צַלְמֹנָה
Tsalmonah, a place in the Desert
Definition
Tsalmonah is a proper noun referring to a specific location in the wilderness where the Israelites camped during their Exodus journey. It is listed as one of the desert encampments between Mount Hor and the plains of Moab (Numbers 33:41-42). The name itself, meaning 'shadiness' or 'darkness,' likely describes a geographical feature of the area, such as a place of deep shadow from cliffs or a thick grove. As a place name, it functions solely to identify this specific stop on the Israelites' itinerary, with no other attested meanings in the biblical text.
Biblical Usage
The word Tsalmonah is used exclusively in the Old Testament within the itinerary list of Israel's wilderness wanderings in Numbers 33. It appears in two consecutive verses (Numbers 33:41, 42) as the name of a campsite. Its usage is purely geographical and administrative, serving to document the route from Mount Hor to Punon. There are no narrative stories or theological discourses associated directly with this location.
Etymology
Tsalmonah (צַלְמֹנָה) is the feminine form of the Hebrew word tsalmavet (צַלְמָוֶת, H6757), which means 'deep shadow,' 'darkness,' or 'death shadow.' It derives from the root צ־ל־ל (ts-l-l), relating to 'shade' or 'shadow.' The feminine ending (-âh) typically indicates a place name. Thus, the name essentially means 'place of shadow' or 'shady place,' likely describing its physical terrain.
Semantic Range
As a wilderness encampment name, Tsalmonah reflects the Israelite practice of naming locations based on immediate environmental observations. A 'shady place' would have been a notable and potentially desirable feature in the harsh, sun-scorched desert landscape of the Sinai or Transjordan. Its recording in Numbers 33 underscores the importance of the Exodus journey's geography to Israel's national identity and God's providential guidance, even through seemingly insignificant stops.
tsalmavet (צַלְמָוֶת, H6757) — The masculine/abstract noun meaning 'deep darkness' or 'shadow of death,' from which Tsalmonah is derived.
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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