חֻמְטָה

Chumtah, a place in Palestine

Definition

Chumtah is a proper noun referring to a specific location in the ancient territory of Judah. It is listed among the cities within the hill country allotment of the tribe of Judah in Joshua 15:54. As a place name, its meaning is derived from its root, suggesting a 'low' or 'low-lying' place. The single biblical occurrence provides no further narrative detail about events at this site, leaving its precise geographical identification uncertain to modern scholars.

Biblical Usage

The word חֻמְטָה (Chumtah) is used only once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 15:54. Its usage is strictly as a geographical proper noun within a list of cities allotted to the tribe of Judah. It appears in a context of territorial cataloging, with no associated stories, battles, or notable figures, indicating it was likely a minor settlement.

Etymology

The name Chumtah is the feminine form of the Hebrew noun חֹמֶט (chomet, H2546), which means 'lizard' but also carries a sense of something 'low' or 'creeping.' As a place name, it likely describes the topography of the location, meaning 'low place' or possibly 'place of lizards,' emphasizing its physical characteristics rather than a narrative origin.

Semantic Range

In the ancient Near Eastern context, place names were often descriptive of local geography, flora, or fauna. Naming a town 'Chumtah' (low place) would have provided immediate, practical information about its setting to the original Israelite audience. Its inclusion in a formal tribal boundary list (Joshua 15) underscores the importance of land inheritance and God's faithfulness in distributing the Promised Land, even documenting smaller, otherwise unknown towns.

חֹמֶט (chomet, H2546) — The masculine root noun meaning 'lizard' or something low, from which Chumtah is derived.

Word Details

Scripture References