יֻטָּה
Juttah (or Jutah), a place in Palestine
Definition
Yuṭṭâh (Juttah) is a proper noun identifying a town in the hill country of Judah. It is listed among the cities allotted to the tribe of Judah in Joshua 15:55. Later, it was designated as one of the Levitical cities given to the priests, the sons of Aaron, as recorded in Joshua 21:16, where it is noted as being in the hill country of Judah. The consistent biblical presentation is of Yuṭṭâh as a specific, named location within the tribal inheritance.
Biblical Usage
The word Yuṭṭâh is used exclusively as a geographical proper noun in the Old Testament, appearing only twice. Both occurrences are in the book of Joshua. It is first listed in the territorial allotment for Judah (Joshua 15:55) and then reassigned as a priestly city for the Kohathite Levites (Joshua 21:16). There is no variation in its meaning or usage across these two references.
Etymology
The name Yuṭṭâh (יֻטָּה or יוּטָה) is derived from the Hebrew root נָטָה (nāṭâ, H5186), meaning 'to stretch out,' 'extend,' or 'incline.' As a place name, it likely carries the sense of 'extended' or 'outstretched,' possibly describing the town's physical layout or its location on a slope or broad area. This is a common pattern for Hebrew place names, which often originate from descriptive terms or geographical features.
Semantic Range
While Yuṭṭâh itself is not the focus of major theological themes, its designation as a Levitical city (Joshua 21:16) connects it to the important biblical concept of God providing for the priestly tribe, who received no land inheritance of their own. Its inclusion in the tribal lists underscores the historical reliability and specificity of God's allotment of the Promised Land to Israel, fulfilling the patriarchal promises.
As a town in the Judean hills, Yuṭṭâh was part of a network of settlements that provided security and economic support for the tribe of Judah. Its reassignment to the priests transformed it into a center for religious instruction and administration of the Mosaic law for the surrounding region. This practice of Levitical cities, detailed in Numbers 35 and Joshua 21, was a unique feature of Israel's socio-religious structure, dispersing the priestly class throughout the nation.
No direct synonyms as a proper place name. Related are other Levitical cities in Judah, such: Hebron (חֶבְרוֹן, Ḥevrôn, H2275) — a city of refuge and a major priestly city. Libnah (לִבְנָה, Livnâh, H3841) — another priestly city in the tribal allotment of Judah.
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 →