מִגְרָשׁ
a suburb (i.e. open country whither flocks are driven from pasture); hence, the area around abuilding
Definition
The Hebrew noun מִגְרָשׁ (migrâsh) primarily refers to an open area or common land surrounding a city, building, or sanctuary. In its most frequent usage, it denotes the 'pasturelands' or 'suburbs' allotted to Levitical cities, providing space for livestock and agriculture (Numbers 35:2-5). It can also describe the open country where flocks are driven (Leviticus 25:34) and, in a poetic sense, the area around the sea or coast (Ezekiel 27:28). This term consistently conveys the idea of an open, accessible space adjacent to a more defined or inhabited center.
Biblical Usage
מִגְרָשׁ is used 69 times in the Old Testament, predominantly in legal and administrative contexts within the Pentateuch and Joshua. Its most significant pattern of usage relates to the divine command to allocate pasturelands (מִגְרָשׁ) around the cities given to the Levites (Numbers 35:2-7; Joshua 21:2). This establishes a practical provision for their livelihood. It is also used regarding the fields of a city (Leviticus 25:34) and, in Ezekiel, metaphorically for the 'open area' of the sea (Ezekiel 27:28).
Etymology
The noun מִגְרָשׁ derives from the root גָּרַשׁ (garash, H1644), meaning 'to drive out,' 'expel,' or 'cast out.' This root suggests the idea of land cleared or set apart. The related form מִגְרָשָׁה (migrashah) appears in Ezekiel 27:28. The etymology points to an area designated by being 'driven out' from the city proper for a specific, communal purpose.
Semantic Range
מִגְרָשׁ carries theological significance in illustrating God's practical care and provision for the tribe of Levi, who received no territorial inheritance like the other tribes (Joshua 14:4). The mandated pasturelands around their cities ensured their material sustenance, allowing them to focus on their priestly duties. This reflects God's holistic provision for His servants and the importance of community support systems within the covenant people. Understanding this term enriches reading by highlighting the integration of spiritual service and practical livelihood in Israel's social structure.
In ancient Israelite society, the מִגְרָשׁ was a vital buffer zone and resource area surrounding a walled city or sanctuary. It was not wilderness but managed common land used for grazing livestock, agriculture, and potentially for settlement expansion. This concept differs from a modern 'suburb,' as it was an integral, legally defined part of the city's economic and social infrastructure, specifically allocated by divine command to the Levites.
שָׂדֶה (sadeh, H7704) — a general term for 'field' or 'countryside,' less specific to designated city outskirts. חָצֵר (chatser, H2691) — an 'enclosure,' 'court,' or 'village,' often a settled area, not necessarily open pastureland.
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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