Joshua 16:2
New International Version
It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz), crossed over to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth,

New Living Translation
From Bethel (that is, Luz) it ran over to Ataroth in the territory of the Arkites.

English Standard Version
Then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites.

Berean Standard Bible
It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.

King James Bible
And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

New King James Version
then went out from Bethel to Luz, passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth,

New American Standard Bible
It went from Bethel to Luz, and continued to the border of the Archites at Ataroth.

NASB 1995
It went from Bethel to Luz, and continued to the border of the Archites at Ataroth.

NASB 1977
And it went from Bethel to Luz, and continued to the border of the Archites at Ataroth.

Legacy Standard Bible
And it went out from Bethel to Luz and passed on to the border of the Archites at Ataroth.

Amplified Bible
Then it went from Bethel to Luz, and continued to Ataroth, the border of the Archites.

Christian Standard Bible
From Bethel it went to Luz and proceeded to the border of the Archites by Ataroth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
From Bethel it went to Luz and proceeded to the border of the Archites by Ataroth.

American Standard Version
and it went out from Beth-el to Luz, and passed along unto the border of the Archites to Ataroth;

English Revised Version
and it went out from Beth-el to Luz, and passed along unto the border of the Archites to Ataroth;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
From Bethel the border goes to Luz and over to Ataroth at the border of the Archites.

Good News Translation
From Bethel it went to Luz, passing on to Ataroth Addar, where the Archites lived.

International Standard Version
and from Bethel to Luz, continuing to the border of the Archites at Ataroth.

Majority Standard Bible
It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.

NET Bible
The southern border extended from Bethel to Luz, and crossed to Arkite territory at Ataroth.

New Heart English Bible
It went out from Bethel to Luz, and passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth;

Webster's Bible Translation
And goeth out from Beth-el to Luz, and passeth along to the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

World English Bible
It went out from Bethel to Luz, and passed along to the border of the Archites to Ataroth;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and has gone out from Beth-El to Luz, and passed over to the border of Archi [to] Ataroth,

Young's Literal Translation
and hath gone out from Beth-El to Luz, and passed over unto the border of Archi to Ataroth,

Smith's Literal Translation
And it went forth from the House of God to Luz and passed over to the bound of Archi to Ataroth;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And goeth out from Bethel to Luza: and passeth the border of Archi, to Ataroth,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And it goes out from Bethel to Luz. And it crosses the border of Archi to Ataroth.

New American Bible
Leaving Bethel for Luz, it crossed the ridge to the border of the Archites at Ataroth,

New Revised Standard Version
then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And goes out from Beth-el to Luz, and then passes along to the border of Ebra and Ataroth,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And it went out from Bayth Eil to Luz and it passed to the border of Ebra and of Atruth
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And it went out from Beth-el-luz, and passed along unto the border of the Archites to Ataroth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they will go out to Baethel, and will proceed to the borders of Achatarothi.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ephraim's Inheritance
1The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel. 2It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth. 3Then it descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon and on to Gezer, and it ended at the Sea.…

Cross References
Numbers 34:2-12
“Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance with these boundaries: / Your southern border will extend from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern border will run from the end of the Salt Sea, / cross south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Zin, and go south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it will go on to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon, ...

Joshua 15:7-9
Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine. It continued along the waters of En-shemesh and came out at En-rogel. / From there the border went up the Valley of Ben-hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. / From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

1 Chronicles 7:29
And along the borders of Manasseh were Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.

Genesis 48:21-22
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. / And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

Deuteronomy 3:12-17
So at that time we took possession of this land. To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the land beyond Aroer along the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead, along with its cities. / To the half-tribe of Manasseh I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. (The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim.) / Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He renamed Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, by which it is called to this day. ...

Joshua 18:12-14
On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven. / From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon. / On the west side the border curved southward from the hill facing Beth-horon on the south and came out at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side.

Ezekiel 47:13-20
This is what the Lord GOD says: “These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall receive two portions. / You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with an uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will fall to you as an inheritance. / This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon through Lebo-hamath to Zedad, ...

Judges 1:22-26
The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them. / They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz), / and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.” ...

1 Kings 9:16
Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

2 Chronicles 8:5-6
He rebuilt Upper and Lower Beth-horon as fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, / as well as Baalath, all the store cities that belonged to Solomon, and all the cities for his chariots and horses—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion.

