The Word for Today with Ray: 2026

Monday, July 6, 2026

Janum, Bethtappuah and Aphekah - Joshua 15:53

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families” which included among others “Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof. And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir, and Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim, and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages: Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean”, and in chapter fifteen and verse fifty-three of Joshua we learn about, “Janum, Bethtappuah and Aphekah” where we read,

And Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah

The verse reads, “And Janum, and Bethtappuah, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and Janum" whose name means “asleep” and was “a town in the mountains of Judah apparently not far from Hebron”, “and Bethtappuah” whose name means “house of the apple or place of apples” and was “a town in Judah”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Janum and Bethtappuah” were included within the territories that were assigned to the people of “Judah”.

The verse goes on to say, “… and Aphekah” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “and Aphekah” whose name means “enclosure” and was “a city near Hebron in Judah”. Joshua or the writer added “Aphekah” to the dwelling places that were granted to the “tribe of Judah”.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we see how “Janum, Bethtappuah, and Aphekah” were three more “cities” which were inherited by the “tribe of Judah” within the promise land. Jehovah God provided for the people of “Judah”, and He will provide for us when we yield to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. When we submit to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and give us the ability to live according to that truth and in a way that is pleasing to Him. (See John 3:16: 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)

Next time Joshua or the writer shares about, “Humtah, Kirjatharba, which is Hebron and Zior”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

Arab, Dumah and Eshean - Joshua 15:52

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families” which included among others “Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof. And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir, and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages”, and in chapter fifteen and verse fifty-two of Joshua we learn about, “Arab, Dumah and Eshean” where we read,

Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean

The verse reads, “Arab, and Dumah, …” Joshua or the writer began with the word, “Arab" whose name means “ambush” and was “a city near Hebron”, “and Dumah” whose name means “silence” and was “a town in the mountainous district of Judah, near Hebron”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Arab and Dumah” were among the dwelling places given to the “tribe of Judah” within the promise land.

The verse continues, “… and Eshean” Joshua or the writer added the words, “and Eshean” whose name means “support” and was “a city in Judah”. Joshua or the writer included “Eshean” to be among the “cities” that were allotted to the people of “Judah”.

When we consider the words in this verse, we discover three more “cities”, “Arab, Dumah and Eshean”, that were provided to the “tribe of Judah” within the promise land. City by city and dwelling place by dwelling place was being given to the people of “Judah” to raised their families in the presence of Jehovah God. God loves to provide for people, and because we have all sinned against Him, He sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days. (See Romans 3:23; 6:23) Everyone who puts their faith and trust in Him as their “Savior and Lord” will be forgiven of their sins, granted everlasting life and equipped with His Holy Spirit who will guide them into all truth and help them live in a manner that is pleasing to Him regardless of where we are in the world. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)

Next time Joshua or the writer shares about, “Janum, Bethtappuah and Aphekah”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Goshen, Holon and Giloh - Joshua 15:51

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families” which included among others “Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof. And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, and Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir, and Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim”, and in chapter fifteen and verse fifty-one of Joshua we learn about, “Goshen, Holon and Giloh” where we read,

And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:

The verse reads, “And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh;” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and Goshen" whose name means “drawing near” and was “a town in the mountains of Judah probably in the district of Goshen”, “and Holon” whose name means “sandy” and was “a town in the mountains of Judah given to the priests”, “and Giloh” whose name means “exile” and was “a city in the mountains of Judah, home town of Ahithophel”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Goshen, Holon and Giloh” were among the locations give to the “tribe of Judah”.

The verse goes on to say, “eleven cities with their villages:” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “eleven cities” which means “eleven dwelling places and places of waking” “with their villages” or “alongside and accompanied by their, Goshen, Holon and Giloh’s, settled abodes or towns”. Joshua or the writer said there were “eleven” dwelling places alongside their settled abodes that were also given to the people of “Judah”.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Joshua or the writer about another three “cities”, “Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh”, and their “eleven” accompanying towns that were granted by Jehovah God to the “tribe of Judah” in the promise land. God provides for His people, and He desires to have a personal relationship with all of us. However, because we have sin in our lives which separates us from a relationship with Him and leads to death (See Romans 3:23; 6:23), God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and He raised Him from the dead after three days. When we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and to empower us to live according to that truth so we live in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Next time Joshua or the writer shares about, “Arab, Dumah, and Eshean”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Anab, Eshtemoh and Anim - Joshua 15:50

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families” which included among others “Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof. And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, and Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir”, and in chapter fifteen and verse fifty of Joshua we learn about, “Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim” where we read,

And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim

The verse reads, “And Anab, and Eshtemoh, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and Anab" whose name means “fruit” and was “a city in the mountains of southern Judah, eighteen miles southwest of Hebron”, “and Ehtemoh” or Eshtemoa whose name means “I will make myself heard or I shall cause my own ruin: fire of astonishment: I shall soar aloft” and was “a Levitical city in Judah”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Anab and Eshtemoh” were also among the “cities” given to the “tribe of Judah”.

The verse continues, “… and Anim” Joshua or the writer added the words, “and Anim” whose name means “fountains” and was “a town in the mountains of southern Judah”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Anim” was among the dwelling places granted to the people of “Judah”.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn about three more “cities”, “Anab, Eshtemoh, and Anim”, that were added to the lands provided for the people of “Judah”. God was fulfilling His promise to give the people of Israel the territory on the other side of the “Jordan River”, and the “tribe of Judah” was receiving their inheritance. God loves the people of Israel, and He loves us. He wants everyone to be in a personal relationship with Him through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was resurrected from the grave after three days. When we surrender to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and give us the ability to live in a manner that blesses and pleases Him.

Next time Joshua or the writer shares about, “Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Dannah, Kirjathsannah and Debir - Joshua 15:49

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families” which included among others “Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof. And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh”, and in chapter fifteen and verse forty-nine of Joshua we learn about, “Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir” where we read,

And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir

The verse reads, “And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and Dannah" whose name means “you have judged or judgment” and was “a town in the hill country of Judah, probably south or southwest of Hebron”, “and Kirjathsannah” whose name means “city of the book” and was “a town in the mountains of Judah to the west of Hebron”. Joshua or the writer added “Dannah and Kirjathsannah” to the list of lands given to the “tribe of Judah”.

The verse goes on to say, “… which is Debir,” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “which is” and means “that exists as” “Debir” whose name means “sanctuary” and was “a town in the mountains of Judah west of Hebron and given to the priests and a city of refuge”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Kirjathsannah” was also known as “Debir”.

When we consider the words in this verse, we see two more names of the locations that were given to the people of “Judah”. “Dannah and Kirjathsannah which was also known as Debir” became the territories upon which the “tribe of Judah” would raise their families and live in the presence and worship of Jehovah God. God loves the people of Israel, and He provided the promise land to them. He loves us as well, and when we yield our lives to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and empower us to live in a manner that is pleasing to Him wherever we are in the world. (See John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)

Next time Joshua or the writer shares about, “Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Shamir, Jattir and Socoh - Joshua 15:48

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families” which included among others “sixteen cities with their villages: Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, and Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages: Ekron, with her towns and her villages; From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages. Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof”, and in chapter fifteen and verse forty-eight of Joshua we learn about, “in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh” where we read,

And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,

The verse reads, “and in the mountains …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and in" which means “and within” “the mountains” or “ the risings above the plains or hills”. Joshua or the writer referred to the mountainous regions according to the following which were given to the “tribe of Judah”.

The verse continues, “… Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,” Joshua or the writer added the word, “Shamir” which means “a point or thorn” and was “a town in the mountain district of Judah, “and Jattir” or “plenty” whose name means and was “town in the mountains of Judah”, “and Socoh” or Shocho or Shochoh or Sochoh or Shoco which means “bushy” and was “a town in the lowlands of Judah”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Shamir, Jattir and Socoh” were “cities” located in the mountainous area and were given to the “tribe of Judah”.

When we think through the words in this verse, we discover three “cities”, “Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh” which were located in the risings above the plain that were provided to the people of “Judah”. Jehovah God provided these territories to “Judah”, and because He is a God of variety, He gave this mountainous area to them. God loves people who are scattered all over the world. He knows everyone is separated from a personal relationship with Him because of sin, and for this reason He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross and to be raised from the dead after three days. When we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, wherever we are located, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and to empower us to live in a manner that is pleasing to Him. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8)

Next time Joshua or the writer shares about, “Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Ashdod, Gaza, the River of Egypt and the Great Sea - Joshua 15:47

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “this is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families” which included among others “sixteen cities with their villages: Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan, and Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib, and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages: Ekron, with her towns and her villages; From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages”, and in chapter fifteen and verse forty-seven of Joshua we learn about,“Ashdod, Gaza, the river of Egypt and the great sea” where we read,

Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages,

unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof:

The verse reads, “Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, …” Joshua or the writer began with the word, “Ashdod" whose name means “powerful” and was “a major Philistine city on the Mediterranean Sea west from Jerusalem, modern Esdud”, “with her towns” which means “alongside and accompanied by her, Ashdod’s, settled abodes and hamlets” “and her villages” or “and her, Ashdod’s, hamlets and towns”, “Gaza” whose name means “the strong” and was “another name for 'Gaza', a city of the Philistines located in the extreme southwest of Palestine close to the Mediterranean” “with her towns” which means “alongside and accompanied by her, Gaza’s, settled abodes and towns” “and her villages” or “and her, Gaza’s, hamlets and towns”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Ashdod and Gaza” along with their accompanying settled abodes were allotted to the “tribe of Judah”.

The verse goes on to say, “… unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof:” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “unto the river of Egypt” which means “to the flowing waters belonging to Egypt whose name means land of the Copts and was a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows”, “and the great sea” or “and the massive and large body of water, the Mediterranean Sea”, “and the border thereof” which means “and the edge and boundary of the Mediterranean Sea”. Joshua or the writer said the land granted to the “tribe of Judah” extended to the flowing waters belonging to “Egypt”, to the Mediterranean Sea and to the boundary of the Sea.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we see how vast the territory was that was bestowed upon the people of “Judah”. From “Ashdod” to “Gaza” and all their accompanying towns, to the flowing waters of “Egypt” and the boundary of the Mediterranean Sea, God provided for the “tribe of Judah” even as He promised. God will provide for us as well, and when we believe and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and empower us to live according to that truth in a manner that is pleasing to Him in the world. (See John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)

Next time Joshua or the writer shares about, “in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…