דִּלְעָן

Dilan, a place in Palestine

Definition

Dilan (דִּלְעָן) is a proper noun identifying a town in the territory of Judah, listed among the cities in the Shephelah (lowland) region (Joshua 15:38). It is one of many settlements allotted to the tribe of Judah following the conquest of Canaan. As a place name, it signifies a specific, though minor, geographical location within the biblical landscape. No other meanings or senses for this word are attested in the biblical text.

Biblical Usage

The word דִּלְעָן is used only once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 15:38. It appears in a list of cities within the tribal inheritance of Judah, specifically in a group of towns located in the Shephelah. Its usage is purely geographical, serving to document the extent of Judah's territory.

Etymology

The etymology of דִּלְעָן (Dilʻân) is uncertain. Scholars have not identified a clear Hebrew root or derivation. It may be a pre-Israelite Canaanite place name that was adopted into Hebrew, which is common for many geographical locations in the Bible. Some suggest a possible, though unproven, connection to a root meaning 'to draw out' or 'to extract,' but this remains speculative.

Semantic Range

As a place name in a conquest-era boundary list, Dilan represents the tangible fulfillment of God's promise to give the land of Canaan to the tribe of Judah. Its mention, though brief, contributes to the detailed historical record of Israel's settlement, affirming the specificity of God's allotment to His people. For the original audience, such lists established identity, heritage, and territorial claims.

Other Judahite town names from the same list, like Lachish (Lākîš, H3923) and Azekah (ʿAzeqâ, H5825), serve a similar function as geographical markers but refer to different, often more prominent, locations.

Word Details

Scripture References