Place Old Testament
Chesil
Also known as Chesil =ESV, KJV; Kesil =NIV
Chesil was a town allotted to the tribe of Judah in the southern part of their territory. Mentioned once in Scripture, at Joshua 15:30.
Why it matters. Town in Judah's southern region
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.245, 34.841 (disputed, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified. OpenBible.info places it about 123 km away (32.050, 35.733); the identification may be uncertain.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Chesil
Chesil is mentioned only once in the Bible, in Joshua 15:30, as one of the towns in the southernmost region of the territory allocated to the tribe of Judah. It is listed among other towns such as Hormah, Ziklag, and Madmannah.
No further details are provided about Chesil in the biblical text, such as its exact location, history, or significance. Its inclusion in the list of Judah's towns suggests that it was a recognized settlement during the time of Joshua and the division of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel.
The name Chesil may be derived from the Hebrew word "kesil," which means "fool" or "stupid one." However, without additional context, the meaning and implications of the town's name remain uncertain.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Joshua (1 verse)