Lexical Summary Yebus: Jebus Original Word: יְבוּס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jebus From buwc; trodden, i.e. Threshing-place; Jebus, the aboriginal name of Jerusalem -- Jebus. see HEBREW buwc NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bus Definition an early name of Jer. NASB Translation Jebus (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs יְבוּס proper name, of a location Jebus, name of Jerusalem according to Judges 19:10 יְבוּס הִיא יְרוּשָׁלַםִ, compare also Judges 19:11; 1 Chronicles 11:4 יְרוּשָׁלַםִ הִיא יְבוּס, compare 1 Chronicles 11:5. Topical Lexicon Name and Setting Yebus (Jebus) designates the Canaanite city that later became Jerusalem. The term appears only four times, all marking the interval between Israel’s entry into the land and David’s establishment of his capital. Occurrences and Narrative Function 1. Judges 19:10–11 places Jebus on the travel route of the Levite and his concubine. The city is explicitly identified for later readers: “…he came to a place near Jebus (that is, Jerusalem)” (Judges 19:10). These references frame Jebus as (a) a city under pagan control that offered no covenantal safety (Judges 19) and (b) a seemingly impregnable fortress overcome by the anointed king (1 Chronicles 11). Historical Background The Jebusites were a branch of the Canaanites inhabiting the central hill country. Archaeology confirms an ancient settlement on the southeastern ridge of modern Jerusalem, defended by steep valleys and early water-tunnel technology. Although Joshua defeated Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem (Joshua 10), the city itself remained under Jebusite control (Joshua 15:63). Centuries later, David’s decisive capture around 1000 BC brought the last major Canaanite enclave under Israelite rule. From Jebus to Jerusalem David’s choice of Jebus was strategic and theological. Strategically, the neutral site lay on the border of Judah and Benjamin, uniting north and south. Theologically, the conquest fulfilled earlier promises that Israel would dispossess every nation (Genesis 15:18–21) and set the stage for the sanctuary’s permanent location (2 Chronicles 6:6). The city’s old name therefore becomes a literary foil: what was once “trampled” (a nuance of the root) now becomes the place where the Lord “is enthroned between the cherubim” (Psalm 99:1). Theological Themes 1. Covenant fulfillment: Jebusite resistance is finally broken under David, demonstrating the reliability of God’s word across generations. Prophetic and Messianic Foreshadowing Psalm 2, Isaiah 2:1–4, and Zechariah 8 envision Zion as the global center of divine rule and instruction. The transition from Jebus to Jerusalem prefigures Christ’s triumph over entrenched spiritual strongholds (Hebrews 12:22–24). As David’s victory inaugurated an era of peace, so the greater Son of David secures everlasting peace through His cross and resurrection. Ministry Reflections • Strongholds fall: No cultural fortress is beyond God’s reach; persistent obedience in leadership can reclaim territory for His glory. Summary Yebus represents both the last vestige of Canaanite resistance and the raw material from which God fashions His chosen city. Its brief but pointed appearance in Scripture showcases divine faithfulness, the ascendancy of the Davidic kingdom, and the anticipation of a future, universal Zion under the reign of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations יְב֑וּס יְב֔וּס יְבוּס֙ יבוס yə·ḇūs yəḇūs yeVusLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 19:10 HEB: עַד־ נֹ֣כַח יְב֔וּס הִ֖יא יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם NAS: to [a place] opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). KJV: over against Jebus, which [is] Jerusalem; INT: to opposite Jebus he which Jerusalem Judges 19:11 1 Chronicles 11:4 1 Chronicles 11:5 4 Occurrences |
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