Joshua 15:57

Cain, Gibbeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages. Joshua 15:57 (KJV)

This verse is part of a larger passage in the book of Joshua that details the allotment of land to the tribe of Judah. In Joshua 15, the chapter provides a comprehensive account of the territory assigned to Judah as their inheritance within the Promised Land. “Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.” This quotation is not found in Joshua 15:57. The passage in Joshua 15 enumerates towns belonging to the tribe of Judah, but the cities Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah are not among them.

Kain: No city named Kain appears in the biblical record of Judah’s allotment. The city associated with Cain in Genesis 4:17 is Enoch, not a city called Kain, and any identification of a Judahite Kain with that is speculative.

Gibeah: Gibeah is a well‑known Benjaminite city, famous as Saul’s hometown and the setting of the Judges 19–21 narrative. It is not listed among the Judahite towns in Joshua 15.

Timnah: Timnah is mentioned in Judges 14 as the site of Samson’s marriage and is allocated to the tribe of Dan in Joshua 19:43. It is not included in the Judahite list in Joshua 15.

The broader purpose of Joshua 15 is to detail the inheritance of Judah, recording the towns and villages actually assigned to that tribe. The chapter provides a historical account of the division of the Promised Land among the Israelite tribes as directed by God through Moses and Joshua. The significance of this verse lies in the detailed record of the distribution of land to the various tribes of Israel. By describing the cities and villages within the territory of Judah, the Bible provides a historical account of the division of the Promised Land among the Israelites, as instructed by God through Moses and Joshua. Overall, Joshua 15:57 offers geographical information about the towns belonging to Judah, contributing to the narrative of tribal land distribution in ancient Israel.