Azekah
(dugover), a town of Judah, with dependent villages, lying in the Shefelah or rich agricultural plain. It is most clearly defined as being near Shochoh, (1 Samuel 17:1) but its position has not yet been recognized.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Azekah
Azekah a-ze'-ka `azekah: A town of some importance in the Shephelah of Judah mentioned (Jos 15:35) next to Socoh. In Jos 10:10 the defeated kings of the Arnorites are described as flying before Joshua "by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon .... to Azekah, and unto Makkedah" and (verse 11) as the host fled "Yahweh cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died." In 1 Sam 17:1 it is recorded that before David's combat with Goliath, the Philistines "gathered together at Socoh, which belongeth to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammin." In 2 Ch 11:9 it is mentioned as one of the frontier cities which Rehoboam fortified and in Jer 34:7 it is one of the two fortified cities remaining to Judah in the Shephelah which Nebuchadnezzar was besieging. "Azekah and the towns (margin, "daughters") thereof" is mentioned among the cities reoccupied by Jews returning after the Exile (Ne 11:30). In all the three last references the place is mentioned along with Lachish. ⇒See a list of verses on AZEKAH in the Bible. All the data suit Tell Zaqareyeh on the…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Azekah
A city of Judah, named Jos 10'"-", 1 S 17', 2 Ch 11», Neh ll**. It was evidently near the valley of Elah and near Gath, and was a frontier fortress of Rehoboam. The Jews inhabited it ' and the villages thereof ' after the Captivity. The later notices would agree with a site in the south, where the name might be traced at Tell el 'Azek ; but this would not suit the earlier notices. The name El 'Azek is stated to occur in the hills north of the valley of Elah, but • AverruruMt. So Olsh. $ 188», Stede, i 124", treating azd'zil ftj9 (anomalously) softened from the intensive form 'azalzet. t The form of the word is peculiar, and resembles one of the tjTies of Arab, 'broken,* or collective, plurals. This was re- marked long ago by Bochart (Hieroz. i. 750. — with many examples), though he atssigned to it an improbable meaning : Steiner (Schenkel, liibellex. v. 599), adopting the same sug- gestion, but interpreting more probably, conjectures that originally 'azdzU was a collective designation of such spirits of the desert (from a sing. 'azrd^ ; Wriglit, .4r. (rraTmn. i. § 305, II.), and that…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Azekah
From a root, "to until the ground." A town of Judah, with dependent villages, in the shephelah, the low hills of Judah, near Shochoh (1Sa 17:1; Jos 15:35). Fortified by Rehoboam (2Ch 11:9; Neh 11:30). Assailed by the king of Babylon (Jer 34:7). Ganneau fixes it at Ellar, half way between Jerusalem and Beit Jibrin; Conder at Deir el Aashek (the monastery of the lover), S. of Sorek valley, eight miles N. of Shochoh (Shuweikeh). A road leads to it from Elah valley.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia