Original Word: יָנִים
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Yaniym
Pronunciation: yah-NEEM or yah-NOOM
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-neem')
KJV: Janum (from the margin)
NASB: Janum
Word Origin: [from H5123 (נוּם - slumber)]

1. asleep
2. Janim, a place in Israel

Janum

From nuwm; asleep; Janim, a place in Palestine -- Janum (from the margin).

see HEBREW nuwm

Word Origin
from num
Definition
a city in Judah
NASB Translation
Janum (1).

יָנוּם proper name, of a location city in Judah, Joshua 15:53 Qr; Kt ינים (so van d. H. Ginsb; Baer only יָנוּם); ᵐ5 Ιεμαειν, A ᵐ5^L Ιανουμ.

Biblical Occurrence and Literary Context

Janum appears a single time, within the hill-country list of Judah’s inheritance: “Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah” (Joshua 15:53). The verse sits in a larger catalog (Joshua 15:48-54) that moves from west to east, naming nine interior towns. The inclusion of every settlement, even one that Scripture never mentions again, underlines Joshua’s central theme: the Lord apportions the land precisely as promised (Joshua 21:43-45).

Geographical Setting

The context of surrounding names (Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, Humtah, Hebron, Zior) situates Janum in the south-central Judean highlands, likely on a ridge southwest of Hebron and north of the Negev fringe. Several surveys propose Khirbet Janun or Khirbet el-Kufeir as candidates, both commanding views of fertile terraced slopes and ancient travel routes leading toward the Shephelah. Whatever the exact site, the location reflects Judah’s strategic pattern of fortified upland towns guarding agricultural basins and water sources.

Historical Background

1. Conquest and Allocation. Janum would have fallen under the sweeping campaign described in Joshua 10–11. By the time tribal allotments were drawn, its territory was secure enough to be cataloged without commentary, implying an orderly transition from Canaanite control to Israelite possession.
2. Administrative Significance. Although Janum never rises to the prominence of Hebron or Bethlehem, its placement inside a nine-city cluster suggests a role in local governance, taxation, and defense. Hill-country towns often functioned as satellite guardians of larger centers, relaying signals and offering refuge during seasonal raids.
3. Post-Conquest Silence. No further biblical notice may indicate subsequent absorption by a neighboring center or gradual decline. The silence, however, also testifies to the ordinary life that followed conquest—fields planted, families established, covenant life practiced without headline events.

Theological Themes and Ministry Applications

• Particularity of Promise. Every name in Joshua 15, including Janum, certifies that God’s covenant faithfulness extends to specific places and people. Believers may draw comfort that divine promises likewise encompass the overlooked corners of their own lives.
• Stewardship of Inheritance. Judah was entrusted with terrain that demanded cultivation, protection, and worship. Modern ministry likewise involves tending whatever field God assigns, whether large like Hebron or small like Janum (Luke 16:10).
• Collective Identity. Janum’s positioning within a list reminds the Church that no community stands alone; each congregation contributes to the corporate witness of God’s people (1 Corinthians 12:18-26).

Archaeological and Scholarly Considerations

• Pottery from proposed sites aligns with Late Bronze to Iron Age I occupation, matching the biblical timeframe.
• The absence of monumental architecture fits a modest agricultural town, yet terrace walls, cisterns, and rock-cut tombs point to stable settlement.
• Janum’s possible etymological link to rest or sleep evokes Sabbath imagery; while speculative, such resonance would suit a hill community enjoying security after the turmoil of conquest.

Related References and Further Study

Joshua 10:40; Joshua 15:1-20; Joshua 21:43-45; Psalm 37:3-4; Luke 16:10; 1 Corinthians 12:18-26

וְיָנ֥וּם וינום veyaNum wə·yā·nūm wəyānūmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts