שְׁפֵלָה (she.phe.lah)
she.phe.lah
Shephelah
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 19 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun shephelah refers to a lowland or valley, specifically the rolling foothills that lie between the central Judean mountains and the coastal plain. In the Hebrew Bible, it functions as a technical geographic term for this distinct strip of land west of Jerusalem. This region acts as a transitional zone, connecting the highlands with the sea.
Its significance in Scripture is deeply tied to its strategic location. Because it serves as an entry point to the mountainous interior, the shephelah features prominently in narratives of conquest and conflict. The Book of Joshua lists numerous cities within this lowland area as part of the territory allocated to various tribes, highlighting its importance for settlement and defense.
Later historical books, such as Chronicles and Jeremiah, mention the region when describing military campaigns or invasions. Armies often moved through these foothills to reach Jerusalem, making the shephelah a critical buffer zone in ancient Israelite history. The word captures both the physical landscape and its role as a gateway between the coast and the central hill country.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word shephelah describes the rolling foothills that sit between the high mountains of Judea and the flat coastal plain. In ancient Israel, this was not just empty land but a vital corridor. It connected the interior communities with the wider world, serving as a gateway for trade, travel, and sometimes invasion. Because it lay on the path to Jerusalem, controlling these hills meant holding the key to the heart of the nation.
For your faith, this geography offers a quiet reminder that God’s people lived in a real, tangible world. Their security depended on both divine promise and practical vigilance. When Scripture mentions the lowland, it often highlights moments of transition or testing. It shows us that our spiritual journey also involves navigating the spaces between high peaks of victory and deep valleys of struggle.
Even in times of exile or judgment, the shephelah remained part of God’s broader plan for restoration. The prophets looked forward to a day when people would return from these foothills to worship in Jerusalem. This tells us that no matter where you find yourself in life’s landscape, God is present and working toward your ultimate homecoming.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 19 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Shephelah5×
- and/ in the/ Shephelah5×
- and/ the/ Shephelah4×
- [are] in the/ Shephelah3×
- in the/ Shephelah1×
- and/ Shephelah/ its1×
- [were] in the/ Shephelah1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בַּ/שְּׁפֵלָ֖ה3×
- וּ/בַ/שְּׁפֵלָ֗ה2×
- הַ/שְּׁפֵלָ֖ה2×
- וּ/שְׁפֵלָתֹֽ/ה\׃1×
- וּ/בַ/שְּׁפֵלָ֥ה1×
- וּ/בַ/שְּׁפֵלָ֖ה1×
- וּ/בַ/שְּׁפֵלָ֑ה1×
- וְ/הַ/שְּׁפֵלָה֙1×
- וְ/הַ/שְּׁפֵלָֽה\׃1×
- וְ/הַ/שְּׁפֵלָ֜ה1×
- וְ/הַ/שְּׁפֵלָ֖ה1×
- הַ/שְּׁפֵלָה֙1×
Key Verses
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Joshua 10:40
So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the South, the lowland, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no one remaining, but he utterly destroyed all that breathed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded.
This verse lists the lowland alongside the hill country and South to show that Joshua’s conquest was total, leaving no strategic foothills unconquered.
-
Jeremiah 32:44
Men will buy fields for money, sign the deeds, seal them, and call witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South; for I will cause their captivity to be reversed,” says Yahweh.
Here the word appears in a promise of restoration, indicating that economic life and land ownership would return to these transitional zones after exile.
-
Obadiah 1:19
Those of the South will possess the mountain of Esau, and those of the lowland, the Philistines. They will possess the field of Ephraim, and the field of Samaria. Benjamin will possess Gilead.
This prophecy assigns possession of the lowland to the Philistines, showing how geopolitical shifts in this buffer zone affected Israel’s security.
-
I Kings 10:27
The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
Solomon’s wealth is illustrated by comparing cedars to sycamore trees in the lowland, highlighting the region’s agricultural and timber resources.