Lachish, and Bozkath, & Eglon, Joshua 15:39 (KJV)
Joshua 15:39 records three cities that were allotted to the tribe of Judah as part of the broader division of Canaan among the Israelite tribes. This verse sits within a detailed description of Judah’s boundaries and settlements, underscoring the orderly distribution of the Promised Land that God had promised to the patriarchs.
Lachish was an ancient city situated southwest of Jerusalem, perched on a strategic hill that made it a regional stronghold. The city was captured by Joshua during the initial conquest of Canaan (Joshua 10:31‑32). Centuries later, during the reign of King Hezekiah, Lachish became a focal point of the Assyrian invasion; the siege and fall of the city are vividly portrayed in the reliefs of Sennacherib’s palace at Nineveh, highlighting its continued military significance.
Bozkath is mentioned only in this verse, and its precise location remains uncertain. Scholars have suggested that Bozkath may correspond to the town identified as Bozcathah in Joshua 19:5, but no definitive archaeological identification has been established. The scarcity of information about Bozkath underscores the fragmentary nature of some biblical place‑names.
Eglon lay in the foothills of Judah, south of Hebron. Like Lachish, it was taken by Joshua in the early campaign (Joshua 10:33). Later biblical narrative records that Eglon served as the capital of the Moabite king Eglon, whose oppression of Israel lasted eighteen years until the judge Ehud assassinated him (Judges 3:12‑30). This connection links the city to a pivotal episode of deliverance in Israel’s early history.
Together, these three cities illustrate the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to give the Israelites a land of their own. Their inclusion in the tribal allotment demonstrates God’s faithfulness in guiding the conquest, allocating the territory, and preserving the memory of each settlement within the larger story of Israel’s inheritance of the Promised Land.
