כַּבּוֹן
Cabon, a place in Palestine
Definition
כַּבּוֹן (Kabbôwn) is a proper noun referring to a location in ancient Palestine, specifically a town within the tribal territory of Judah. The name likely derives from a root meaning 'to heap up' or 'to be hilly,' suggesting it was situated on elevated terrain. It is mentioned only once in the Bible in Joshua 15:40, listed among the cities in the lowland district of Judah's inheritance. No other biblical references provide further details about its history or significance.
Biblical Usage
This word appears exclusively in Joshua 15:40 as part of a geographical list detailing the cities allotted to the tribe of Judah. It is used in a straightforward, descriptive context to identify a specific place name within the tribal boundaries. There are no patterns of usage beyond this single occurrence, and it carries no symbolic or metaphorical meaning in the biblical text.
Etymology
The name כַּבּוֹן is derived from an unused Hebrew root meaning 'to heap up' or 'to be high,' which relates to the concept of a hill or mound. This etymology suggests the location was characterized by hilly terrain. It is a proper noun formed to describe a geographical feature, similar to other place names in Hebrew that originate from topographical descriptions.
Semantic Range
As a place name in ancient Judah, כַּבּוֹן represents one of many settlements in the tribal allotment following the Israelite conquest of Canaan. Its inclusion in Joshua 15:40 reflects the careful division of the Promised Land among the tribes, a key event in Israel's establishment. Culturally, such lists affirmed tribal identities and territorial claims, though the town itself holds no known distinctive historical or cultural significance beyond its mention.
גִּבְעָה (Givʿah, H1389) — a common Hebrew word for 'hill' or 'height,' whereas כַּבּוֹן is a specific place name. רָמָה (Rāmāh, H7414) — means 'high place' or 'height,' often used for elevated towns, but not as a proper noun for this location.
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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