עִיר הַמֶּלַח

Irham-Melach, a place near Palestine

Definition

עִיר הַמֶּלַח (Irham-Melach) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in the wilderness of Judah, meaning 'city of salt.' It is listed among the towns allotted to the tribe of Judah in the southern desert region (Joshua 15:62). The name likely describes a settlement known for its proximity to salt deposits, salt pans, or a salt-related industry. As a single-reference location, its primary meaning is geographical, identifying one of the many cities within Judah's extensive tribal inheritance.

Biblical Usage

This term is used only once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 15:62, within a detailed inventory of cities given to the tribe of Judah. Its usage is purely geographical and administrative, appearing in a list that demarcates the tribe's territory in the barren wilderness region east of Beersheba.

Etymology

The name is a compound of two Hebrew words: עִיר (ʻîyr, H5892), meaning 'city' or 'town,' and מֶלַח (melach, H4417), meaning 'salt.' The definite article הַ (ha-) is attached to 'salt,' yielding the precise meaning 'the city of the salt.' This construction straightforwardly denotes a settlement associated with salt, likely due to local natural resources or economic activity.

Semantic Range

In the ancient Near East, salt was a vital commodity for preservation, seasoning, and ritual (e.g., Leviticus 2:13). A 'city of salt' would likely be situated near a salt source like the Dead Sea (the 'Salt Sea') or salt flats, indicating it was a center for salt extraction or trade. Its inclusion in a town list for the arid wilderness of Judah highlights the tribe's possession of economically strategic sites, even in inhospitable regions, as part of God's fulfilled promise of land.

מֶלַח (melach, H4417) — The common noun for 'salt,' from which the place name is derived. עִיר (ʻîyr, H5892) — The common noun for 'city' or 'town,' the first element of the compound name.

Word Details

Scripture References