הוֹהָם
Hoham, a Canaanitish king
Definition
Hoham is the name of a Canaanite king who ruled the city of Hebron during the time of Joshua's conquest of the Promised Land. He is specifically identified as one of the five Amorite kings who formed a military alliance to attack the Gibeonites after they made a treaty with Israel (Joshua 10:3). This alliance led to the famous battle where Joshua commanded the sun to stand still. Hoham's role is exclusively as a historical figure and antagonist in the narrative of Israel's conquest, with no other meanings or senses attached to the name in the biblical text.
Biblical Usage
The name Hoham appears only once in the entire Old Testament, in Joshua 10:3. It is used strictly as a proper noun to identify the king of Hebron. The context is military and political, detailing the coalition of southern Canaanite kings who opposed Israel. There are no patterns of usage, as it is a single-occurrence personal name.
Etymology
The etymology of Hoham (הוֹהָם) is uncertain. Scholars have not reached a consensus on its derivation or root meaning in Hebrew. It is likely a name of Canaanite origin, reflecting the language and naming conventions of the pre-Israelite inhabitants of the land. As such, its original meaning is lost to history.
Semantic Range
While the name Hoham itself holds no inherent theological meaning, his story is theologically significant. He represents the entrenched Canaanite powers that God had judged and commanded Israel to dispossess (Deuteronomy 20:17-18). His defeat, as part of the coalition of five kings, demonstrates God's faithfulness in fulfilling the land promise to Israel and His power in fighting for His people (Joshua 10:42). Understanding this context enriches the reading of Joshua as a record of divine judgment and covenant fulfillment.
As a king of Hebron, Hoham was a ruler within the complex political landscape of city-states in Canaan prior to the Israelite conquest. His quick formation of an alliance with other kings reflects the volatile and competitive nature of Canaanite rulership. The title 'king' (melech) in this context denoted a city-state ruler or chieftain, not necessarily an emperor over a vast territory. His identity as an Amorite places him within one of the major Canaanite people groups that the Bible frequently mentions as inhabitants of the land.
Adoni-Zedek (H0139) — Another king in the same coalition (Joshua 10:3), distinguished as the king of Jerusalem who led the alliance.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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