מֵי הַיַּרְקוֹן
Me-haj-Jarkon, a place in Palestine
Definition
Me-haj-Jarkon (מֵי הַיַּרְקוֹן) is a proper noun referring to a specific geographical location in ancient Israel, likely a river or stream. The name literally means 'the waters of the Jarkon' or 'the waters of the yellowness/greenness.' It is identified as a place within the territory allotted to the tribe of Dan, as recorded in Joshua 19:46, which lists it among the border towns. While its exact modern location is debated, many scholars associate it with the Yarkon River, a significant watercourse flowing into the Mediterranean near modern Tel Aviv. This single biblical reference marks it as a boundary point in the tribal inheritance.
Biblical Usage
This term is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Joshua 19:46. It appears in a list detailing the borders of the territory given to the tribe of Dan. The context is purely geographical and administrative, serving to define the southern or western limits of Dan's inheritance alongside other locations like Ekron and the area facing Joppa.
Etymology
The name is a compound phrase: מֵי (mêy), the construct form of מַיִם (mayim, H4325, 'water'), combined with יַרְקוֹן (yarqôn, H3420, 'yellowness' or 'greenness'), with the definite article ה (ha-) inserted. יַרְקוֹן itself derives from the root ירק (y-r-q), related to the color green or pale (as in vegetation or sickness). Thus, the name likely describes a river with yellowish-greenish water, possibly due to vegetation, silt, or algae.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near Eastern context, place names were often descriptive of physical geography. Naming a location after the color or quality of its water was practical for identification. As a border marker in a tribal allotment (Joshua 19:46), this name held legal and territorial significance, helping define the community's God-given inheritance. Its association with the tribe of Dan, which struggled to possess its full territory, adds a layer of historical context about the challenges of settling the Promised Land.
נָהָר (nāhār, H5104) — A general term for a river or stream, whereas מֵי הַיַּרְקוֹן is the specific name of one. פֶּלֶג (peleg, H6388) — A channel or stream of water, often smaller, but not used as a proper name here.
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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