Joshua 13:27

וּבָעֵ֡מֶק בֵּ֣ית הָרָם֩ וּבֵ֨ית נִמְרָ֜ה וְסֻכֹּ֣ות וְצָפֹ֗ון יֶ֚תֶר מַמְלְכ֗וּת סִיחֹון֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ חֶשְׁבֹּ֔ון הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן וּגְבֻ֑ל עַד־קְצֵה֙ יָם־כִּנֶּ֔רֶת עֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן מִזְרָֽחָה׃

And in the valley, Beit-Haram and Beit-Nimra, and Sukkot and Tsafon, the rest of the kingdom of Siḥon, king of Ḥeshbon; the Yarden and its border, up to the edge of the Sea of Kinneret, beyond the Jordan eastward.

Morphology

1. וּבָעֵ֡מֶק (u-vaʿemeq) – Root: עמק (ʿ-m-q); Form: Conjunction ו + noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “And in the valley”; Notes: Refers to a lowland or a fertile region.
2. בֵּ֣ית הָרָם֩ (Beit-Haram) – Root: בית + רם (b-y-t + r-m); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Beit-Haram”; Notes: A city in the Jordan Valley, meaning “House of the High Place.”
3. וּבֵ֨ית נִמְרָ֜ה (u-Veit-Nimrah) – Root: בית + נמר (b-y-t + n-m-r); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Beit-Nimrah”; Notes: Likely referring to a place associated with leopards or a lush area.
4. וְסֻכֹּ֣ות (ve-Sukkot) – Root: סכה (s-k-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “and Sukkot”; Notes: Name of a settlement east of the Jordan.
5. וְצָפֹ֗ון (ve-Tsafon) – Root: צפן (ts-p-n); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “and Tsafon”; Notes: Possibly means “hidden” or “northern.”
6. יֶ֚תֶר (yeter) – Root: יתר (y-t-r); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the rest”; Notes: Refers to the remaining part of something.
7. מַמְלְכ֗וּת (mamlekhut) – Root: מלך (m-l-k); Form: Noun, feminine singular, construct; Translation: “kingdom of”; Notes: A term for a ruled territory.
8. סִיחֹון֙ (Siḥon) – Root: סיחון (s-ḥ-n); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Siḥon”; Notes: King of the Amorites, whose kingdom was conquered by Israel.
9. מֶ֣לֶךְ חֶשְׁבֹּ֔ון (melech Ḥeshbon) – Root: מלך + חשבון (m-l-k + ḥ-sh-b-n); Form: Noun construct + proper noun; Translation: “king of Ḥeshbon”; Notes: Ḥeshbon was Siḥon’s capital.
10. הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן (ha-Yarden) – Root: ירד (y-r-d); Form: Proper noun, definite; Translation: “the Jordan”; Notes: A major river in Israel.
11. וּגְבֻ֑ל (u-gevul) – Root: גבול (g-v-l); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and border”; Notes: Refers to the boundary of a region.
12. עַד־קְצֵה֙ (ʿad-qetseh) – Root: קצה (q-ts-h); Form: Preposition עַד + noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “up to the edge of”; Notes: Refers to a limit or boundary.
13. יָם־כִּנֶּ֔רֶת (Yam-Kinneret) – Root: כינרת (k-n-r-t); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Sea of Kinneret”; Notes: Another name for the Sea of Galilee.
14. עֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן (ever ha-Yarden) – Root: עבר (ʿ-v-r); Form: Noun construct + proper noun; Translation: “beyond the Jordan”; Notes: Refers to the eastern side of the Jordan River.
15. מִזְרָֽחָה׃ (mizrakha) – Root: מזרח (m-z-r-ḥ); Form: Adverb; Translation: “eastward”; Notes: Indicates direction.

Syntax Analysis

The verse describes territorial extents using prepositional phrases. The phrase “וּבָעֵ֡מֶק” introduces a location, followed by a list of cities. The conjunction “ו” connects these cities as part of the broader region under discussion.

Grammatical Analysis

The phrase “יֶ֚תֶר מַמְלְכ֗וּת סִיחֹון֙” (“the rest of the kingdom of Siḥon”) is in construct form, linking the remnant of Siḥon’s dominion to the named territories. The directional preposition “עַד־” (“up to”) marks a boundary.

Lexical Semantics

• יַרְדֵּן (Yarden) – “Jordan”: Derived from the root ירד (“to go down”), indicating its flowing nature.
• כִּנֶּרֶת (Kinneret) – “Kinneret”: Possibly related to כינור (“harp”), reflecting the lake’s shape.
• סֻכֹּות (Sukkot) – “Sukkot”: Meaning “booths” or “huts,” possibly referring to temporary dwellings.

Word Study

• גבול (gevul) – “border, boundary”: Frequently used in biblical land descriptions.
• עֵבֶר (ever) – “beyond, across”: Indicates a location relative to a river or landmark.

Textual Criticism