The Meaning of Joshua 15:8 Explained

Joshua 15:8

KJV: And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:

YLT: and the border hath gone up the valley of the son of Hinnom, unto the side of the Jebusite on the south (it is Jerusalem), and the border hath gone up unto the top of the hill-country which is on the front of the valley of Hinnom westward, which is in the extremity of the valley of the Rephaim northward;

Darby: and the border went up to the valley of the son of Hinnom, toward the south side of the Jebusite, that is, Jerusalem; and the border went up to the top of the mountain that is before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim northward;

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the border  went up  by the valley  of the son  of Hinnom  unto the south  side  of the Jebusite;  the same [is] Jerusalem:  and the border  went up  to the top  of the mountain  that [lieth] before  the valley  of Hinnom  westward,  which [is] at the end  of the valley  of the giants  northward: 

What does Joshua 15:8 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Joshua 15

1  The borders of the lot of Judah
13  Caleb's portion and conquest
16  Othniel, for his valour, marries Achsah, Caleb's daughter
18  She obtains a blessing of her father
21  The cities of Judah
63  The Jebusites unconquered

What do the individual words in Joshua 15:8 mean?

And went up the border by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to slope of the Jebusite [city] the southern that [is] Jerusalem the top of the mountain that [lies] upon the face of the Valley of the Son of Hinnom westward which [is] at the end of the Valley of the Rephaim northward
וְעָלָ֨ה הַגְּב֜וּל גֵּ֣י בֶן־ הִנֹּ֗ם אֶל־ כֶּ֤תֶף הַיְבוּסִי֙ מִנֶּ֔גֶב הִ֖יא יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֗ר אֲ֠שֶׁר עַל־ פְּנֵ֤י גֵֽי־ הִנֹּם֙ יָ֔מָּה אֲשֶׁ֛ר בִּקְצֵ֥ה עֵֽמֶק־ רְפָאִ֖ים צָפֹֽנָה

וְעָלָ֨ה  And  went  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הַגְּב֜וּל  the  border 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
גֵּ֣י  by  the  Valley 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גַּיְא  
Sense: valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge.
בֶן־  of  the  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הִנֹּ֗ם  of  Hinnom 
Parse: Noun, proper
Root: בֶּן־הִנּׄם 
Sense: a valley (deep and narrow ravine) with steep, rocky sides located southwest of Jerusalem, separating Mount Zion to the north from the hill of evil counsel’ and the sloping rocky plateau of the ‘plain of Rephaim’ to the south.
כֶּ֤תֶף  slope 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כָּתֵף  
Sense: shoulder, shoulder-blade, side, slope.
הַיְבוּסִי֙  of  the  Jebusite  [city] 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְבוּסִי  
Sense: descendants of the 3rd son of Canaan who lived in or around the site of Jebus, the early name for Jerusalem.
מִנֶּ֔גֶב  the  southern 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
הִ֖יא  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
רֹ֣אשׁ  the  top 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
הָהָ֗ר  of  the  mountain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
אֲ֠שֶׁר  that  [lies] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פְּנֵ֤י  the  face  of 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
גֵֽי־  the  Valley 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גַּיְא  
Sense: valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge.
הִנֹּם֙  of  the  Son  of  Hinnom 
Parse: Noun, proper
Root: בֶּן־הִנּׄם 
Sense: a valley (deep and narrow ravine) with steep, rocky sides located southwest of Jerusalem, separating Mount Zion to the north from the hill of evil counsel’ and the sloping rocky plateau of the ‘plain of Rephaim’ to the south.
יָ֔מָּה  westward 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
אֲשֶׁ֛ר  which  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בִּקְצֵ֥ה  at  the  end 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצֶה 
Sense: end, extremity.
עֵֽמֶק־  of  the  Valley 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
רְפָאִ֖ים  of  the  Rephaim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: רְפָאִים 
Sense: giants, Rephaim.
צָפֹֽנָה  northward 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.