Lachish — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Place first mentioned in the Bible in connection with Joshua and the Israelite conquest of Palestine. At that time, its king and army were among the coalition of southern Palestinian towns that faced Joshua at Gibeon. After Joshua’s victory, he executed the king of Lachish and later took the town itself (Jos 10:26, 32 OET JOS 10:26 · OET JOS 10:32). Though David probably brought the town to life again, it gained new significance when King Rehoboam of Judah (c. 920 BC) made it one of his fortified cities to protect the realm against Egyptian and Philistine attacks (2 Chr 11:9). About a century later, Amaziah, king of Judah, was killed at Lachish, where he had fled to escape from conspirators (2 Kgs 14:19).

Show passage in OET: JOS 10:26; JOS 10:32

OET-RV JOS 10:26

26 Then Yehoshua executed the five kings and hanged them on five trees, where their bodies were left until evening.

OET-RV JOS 10:32

32 On the second day of the battle, Yahweh helped Yisrael defeat Lakish, and they captured it and killed everyone in the city like they had done to Livnah.

OET-LV JOS 10:26

26 And_he_struck _them _down Yəhōshūˊa after thus and_he_killed _them and_he_hanged _them on five trees and_they _were hanged on the_trees until the_evening.

OET-LV JOS 10:32

32 And_ YHWH _he/it _gave DOM Lākīsh in_the _hand _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) and_he_captured _it in _the_day the_second and_he_struck _it _down to_the_mouth _of the_sword and_DOM every _of the_living _creatures who was_in_it according_to _all that he _had _done to_Liⱱnāh.

Show passage in OET: CH2 11:9

OET-RV CH2 11:9

9 Adorayim, Lakish, Azekah,

OET-LV CH2 11:9

9 And_DOM ʼAdōrayim and_DOM Lākīsh and_DOM ˊAzēqāh.

Show passage in OET: KI2 14:19

OET-RV KI2 14:19

19 Some people in Yerushalem (Jerusalem) had plotted to assassinate him, but he fled to Lakish. However, they followed him there and killed him in the city.

OET-LV KI2 14:19

19 And_people _conspired on/upon/above_him/it a _conspiracy in_Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) and_he _fled to_Lākīsh and_they _sent after_him to_Lākīsh and_they_put _him _to _death there.

Jump to OET JOS 10:26 section. · OET JOS 10:32 section.

Jump to OET CH2 11:9 section.

Jump to OET KI2 14:19 section.

Lachish resisted valiantly when Sennacherib of Assyria invaded in 701 BC, but it ultimately fell under furious onslaughts (2 Kgs 18:13-17; Is 36). Reoccupied and rebuilt by the Judeans, it was one of the last outposts of Jerusalem to fall to the Babylonians when Nebuchadnezzar invaded in 588–586 BC and brought the southern kingdom to an end (Jer 34:7). In addition to biblical references, the Egyptian Amarna letters and Assyrian records allude to Lachish.

Show passage in OET: KI2 18:13–17

OET-RV KI2 18:13

13 In the fourteenth year of King Hizkiyah’s (Hezekiah) reign, Assyrian King Sanheriv (Sennacherib) attacked all the fortified cities in Yehudah (Judah) and captured them.

OET-RV KI2 18:14

14 So King Hizkiyah of Yehudah sent messengers to the Assyrian king at Lakish, saying, “I apologise for my mistake. Stop attacking me and I’ll give you whatever you demand of us.” Then the Assyrian king demanded a tribute of ten tonnes of gold and ten tonnes of silver.

OET-RV KI2 18:15

15 So Hizkiyah gave him all the silver out of the temple and from the palace treasuries.

OET-RV KI2 18:16

16 He cut the doors off Yahweh’s temple and the pillars that he’d overlaid gold onto, and gave them to the Assyrian king.

OET-RV KI2 18:17

17 However, the Assyrian king still sent his general and some of his top officials from Lakish to King Hizkiyah in Yerushalem (Jerusalem). They arrived at Yerushalem with a large army and camped by the aquifer supplying the upper pool that was near the field where the people washed their clothes.

OET-LV KI2 18:13

13 And_in_four- teen year to/for_the _king Ḩizqiy^yāh Şanḩērīⱱ the _king _of ʼAshshūr he _came _up on all _of the _cities _of Yəhūdāh/(Judah) (the)_fortified and_he_seized _them.

OET-LV KI2 18:14

14 And_ Ḩizqiy^yāh the _king _of Yəhūdāh _he _sent to the _king _of ʼAshshūr to_Lākīsh to_say I _have _sinned turn _back from_on_me DOM that_which you _will _put on_me I _will _bear and_ the _king _of ʼAshshūr _he/it _assigned on Ḩizqiy^yāh the _king _of Yəhūdāh three hundred(s) talent[s]_of silver and_thirty talent[s]_of gold.

OET-LV KI2 18:15

15 And_ Ḩizqiy^yāh _he/it _gave DOM all _of the_silver which_was_found the _house _of YHWH and_in_the _treasuries _of the _house _of the _king.

OET-LV KI2 18:16

16 At_time (the)_that Ḩizqiy^yāh he _cut _off DOM the _doors _of the _temple _of YHWH and_DOM the_door-posts which Ḩizqiy^yāh the _king _of Yəhūdāh he _had _overlaid and_he_gave _them to_the _king _of ʼAshshūr.

OET-LV KI2 18:17

17 And_ the _king _of ʼAshshūr _he _sent DOM the_commander _in _chief and_DOM the_Raⱱ-_of şārīş and_DOM the_Raⱱ-_of shaqeh from Lākīsh to the_king Ḩizqiy^yāh with_an _army _of massive Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) and_they _went _up and_they _came Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) and_they _went _up and_they _came and_they _stood at_the _conduit _of the _pool (the)_upper which is_on_the_highway _of the_field _of the_washer.

Show passage in OET: JER 34:7

OET-RV JER 34:7

7 when the Babylonian king’s army had attacked Yerushalem and Yehudah’s remaining fortified cities of Lakish and Azekah.

OET-LV JER 34:7

7 And_the _army _of the _king _of Bāⱱel were_fighting on Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) and_on all _of the _cities _of Yəhūdāh/(Judah) which_were_left against Lākīsh and_near/to ˊAzēqāh if/because they they _remained among_the _cities _of Yəhūdāh cities _of fortification.

Jump to OET KI2 18:13–17 section.

Jump to OET JER 34:7 section.

The location of Lachish was long debated. Originally, it was placed at Umm Lakis, then in 1891 at Tell el-Hesi, and finally in 1929 at Tell ed-Duweir, 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem and 15 miles (24.1 kilometers) west of Hebron. This last identification has now been confirmed by a variety of indicators.