Acts 7:45
And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,

Hebrews 4:8
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.

John 4:5
So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.

Matthew 1:2-3
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. / Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.

Romans 11:26-27
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. / And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”


Treasury of Scripture

And goes out from Bethel to Luz, and passes along to the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

Beth-el

Joshua 18:13
And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.

Genesis 28:19
And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

Judges 1:22-26
And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them…

Archi

2 Samuel 16:16
And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.

1 Chronicles 27:33
And Ahithophel was the king's counseller: and Hushai the Archite was the king's companion:

Jump to Previous
Arkites Ataroth At'aroth Bethel Beth-El Border Borders Continued Crossed Luz Passed Passes Passeth Territory
Jump to Next
Arkites Ataroth At'aroth Bethel Beth-El Border Borders Continued Crossed Luz Passed Passes Passeth Territory
Joshua 16
1. The general borders of the sons of Joseph
5. The border of the inheritance of Ephraim
10. The Canaanites of Gezer not conquered














It proceeded to Bethel
The phrase "It proceeded to Bethel" indicates the movement of the boundary line of the land allotted to the tribe of Joseph, specifically Ephraim. "Bethel," meaning "House of God" in Hebrew, holds significant historical and spiritual importance. It was a place where Abraham and Jacob had profound encounters with God (Genesis 12:8, 28:19). The mention of Bethel here underscores the continuity of God's promises and the sacredness of the land being inherited. This phrase reminds us of the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises to His people, as Bethel was a place of divine revelation and covenant.

went on to Luz
"Luz" is the ancient name of the city that was later called Bethel. The transition from Luz to Bethel signifies transformation and divine purpose. Luz was a Canaanite city, and its renaming to Bethel by Jacob (Genesis 28:19) marks a shift from a pagan past to a future under God's covenant. This transformation is symbolic of the spiritual journey from old to new, from worldly to divine, and from human plans to God's purposes. It serves as a reminder of the transformative power of God's presence in our lives.

and crossed to the border of the Archites at Ataroth
The phrase "and crossed to the border of the Archites at Ataroth" describes the geographical demarcation of the land. The "Archites" were a clan or family group, and "Ataroth" means "crowns" or "wreaths" in Hebrew, suggesting a place of significance or prominence. This crossing over to the border signifies the establishment of boundaries and the fulfillment of God's promise to give the Israelites a land of their own. It highlights the importance of order, structure, and divine allocation in the inheritance of the Promised Land. The mention of specific locations and people groups emphasizes the historical reality of the biblical narrative and God's sovereign orchestration of history.

Verse 2. - From Bethel to Luz. Like Jerusalem and AElia Capitolina, or old and new Carthage, the new city did not coincide precisely in its site with the old one (see Joshua 18:13; also Genesis 28:19; Genesis 35:6; Judges 1:23). Bethel was probably built, as far as could be ascertained, on the spot near the Canaanitish city where the wanderer Jacob spent the night in which the famous vision appeared to him (see Genesis 28:11). Knobel, however, renders literally, Bethel-Luzah, as though the older and later names had been here conjoined. The borders of Archi. Rather, the borders of the Archite (cf. 2 Samuel 15:32; 2 Samuel 16:16; 1 Chronicles 27:33). This is the only clue we have to the residence or tribe of Hushai.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
It went on
וְיָצָ֥א (wə·yā·ṣā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

from Bethel
אֵ֖ל (’êl)
Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1008: Bethel -- 'house of God', a city in Ephraim, also a place in southern Judah

([that is,] Luz)
ל֑וּזָה (lū·zāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3870: Luz -- earlier name of Bethel, also a Hittite city

and proceeded
וְעָבַ֛ר (wə·‘ā·ḇar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the border
גְּב֥וּל (gə·ḇūl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1366: A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosed

of the Archites
הָאַרְכִּ֖י (hā·’ar·kî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 757: Archite -- a native of a place in Palestine

in Ataroth.
עֲטָרֽוֹת׃ (‘ă·ṭā·rō·wṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5852: Ataroth -- the name of several places in Israel


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OT History: Joshua 16:2 It went out from Bethel to Luz (Josh. Jos)
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