Lectionary Calendar
the First Sunday, December 28th, 2025
the Sunday after Christmas
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Easy-to-Read Version

Joshua 18:20

The Jordan River was the eastern border. So this was the land that was given to the tribe of Benjamin. These were the borders on all sides.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Benjamin;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Benjamin, Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Tribes of Israel, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Joshua;   Priests and Levites;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jericho;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Rab'bith;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Joshua, Book of;   Quarter;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Benjamin;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Jordan formed the border on the east side.
Hebrew Names Version
The Yarden was the border of it on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Binyamin, by the borders of it round about, according to their families.
King James Version
And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families.
Lexham English Bible
The Jordan forms its border on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin, its borders that surrounds them, according to their families.
English Standard Version
The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin, according to their clans, boundary by boundary all around.
New Century Version
The Jordan River was the border on the eastern side. So this was the land given to the family groups of Benjamin with the borders on all sides.
New English Translation
The Jordan River borders it on the east. These were the borders of the land assigned to the tribe of Benjamin by its clans.
Amplified Bible
And the Jordan River was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families and according to its borders all around.
New American Standard Bible
Moreover, the Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families, and according to its borders all around.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also Iorden is the border of it on the Eastside: this is the inheritance of the children of Beniamin by the coastes thereof rounde about according to their families.
Legacy Standard Bible
Moreover, the Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families and according to its borders all around.
Contemporary English Version
The Jordan River itself was Benjamin's eastern border. These were the borders of Benjamin's tribal land, where the clans of Benjamin lived.
Complete Jewish Bible
The Yarden was to be its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the descendants of Binyamin, defined by its surrounding borders, according to their families.
Darby Translation
—And the Jordan borders it on the east side.—This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its borders round about, according to their families.
George Lamsa Translation
And the Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders thereof round about, according to their families.
Good News Translation
The Jordan was the eastern border. These were the borders of the land which the families of the tribe of Benjamin received as their possession.
Literal Translation
And the Jordan borders it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to its borders all around, according to their families.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Iordane shal be the ende of the east quarter. This is the enheritaunce of ye children of Ben Iamin in their borders rounde aboute, amonge their kynreds.
American Standard Version
And the Jordan was the border of it on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders thereof round about, according to their families.
Bible in Basic English
And the limit of the east part is the Jordan. This is the heritage of the children of Benjamin, marked out for their families by these limits on all sides.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iordane kepeth in this coast on the east syde: And this is the inheritaunce of the chyldren of Beniamin by their coastes rounde about, throughout their kinredes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the Jordan was to be the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders thereof round about, according to their families.
King James Version (1611)
And Iordane was the border of it on the East side: this was the inheritance of the children of Beniamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jordan shall be their boundary on the east: this is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, these are their borders round about according to their families.
English Revised Version
And Jordan was the border of it on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders thereof round about, according to their families.
Berean Standard Bible
On the east side the border was the Jordan. These were the borders around the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
which is the terme therof fro the eest. This is the possessioun of the sones of Beniamyn, bi her termes in cumpas, and bi her meynees;
Young's Literal Translation
and the Jordan doth border it at the east quarter; this [is] the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, by its borders round about, for their families.
Update Bible Version
And the Jordan was the border of it on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, by the borders thereof round about, according to their families.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This [was] the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the limits of it round about, according to their families.
World English Bible
The Jordan was the border of it on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the borders of it round about, according to their families.
New King James Version
The Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families.
New Living Translation
The eastern boundary was the Jordan River. These were the boundaries of the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
New Life Bible
The east side of their land was the Jordan. This was the land with its sides, given to the family group of Benjamin.
New Revised Standard
The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin, according to its families, boundary by boundary all around.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the Jordan itself, boundeth it as an eastward border. This, is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, by the boundaries thereof round about, by their families.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Which is the border of it on the east side. This is the possession of the children of Benjamin by their borders round about, and their families.
Revised Standard Version
The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin, according to its families, boundary by boundary round about.
THE MESSAGE
The east border was formed by the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the people of Benjamin for their clans, marked by these borders on all sides.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Moreover, the Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to their families and according to its borders all around.

