And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer; and the goings out thereof are at the sea.
Parallel translations
- WEB and it went down westward to the border of the Japhletites, to the border of Beth Horon the lower, and on to Gezer; and ended at the sea.
- BSB Then it descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon and on to Gezer, and it ended at the Sea.
- NKJV and went down westward to the boundary of the Japhletites, as far as the boundary of Lower Beth Horon to Gezer; and it ended at the sea.
- NASB Then it went down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of lower Beth-horon even to Gezer, and it ended at the sea.
- NLT Then it descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer and over to the Mediterranean Sea.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The border descends west past the Japhletites and lower Beth Horon to Gezer, ending at the sea. Joseph's southwestern line reaches the coast.
Overview
Beth Horon guarded a key mountain pass and was the scene of Joshua's earlier great victory under God's intervention (Joshua 10:10-11). Gezer remained a Canaanite stronghold until much later. The boundary reaches the Mediterranean, marking the western extent of Joseph's allotment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Josh 10:33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.
- Josh 18:13And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.
- 2 Chr 8:5Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;
- 1 Kgs 9:15–17And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
- 1 Chr 7:28And their possessions and habitations were, Bethel and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with the towns thereof; Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Gaza and the towns thereof:
- Num 34:6And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.
- 1 Chr 7:24(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Bethhoron the nether, and the upper, and Uzzensherah.)
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 16:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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