Joshua 15:8

8 and the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the side of the Jebusite southward (the same is Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the uttermost part of the valley of Rephaim northward;

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 and the border went up to Beth-hoglah, and passed along by the north of Beth-arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben;

7 and the border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is over against the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the river; and the border passed along to the waters of En-shemesh, and the goings out of it were at En-rogel;

8 and the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the side of the Jebusite southward (the same is Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the uttermost part of the valley of Rephaim northward;

9 and the border extended from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron; and the border extended to Baalah (the same is Kiriath-jearim);

10 and the border turned about from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (the same is Chesalon), and went down to Beth-shemesh, and passed along by Timnah;