ) ;

and the border went up to the top of the mountain that [lieth] before
the valley of Hinnom westward:
which is generally supposed to be the mount Moriah:

which is at the end of the valley of the giants, northward:
the valley of Rephaim, as it is called ( 2 Samuel 5:18 ) , and here Mount Moriah, as it was to the west of the valley of Hinnom, it was to the north of the valley of Rephaim; which valley, as Josephus ^F14 says, was not far from Jerusalem, twenty furlongs from it. Some late travellers ^F15 tell us it lies in the way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and is not above two hours' ride from the former. From this account it appears, as Jarchi remarks, that Jerusalem was not within the line, and was not in the border of Judah, but of Benjamin, which tribe lay to the north of Judah: it seems indeed to have been one part of it in the tribe of Judah, and the other in the tribe of Benjamin; though the Jews frequently say it did not belong to either tribe.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 De loc. Heb. fol. 91. B.
F13 Palest. lllustrat. tom. 1. p. 253.
F14 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 4. sect. 1. & 12. 4.
F15 Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. 1. p. 370.

Joshua 15:8 In-Context

6 went up to Beth Hoglah and around to the north of Beth Arabah and to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

7 The border then ascended to Debir from Trouble Valley and turned north toward Gilgal, which lies opposite Red Pass, just south of the gorge. The border then followed the Waters of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel.

8 The border followed the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite ridge (that is, Jerusalem). It ascended to the top of the mountain opposite Hinnom Valley on the west, at the northern end of Rephaim Valley;

9 the border then took a turn at the top of the mountain to the spring, the Waters of Nephtoah, and followed the valley out to Mount Ephron, turned toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim),

10 took another turn west of Baalah to Mount Seir, curved around to the northern shoulder of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), descended to Beth Shemesh, and crossed to Timnah.