| Easton's Bible Dictionary Transparency; whiteness. (1.) One of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness (Numbers 33:20, 21). (2.) One of the royal cities of the Canaanites taken by Joshua (Joshua 10:29-32; 12:15). It became one of the Levitical towns in the tribe of Judah (21:13), and was strongly fortified. Sennacherib laid siege to it (2 Kings 19:8; Isaiah 37:8). It was the native place of Hamutal, the queen of Josiah (2 Kings 23:31). It stood near Lachish, and has been identified with the modern Arak el-Menshiyeh. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia LIBNAH lib'-na (libhnah "whiteness," "transparency," "pavement" (compare Exodus 24:10 where libhnath, is translated "paved work" or a "compact foundation"); Lebna):
(1) A desert camp of the Israelites between Rimmon-perez and Rissah (Numbers 33:20, 21). Probably the same as Laban (Deuteronomy 1:1).
See WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
(2) A town in the Shephelah of Judah (Joshua 15:42). "Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah: and Yahweh delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel..... And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it" (Joshua 10:29-31; Joshua 12:15). It was one of the cities given to the "children of Aaron" (Joshua 21:13 1 Chronicles 6:57). In the reign of Joram, Libnah joined the Edomites in a revolt against the king of Judah (2 Kings 8:22 2 Chronicles 21:10). In the reign of Hezekiah, Libnah was besieged by Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:8 Isaiah 37:8). The wife of King Josiah was "Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah," she was the mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah (2 Kings 23:31; 2 Kings 24:18 Jeremiah 52:1).
The site of this important stronghold remains unknown. In the Eusebius, Onomasticon it is described, under the name Lobana or Lobna, as near Eleutheropolis (Beit Jebrin). All the indications point to a site in the Southwest of the Shephelah, not very far from Lachish. The Palestine Exploration Fund surveyors suggested (PEF, III, 259) the commanding site `Arak el Menshiyeh, or rather the white chalky mound 250 ft. high to the North of this village, and Stanley proposed Tell es Cafi. (Both these identifications are due to the interpretation of Libnah as meaning "whiteness.") In the PEFS (1897, Sh XX) Conder suggests a ruin called el Benawy, 10 miles Southeast of Lachish.
E. W. G. Masterman |  | Multi-Version Concordance Libnah (18 Occurrences) Numbers 33:20 They traveled from Rimmon Perez, and encamped in Libnah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Numbers 33:21 They traveled from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 10:29 Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 10:31 Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 10:32 Yahweh delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel. He took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, with all the souls who were in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 10:39 He took it, with its king and all its cities. They struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it. He left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king; as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 12:15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 15:42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 21:13 To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah with its suburbs, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Kings 8:22 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then did Libnah revolt at the same time. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Kings 19:8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Kings 23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Kings 24:18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Kings 25:20 and Nebuzaradan chief of the executioners taketh them, and causeth them to go unto the king of Babylon, to Libnah, (YLT) 1 Chronicles 6:57 To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron; Libnah also with its suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 2 Chronicles 21:10 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day: then did Libnah revolt at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his fathers. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Isaiah 37:8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Jeremiah 52:1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) |
