Place Old Testament
Shamir
Shamir was a town in the hill country of Judah (Josh. 15:48). Mentioned once in Scripture, at Joshua 15:48.
Why it matters. Town in the hill country of Judah
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.417, 34.933 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Shamir
Shamir is mentioned in the list of towns allotted to the tribe of Judah in the hill country (Josh. 15:48). The town is listed along with other settlements in the region, such as Jattir, Socoh, and Debir. The exact location of Shamir is unknown, but it was situated in the central hill country of Judah, south of Jerusalem. The name "Shamir" is derived from the Hebrew word meaning "thorn" or "flint," possibly indicating the presence of thorny vegetation or rocky terrain in the area. No other information about the town is provided in the biblical text, and its history and significance remain obscure. The mention of Shamir in the territorial allotment of Judah demonstrates the extent of the tribe's inheritance and provides insight into the geographical distribution of settlements in the hill country during the period of the conquest and settlement of Canaan.
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)