Original Word: אֶשְׁתָּאֹל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Eshta'ol
Pronunciation: esh-tah-OHL
Phonetic Spelling: (esh-taw-ole')
KJV: Eshtaol
Word Origin: [probably from H7592 (שָׁאַל שָׁאֵל - ask)]

1. intreaty
2. Eshtaol, a place in Israel

Eshtaol

Or meshtafowl {esh-taw-ole'}; probably from sha'al; intreaty; Eshtaol, a place in Palestine -- Eshtaol.

see HEBREW sha'al

אֶשְׁתָּאוֺל Joshua 15:33 2t., אֶשְׁתָּאֹל Judges 13:25 3t. proper name, of a location (in form like the infinitive of the Arabic VIII. conjugation from שָׁאַל: so אֶשְׁתְּמֹעַ from שָׁמַע. Perhaps Arabic-speaking tribes may have settled in parts of south of Judah) city of Danites in the שְׁפֵלָה of Judah, named with צָרְעָה Joshua 15:33; Joshua 19:41; Judges 13:25; Judges 16:31; Judges 18:2,8,11; perhaps modern Eshû±­ Survey^{iii. 25} Guérin^{Pal. ii. 13 f.}382

Geographical Setting

Eshtaol lay in the Shephelah—the low-lying hills that bridge Judah’s highlands and the Philistine plain. Situated about 15 miles (24 km) west of Jerusalem and north-west of Beth Shemesh, the town formed a natural gateway from the interior toward the coastal territories. Its proximity to Zorah and location on a fertile slope provided pastureland, vineyards, and strategic oversight of the Sorek Valley.

Tribal Allocation and Boundary Status

The city is named first among the “thirty towns” of the Shephelah allotted to Judah (Joshua 15:33), yet it also appears within the inheritance of Dan (Joshua 19:41). This dual listing reveals Eshtaol’s border character. Judah controlled the heights; Dan, pressed by Philistine power, occupied pockets in the foothills. Eshtaol thus became a place where tribal boundaries overlapped—an arena for inter-tribal cooperation, tension, and, in time, migration.

Key Occurrences in Scripture

1. Joshua 15:33 – Inclusion among Judah’s Shephelah towns.
2. Joshua 19:41 – Named within Dan’s share alongside Zorah and Ir-shemesh.
3. Judges 13:25 – “The Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.”
4. Judges 16:31 – Samson is buried “between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father.”
5. Judges 18:2, 8, 11 – Danite spies and the 600 armed men set out “from Zorah and Eshtaol” to seize Laish.

Association with Samson

Eshtaol stands at both the beginning and end of Samson’s recorded ministry. Here the Spirit initiated his calling (Judges 13:25), and here his relatives laid his body to rest (Judges 16:31). The setting underscores the principle that divine empowerment and human weakness can occupy the same landscape: Eshtaol witnessed Samson’s earliest spiritual stirrings and his ultimate burial—testimony that the LORD remains sovereign over the lives of His servants from first call to final breath.

Role in the Danite Migration

Judges 18 depicts Eshtaol as a launching pad for Dan’s search for broader territory. Five scouts, “valiant men” (Judges 18:2), return to mobilize 600 fighters (Judges 18:11) who eventually conquer Laish and rename it Dan. Eshtaol therefore becomes a symbol of restless faith and unfulfilled inheritance, illustrating how partial obedience (failure to secure Dan’s allotted land) can produce displacement yet still be woven into God’s unfolding plan.

Archaeological Notes

Khirbet Esh-Sheikh Abu Ghudda and Khirbet Sufa have been suggested as possible sites, though Tel Eshtaʿol (Tel ʾEštaʿol) remains the favored identification. Excavations have uncovered Middle Bronze, Iron I, and Iron II occupation levels, including domestic structures and storage silos consistent with a small agrarian community. A unique cemetery northeast of the tel yielded rock-cut tombs reflecting the burial customs of the Judges period, lending plausibility to the narrative of Samson’s burial nearby.

Theological and Ministry Reflections

1. Border Ministry: Believers often serve on cultural or spiritual frontiers much like Eshtaol occupied tribal edges. Faithfulness amid overlapping claims can model unity without compromising identity.
2. Spirit-Initiated Leadership: Samson’s stirring at Eshtaol reminds ministers that genuine calling is Spirit-provoked rather than self-appointed.
3. Legacy and Rest: The same ground that birthed Samson’s ministry received his remains. End-of-life faithfulness matters; what begins in the Spirit should conclude in hope.
4. Corporate Discipleship: The Danite account challenges congregations to address unfinished obedience lest wandering replace settled inheritance.

Prophetic Resonances

While Eshtaol is not named in later prophetic or New Testament passages, its border setting fore-shadows the kingdom’s expansion “from Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). What began as a small town straddling two tribal territories anticipates a gospel destined to cross every boundary.

Summary

Eshtaol’s seven Old Testament mentions trace a line from territorial allotment, through Spirit-empowered deliverance, to tribal migration. Its modest profile belies a rich testimony: God shapes history in border towns, calls servants from ordinary places, confronts disobedience, and fulfills His purposes despite human limitation.

אֶשְׁתָּא֥וֹל אֶשְׁתָּאֹ֔ל אֶשְׁתָּאֹֽל׃ אשתאול אשתאל אשתאל׃ וְאֶשְׁתָּא֖וֹל וְאֶשְׁתָּאֹ֑ל וּמֵֽאֶשְׁתָּאֹ֗ל וּמֵאֶשְׁתָּאֹ֑ל ואשתאול ואשתאל ומאשתאל ’eš·tā·’ō·wl ’eš·tā·’ōl ’eštā’ōl ’eštā’ōwl eshtaol ū·mê·’eš·tā·’ōl ūmê’eštā’ōl umeeshtaOl veeshtaol wə’eštā’ōl wə’eštā’ōwl wə·’eš·tā·’ō·wl wə·’eš·tā·’ōlInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts