Lexical Summary
Misrephoth Mayim: Misrephoth Maim
Original Word: מִשְׂרְפוֹת מַיִם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Misrphowth mayim
Pronunciation: mis-reh-FOTH MAH-yim
Phonetic Spelling: (mis-ref-ohth' mah'-yim)
KJV: Misrephoth-mayim
NASB: Misrephoth-maim
Word Origin: [from the plural of H4955 (מִשׂרָפָה - burned) and H4325 (מַיִם - water)]
1. burnings of water
2. Misrephoth-Majim, a place in Israel
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Misrephoth-Majim, a place in Palestine
From the plural of misraphah and mayim; burnings of water; Misrephoth-Majim, a place in Palestine -- Misrephoth-mayim.
see HEBREW misraphah
see HEBREW mayim
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
misraphah and
mayimDefinition"burning of water," a place in Isr. probably near Sidon
NASB TranslationMisrephoth-maim (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Joshua 11:8;
Joshua 13:6 (apparently near coast); compare (dubious Buhl
Geogr. 229)
Mušêrfe, 14 miles south of Tyre, see Di and references, Guérin
Gal ii. 166 f.. — , , etc.
I. (Late Hebrew , Aramaic 👁 Image
, , all comb, card; Arabic 👁 Image
slit sheep's ear, pluck fruit).
Topical Lexicon
Historical and Geographical Setting Mishrefoth Maim is generally identified with a site along the Phoenician coast north of Mount Carmel, in the vicinity of Sidon and the Valley of Lebanon. Ancient writers and modern archaeologists place it near thermal springs that empty into the Mediterranean Sea, a detail that explains the name’s tie to “burnings” or “hot” waters. Its coastal position made it an important waypoint on the north–south trade routes and a natural boundary marker between Canaanite city-states and the highlands of Galilee.
Biblical Occurrences
1. Joshua 11:8 records that Joshua, after the LORD had routed the northern coalition at the waters of Merom, “pursued them as far as Great Sidon, Mishrefoth Maim, and the Valley of Mizpeh to the east. He struck them down until no survivors remained.”
2. Joshua 13:6 lists Mishrefoth Maim among the unconquered territories that yet lay within the divine grant to Israel: “All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim—all the Sidonians—, I Myself will drive out before the Israelites.”
Strategic Importance in the Conquest
The site marks the northern limit of Joshua’s victorious pursuit in the first account and the southwestern edge of the Phoenician domain in the second. Its mention in both conquest and inheritance passages indicates that the Israelites viewed it as a key landmark for securing the coastal corridor. By driving the fleeing armies that far north, Joshua prevented the Canaanite kings from regrouping in the fortified Phoenician cities. Yet decades later the same region remained outside day-to-day Israelite control, showing that the initial military victory still awaited full settlement by the tribes in obedience to God’s continuing promise.
Theological Themes
• Covenant Faithfulness: The movement of the battle line to Mishrefoth Maim illustrates the LORD’s promise in Exodus 23:31 to extend Israel’s borders to the sea and to the north.
• Divine Participation: In both passages, God’s initiative is stressed—first by granting victory, then by pledging future expulsion of the Sidonians. Human obedience operates within divine certainty.
• Already/Not Yet Pattern: Joshua’s triumph demonstrates the “already” of God’s gift; the lingering pockets of resistance highlight the “not yet” aspect that calls for ongoing trust and vigilance.
Implications for Ministry and Discipleship
Mishrefoth Maim reminds modern believers that God often gives decisive victories that still require continued faithfulness to secure their full fruit. Like Israel, congregations celebrate breakthroughs yet must persist in prayer, discipleship, and witness to see the promise fully realized. The site also underscores the missionary horizon: the northern coastal peoples, though outside Israel’s initial settlement, were never outside God’s redemptive plan (seen ultimately in Jesus’ ministry in the region of Tyre and Sidon).
Archaeological and Historical Notes
Researchers correlate Mishrefoth Maim with the hot springs at present-day Afqa, Ras en-Naqura, or Sarepta, though no single identification is unanimous. Ceramic finds from the Late Bronze Age at these locations align with the biblical timeframe of Joshua’s northern campaign, providing external corroboration for the plausibility of the biblical narrative.
Summary
Mishrefoth Maim stands as a tangible marker of God’s power in battle, His promise of inherited land, and the ongoing task of faithful occupation. Its dual appearance in Joshua serves as both testimony of past deliverance and reminder of future obedience—a pattern still instructive for the church’s mission today.
Forms and Transliterations
מַ֔יִם מַ֙יִם֙ מים ma·yim mayim
Links
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Interlinear Hebrew •
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