Debir

July 8, 2017

The holy chambers (Ezek 42:13-42:13)

“Then he said to me.

‘The north chambers

As well as the south chambers,

Opposite the vacant area,

Are the holy chambers.

There the priests,

Who approach Yahweh,

Shall eat

The most holy offerings.

There they shall deposit

The most holy offerings,

The cereal offering,

The sin offering,

The guilt offering.

This place is holy.’”

Once again, the bronze man appeared on the scene to explain to Ezekiel the purpose for these rooms or chambers on the north and the south side. These rooms or chambers were for the priests to eat the various offerings that took place in the Debir, the Holy of holies, the place of Yahweh. There in these chambers, the priests would put the holy offerings, that is the cereal offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Thus, these rooms became holy.

November 5, 2014

The dwelling places of the Kohathite Levites (1 Chr 6:54-6:61)

“These are their dwelling places according to their settlements within their borders. To the sons of Aaron of the families of Kohathites, for the lot fell to them, to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasture lands. However, the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron, Libnah with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, Ashan with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands. From the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasture lands, Alemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. All their towns throughout their families were thirteen. To the rest of the Kohathites were given by lot out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities.”

Here we have the dwelling places for the Levite Kohathites, based on Joshua, chapter 21. Although the Levites were to receive no territory, they were given certain cities and some pasture land. The Kohathites won the first lottery and got the towns in Judah. There is no mention of the fact that in Joshua, they also got cites from the territories of Simeon. Although the ending is the same as in Joshua, that they got 13 towns from the south and 10 towns from the north from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, some details are different here. Definitely, the Kohathite branch of the Levites ended up with 23 towns. (1) Hebron became a center of attention because it was a refugee town and the fields of the town and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. Then this ancient city of Hebron and its surrounding pasture lands were given to the Kohathites. Thus there might be some arguments about this town. The Kohathites also got (2) Libnah, a refuge town also, (3) Jattir and (4) Eshtemoa with their pasture lands. There are a few discrepancies with Joshua, since 2 towns have a different name. (5) Debir and (6) Beth-shemesh were the same, but (7) Holon has become Hilen and (8) Ain has become Ashan here. (9) Juttah is missing here in 1 Chronicles. These were the nine towns out of the two tribes of Judah and Simeon. There were 4 other towns from Benjamin but (1) Gibeon is missing here. (2) Geba and (3) Anathoth are the same as in Joshua, but (4) Alemeth has become Almon. Here there is no mention of the names of the 10 towns from the north given to the Kohathites, just the fact that it happened.

May 6, 2014

The conquest of southern Canaan (Josh 10:28-10:39)

“Joshua took Makkedah on that day. He struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed every person in it. He left no one remaining. He did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.”

First up on the slaughter journey was Makkedah, a Canaanite royal city. As long as they were in the neighborhood, Joshua killed the king of that town and destroyed everyone in it. No one was left.

“Then Joshua passed on from Makkedah and all Israel with him, to Libnah. He fought against Libnah. Yahweh gave it also with its king into the hand of Israel. He struck it with the edge of the sword, every person in it. He left no one remaining in it. He did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.”

Libnah, which was west of Makkedah, came next with the same results as above.  The king and everyone in the town killed and destroyed.

“Next Joshua crossed on from Libnah and all Israel with him, to Lachish. He laid siege to it and assaulted it. Yahweh gave Lachish into the hand of Israel. He took it on the second day. He struck it with the edge of the sword, every person in it, as he had done to Libnah. Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish. Joshua struck him and his people, leaving him no survivors.”

Joshua then attacked 1 of the cities of the 5 kings since the King of Lachish was already dead. Who is next?  It took 2 days for this victory even with the outside help of Gezer. Once again, there are no survivors.

“From Lachish, Joshua passed on with all Israel to Eglon. They laid siege to it and assaulted it. They took it that day. They struck it with the edge of the sword. Every person in it he utterly destroyed that day, as he had done to Lachish.”

He seems to be following the path of the towns of the 5 kings. The King of Eglon was also 1 of the 5 kings that was dead already. It only took 1 day to destroy everyone Eglon.

“Then Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron. They assaulted it and took it. He struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it. He left no one remaining, just as he had done to Eglon. He utterly destroyed it with every person in it.”

This pattern seems familiar. The King of Hebron was also 1 of the 5 kings but he was already dead. How were they able to kill him here, unless there was a new king? Once again, everyone is destroyed.

“Then Joshua, with all Israel, turned back to Debir. He assaulted it. He took it with its king and all its towns. They struck them with the edge of the sword. They utterly destroyed every person in it. He left no one remaining. Just as he had done to Hebron and as he had done to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and its king.”

I guess that this takes care of those 5 kings and their territories. Debir was west of Hebron. He actually only destroyed 3 of the cities because Jarmuth and Jerusalem are not mentioned here.