Contextual Overview

11 The tribe of Benjamin was given the land that was between the areas of Judah and Joseph. Each family in the tribe of Benjamin got its land. This is the land that was chosen for Benjamin: 12 The northern border started at the Jordan River. It went along the northern edge of Jericho. Then the border went west into the hill country. It continued until it was just east of Beth Aven. 13 Then the border went south to Luz (Bethel), then down to Ataroth Addar. Ataroth Addar is on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon. 14 At the hill south of Beth Horon, the border turned south and went along the west side of the hill. The border went to Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim). This town belonged to the people of Judah. This was the western border. 15 The southern border started near Kiriath Jearim and went to the River of Nephtoah. 16 Then the border went down to the bottom of the hill near the valley of Ben Hinnom, north of Rephaim Valley. It continued down Hinnom Valley just south of the Jebusite city. Then the border went on to En Rogel. 17 There it turned north, went to En Shemesh, and then continued on to Geliloth. (Geliloth is near the Adummim Pass in the mountains.) The border went down to the Great Stone that was named for Bohan, the son of Reuben. 18 It continued to the northern part of Beth Arabah. Then the border went down into the Jordan Valley. 19 Then it went to the northern part of Beth Hoglah and ended at the north shore of the Dead Sea. This is where the Jordan River flows into that sea. That was the southern border. 20 The Jordan River was the eastern border. So this was the land that was given to the tribe of Benjamin. These were the borders on all sides.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Joshua 18:11

Reciprocal: Joshua 15:6 - Bethhogla 1 Kings 4:18 - Benjamin

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
Then the Lord said, "What have you done? You killed your brother and the ground opened up to take his blood from your hands. Now his blood is shouting to me from the ground. So you will be cursed from this ground.
Genesis 13:13
The Lord knew that the people of Sodom were very evil sinners.
Genesis 19:13
We are going to destroy this city. The Lord heard how evil this city is, so he sent us to destroy it."
Isaiah 3:9
The look on their faces shows that they are guilty. They are like the people of Sodom; they don't care who sees their sin. But it will be very bad for them. They will get what they deserve.
Isaiah 5:7
The vineyard that belongs to the Lord All-Powerful is the house of Israel. The grapevine, the plant he loves, is the man of Judah. The Lord hoped for justice, but there was only killing. He hoped for fairness, but there were only cries from people being treated badly.
Jeremiah 14:7
"We know that this is our fault. We are now suffering because of our sins. Lord , do something to help us for the good of your name. We admit that we have left you many times. We have sinned against you.
James 5:4
People worked in your fields, but you did not pay them. They are crying out against you. They harvested your crops. Now the Lord All-Powerful has heard their cries.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jordan was the border of it on the east side,.... It had Jordan on the east, Dan on the west, Judah on the south, and Joseph or Ephraim on the north:

this [was] the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families; this is the general description of the limits of this tribe, the particular cities in it follow.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the marginal references. There are many indications found in this and the next chapter that the text is in great disorder, and many of the places are still unknown.

Joshua 18:14

And compassed the corner ... - Render “and turned on the west side southward.” The meaning is, that at lower Beth-horon the northern boundary-line of Benjamin curved round and ran southward - Beth-horon being its extreme westerly point.

Joshua 18:21

The “Valley of Keziz,” or “Emek-Keziz,” is perhaps the “Wady el Kaziz,” at no great distance east of Jerusalem.

Joshua 18:22

Zemaraim, i. e. “two wooded hills,” is supposed to be the ruins called “Es-Sumrah,” on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.

Joshua 18:23

Ophrah (Joshua 15:9 note), to be distinguished here and in 1 Samuel 13:17 from the Ophrah of Judges 6:11, is probably the Ephrain of 2 Chronicles 13:19, and the Ephraim of John 11:54. It is conjecturally identified with “Et-Taiyibeh,” on the road from Jerusalem to Bethel.

Joshua 18:24

Gaba - This name, like Gibeah, Gibeon, etc. Joshua 9:3, indicates a town placed on a hill, and occurs repeatedly in various forms in the topography of Palestine. Gaba is the Gibeah (if 1 Samuel 13:15-16; 1 Samuel 14:5, where the Hebrew has גבע Geba‛, which is undoubtedly the correct reading throughout. The city was one of those assigned to the Levites Joshua 21:17, and lay on the northern border of Judah. It is identified with the modern “Jeba,” lying on the side of a deep ravine opposite to Michmash (“Mukhmas”). The famous “Gibeah of Saul,” or “Giheah of Benjamin” (the Gibeath of Joshua 18:28) lay at no great distance southwest of Geba, on the high road from Jerusalem to Bethel, and is probably to be looked for in the lofty and isolated “Tulcil-el-Ful.”

Joshua 18:25

Ramah - i. e. “lofty;” probably the native town and abode of Samuel 1Sa 1:19; 1 Samuel 25:1. Its exact site is uncertain.

Joshua 18:26

Mizpeh - See Joshua 11:3. Not the Mizpeh of Joshua 15:38, but the place where Samuel judged the people and called them together for the election of a king 1 Samuel 7:5-16; 1 Samuel 10:17. In the Chaldaean times it was the residence of Gedaliah 2 Kings 25:22; Jeremiah 40:14. Its site is identified with “Neby Samwil,” about five miles northwest of Jerusalem.


 
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