עִיר נָחָשׁ
Ir-Nachash, a place in Palestine
Definition
עִיר נָחָשׁ (Ir-Nachash) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in ancient Palestine, meaning 'city of a serpent' or 'city of copper/bronze.' It appears only once in the Old Testament, listed among the descendants of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4:12. The name likely originates from a local feature, industry, or legend, possibly related to serpent worship, a notable serpent population, or a center for copper smelting, as the word נָחָשׁ (nachash) can mean both 'serpent' and 'copper/bronze.' This dual meaning leaves the precise nature of the city's namesake open to interpretation, but it identifies a distinct settlement within the tribal territory of Judah.
Biblical Usage
This term is used exactly once in the entire Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 4:12. It functions solely as a geographical proper name within a genealogical list tracing the lineage of Judah. The context provides no narrative details about the city itself, its history, or its inhabitants; it is simply recorded as part of the ancestral heritage and settlement patterns of the tribe.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew words: עִיר (ʻîyr, H5892), meaning 'city' or 'town,' and נָחָשׁ (nâchâsh, H5175), which has a primary meaning of 'serpent' or 'snake' but can also signify 'copper' or 'bronze' (likely due to the shiny, serpent-like appearance of the metal). Thus, the name translates directly as 'city of a serpent' or potentially 'city of copper.'
Semantic Range
While the word itself is a mundane place name, its inclusion in the detailed genealogy of 1 Chronicles underscores the biblical theme of God's faithfulness to His covenant promises through specific family lines and territories. For the original audience, such lists affirmed their identity and inheritance as God's people. The potential connection to 'serpent' or 'copper' might subtly echo themes of curse (Genesis 3) or the refining process, but this is speculative given the single, non-narrative occurrence.
In the ancient Near East, place names often derived from local fauna, deities, or economic activities. A 'city of a serpent' could indicate a location associated with serpent symbolism, which was common in Canaanite religion, or simply an area with many snakes. Alternatively, 'city of copper' would point to a settlement known for metalworking, a valuable industry in antiquity. The ambiguity reflects how a single word (nachash) could hold related yet distinct meanings in Israelite culture.
קִרְיָה (qiryâh, H7151) — another poetic or formal term for 'city,' but not used as a proper name component like עִיר. עָר (ʻâr, H5892 variant) — Aramaic-influenced form for 'city.'
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.
Full methodology & sources →