Joshua 13:3

13:3 from the Shihor River ¹  east of ²  Egypt northward to the territory of Ekron (it is regarded as Canaanite territory), ³  including the area belonging to the five Philistine lords who ruled in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as Avvite land ⁴ 

Joshua 13:1

The Lord Speaks to Joshua

13:1 When Joshua was very old, ⁵  the Lord told him, “You are very old, and a great deal of land remains to be conquered.

Joshua 5:10

5:10 So the Israelites camped in Gilgal and celebrated the Passover in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho. ⁶ 

Joshua 6:17

6:17 The city and all that is in it must be set apart for the Lord, ⁷  except for Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house, because she hid the spies ⁸  we sent.

Amos 1:8

1:8 I will remove ⁹  the ruler ¹⁰  from Ashdod, ¹¹ 

the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. ¹² 

I will strike Ekron ¹³  with my hand; ¹⁴ 

the rest of the Philistines will also die.” ¹⁵ 

The sovereign Lord has spoken!

Zephaniah 2:4

Judgment on Surrounding Nations

2:4 Indeed, ¹⁶  Gaza will be deserted ¹⁷ 

and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins. ¹⁸ 

Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon, ¹⁹ 

and Ekron will be overthrown. ²⁰ 

Zechariah 9:5-7

9:5 Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up. ²¹  Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited. 9:6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines. 9:7 I will take away their abominable religious practices; ²²  then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God, ²³  like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

¹ tn Heb “the Shihor”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

² tn Heb “in front of.”

³ tn Heb “it is reckoned to the Canaanites.”

⁴ tn Heb “the five lords of the Philistines, the Gazaite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gathite, and the Ekronite, and the Avvites.”

⁵ tn Heb “was old, coming into the days.” This expression, referring to advancing in years, also occurs in the following clause.

⁶ map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

⁷ tn Or “dedicated to the Lord.”

⁸ tn Heb “messengers.”

⁹ tn Heb “cut off.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “the one who sits.” Some translations take this expression as a collective singular referring to the inhabitants rather than the ruler (e.g., NAB, NRSV, NLT).

¹¹ sn Ashdod was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).

¹² sn Ashkelon was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza, and Gath).

¹³ sn Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities (along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Gath).

¹⁴ tn Heb “I will turn my hand against Ekron.” For other uses of the idiom, “turn the hand against,” see Ps 81:14; Isa 1:25; Jer 6:9; Zech 13:7.

¹⁵ tn Heb “and the remnant of the Philistines will perish.” The translation above assumes that reference is made to other Philistines beside those living in the cities mentioned. Another option is to translate, “Every last Philistine will die.”

¹⁶ tn Or “for” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

¹⁷ tn There is a sound play here in the Hebrew text: the name Gaza (עַזָּה, ’azzah) sounds like the word translated “deserted” (עֲזוּבָה, ’azuvah).

¹⁸ tn Or “a desolate place.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “[As for] Ashdod, at noon they will drive her away.”

²⁰ tn Heb “uprooted.” There is a sound play here in the Hebrew text: the name “Ekron” (עֶקְרוֹן, ’eqron) sounds like the word translated “uprooted” (תֵּעָקֵר, te’aqer).

²¹ tn The present translation presupposes a Hiphil perfect of יָבֵשׁ (yavesh, “be dry”; cf. NRSV “are withered”) rather than the usually accepted Hiphil of בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “be ashamed”; cf. KJV, ASV), a sense that is less suitable with the removal of hope.

²² tn Heb “and I will take away their blood from their mouth and their abominations from between their teeth.” These expressions refer to some type of abominable religious practices, perhaps eating meat with the blood still in it (less likely NCV “drinking blood”) or eating unclean or forbidden foods.

²³ tn Heb “and they will be a remnant for our God”; cf. NIV “will belong to our God”; NLT “will worship our God.”