What Does Joshua 21:31 Mean in the King James?
Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The names pair a portion (Helkath) with a broad place (Rehob), giving this list of cities both allotment and spaciousness.
THE MEANING
The verse holds two images together for you now: an assigned portion and a broad place. Helkath carries the sense of a share, while Rehob carries breadth, so the list’s four cities sound both measured and spacious.
THE ROOT
חֶלְקַת
Ḥelqath
GROWS FROM
ח־ל־ק
ḥ-l-q
To divide or apportion; a share or portion.
Helkath carries the same root as the Hebrew word for a portion and the verb for apportioning. The city’s name makes the allotment in this verse sound like a share named from the act of assigning it.
ALSO GROWS
ḥēleq: An allotted part or share.
חֵלֶק
This noun makes the name Helkath legible as a portion rather than an arbitrary label.
ḥālaq: To divide, assign, or distribute shares.
חָלַק
The verb reveals the action beneath a portion: a whole is divided into allotted shares.
רְחֹב
Rĕḥōb
GROWS FROM
ר־ח־ב
r-ḥ-b
To be broad, wide, or spacious.
Rehob belongs to the root that means becoming broad. Beside Helkath, meaning “portion,” its name lets the list hold both a measured share and an image of room, an association the English place-names conceal.
ALSO GROWS
rāḥav: To become broad or spacious.
רָחַב
This verb shares Rehob’s root and makes its sense of breadth visible.
merḥāv: An open or spacious place.
מֶרְחָב
This noun carries the same root into the image of a place with room, as in Psalm 18:19.
THE PATTERN
Scripture can hold a received portion and expanding room together.
The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.THE THREAD
He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.Rehob (רְחֹב, rĕḥōb, “broad place”) and מֶרְחָב (merḥāv, “open breadth”) share the root ר־ח־ב (r-ḥ-b, “be broad”). Psalm 18:19 lets the place-name’s root become a living image of being brought out into room.
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