צְבֹעִים
Tseboim, a place in Palestine
Definition
Tseboim (צְבֹעִים) is a proper noun referring to a place name in ancient Palestine. It appears in two distinct contexts: first, as a valley mentioned in 1 Samuel 13:18, which was one of the routes used by Philistine raiding parties, indicating a geographical location near Michmash. Second, it appears in Nehemiah 11:34 as a town where descendants of the tribe of Benjamin settled after the Babylonian exile. The name itself is the plural form of the Hebrew word for 'hyena' (צָבוּעַ), suggesting the place may have been associated with these animals, perhaps known for their presence or symbolic of desolation.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively as a place name in the Old Testament. It occurs only twice: in a military-geographical context in 1 Samuel 13:18 (the 'Valley of Zeboim'), and in a post-exilic settlement list in Nehemiah 11:34 (the town 'Zeboim'). Both instances are in historical narratives, with no usage in poetic or prophetic books. The reference in 1 Samuel describes a real location used for troop movement, while the reference in Nehemiah documents the repopulation of Judah.
Etymology
The word צְבֹעִים (Tseboim) is the masculine plural form of the singular noun צָבוּעַ (tsavu'a, H6641), meaning 'hyena.' As a place name, it is therefore literally 'Hyenas' or 'Place of Hyenas.' This follows a common ancient Near Eastern practice of naming locations after animals or physical features. The root may imply a place that was wild, desolate, or known for the presence of these scavengers.
Semantic Range
Naming a location 'Hyenas' would have carried a strong cultural connotation. In the ancient Near East, hyenas were often associated with desolation, darkness, and unclean scavenging (cf. Isaiah 13:21-22). A valley or town with this name might have been perceived as a wild, marginal, or potentially dangerous place. This contrasts with modern place-naming conventions, which rarely use such negatively-viewed animals. The name's retention even after Benjaminites resettled there (Nehemiah 11:34) shows how ancient place names could persist regardless of their original connotations.
גֵּיא (gay', H1516) — A general term for 'valley,' used in the phrase 'Valley of Zeboim' (1 Samuel 13:18). עִיר (ʿir, H5892) — A general term for 'city' or 'town,' the category for Zeboim in Nehemiah 11:34.
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.
Full methodology & sources →