כּוֹר עָשָׁן
Cor-Ashan, a place in Palestine
Definition
Cor-Ashan (כּוֹר עָשָׁן) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in ancient Palestine. Its name literally means 'furnace of smoke,' likely describing a place characterized by industrial activity, such as a pottery kiln or metalworking furnace, or perhaps a site with visible smoke plumes. The only biblical reference to Cor-Ashan is in 1 Samuel 30:30, where it is listed among the towns to which David sent spoils after his victory over the Amalekites at Ziklag. This single mention places it within the territory of Judah, suggesting it was a known settlement in the southern part of the land.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Samuel 30:30. It is used strictly as a geographical proper noun, identifying a town within the tribal allotment of Judah. The context is a list of Judahite towns whose elders received gifts from David, indicating Cor-Ashan was a community with recognized leadership and was allied with or under the protection of David's forces during his time in exile from Saul's court.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew words: כּוּר (kûr, H3564), meaning 'furnace' or 'smelting pot,' and עָשָׁן (ʻāshān, H6227), meaning 'smoke.' It is a straightforward descriptive toponym, likely given to the location due to a permanent or notable feature—such as ongoing industrial work (e.g., metal smelting, pottery firing) that produced constant smoke, or possibly even a geographical feature like a smoking fissure. The name reflects a practical, observational origin common to many ancient place names.
Semantic Range
Place names in ancient Israel often derived from observable physical characteristics, local flora or fauna, or human activity. 'Furnace of smoke' suggests Cor-Ashan was a site of industry or had a distinctive smoky appearance. In an agrarian and pastoral society, a location known for such 'industrial' smoke would have been a notable landmark. Its inclusion in David's list implies it was a settled community of some significance in Judah, contributing to the social and economic network of the region.
No direct synonyms as a proper noun. For the concept of a furnace: כּוּר (kûr, H3564) — the general term for a furnace or smelting pot. For smoke: עָשָׁן (ʻāshān, H6227) — the common noun for smoke.
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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