Libnah
“Whiteness”
Summary
A Canaanite royal city captured by Joshua that became a Levitical city in Judah, and later rebelled against Jehoram king of Judah.
☩Conquest and Location
Libnah was a Canaanite royal city whose king Joshua conquered during the southern campaign following the battle of Gibeon (Joshua 10:29-32; 12:15). The city was taken immediately after Makkedah and before Lachish. It was allocated to the tribe of Judah in the Shephelah or lowland region (Joshua 15:42), and was later designated a Levitical city for the priests (Joshua 21:13; 1 Chronicles 6:57). The name means 'whiteness,' perhaps referring to white chalk cliffs or buildings in the area.
☩Historical Events
Libnah revolted against King Jehoram of Judah at the same time as Edom, 'because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers' (2 Chronicles 21:10; 2 Kings 8:22). This suggests the city retained a strongly Yahwistic population, being a Levitical city. During Sennacherib's invasion, after his siege of Lachish, he moved his headquarters to Libnah before sending messengers to Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:8; Isaiah 37:8). The city was also the birthplace of Hamutal, wife of King Josiah and mother of kings Jehoahaz and Zedekiah (2 Kings 23:31; 24:18).
☩Station in the Wilderness
A place named Libnah also appears as a station of the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings, between Rimmon-parez and Rissah (Numbers 33:20-21). This was apparently a different location from the Judean city, situated somewhere in the desert region. Some scholars identify this wilderness Libnah with Laban mentioned in Deuteronomy 1:1.
Related Verses17 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Libnah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Libnah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).