Village
This word in addition to its ordinary sense, is often used, especially in the enumeration of towns in (Joshua 13:15,19) to imply unwalled suburbs outside the walled towns. Arab villages, as found in Arabia, are often mere collections of stone huts, “long, low rude hovels, roofed only with the stalks of palm leaves,” or covered for a time with tent-cloths, which are removed when the tribe change their quarters.
Others are more solidly built, as are most of the of palestine, though in some the dwellings are mere mud-huts.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Village
Village vil'-aj (qaphar, chawwoth, qatserim, banoth, perazoth; kome): (1) The general term for a village, in common with Aramaic and Arabic is qaphar (Song 7:11; 1Ch 27:25; kopher; 1Sa 6:18; kephir, Ne 6:2). This designation is derived from the idea of its offering "cover" or shelter. It is used in combination, and place-names of this formation became prominent in post-Biblical times, probably because the villages so named had then grown into towns. A well-known Biblical instance of such names is Capernaum. (2) Chawwoth (always "town" in English Versions of the Bible; see HAVVOTH-JAIR) means originally a group of tents (Arabic chiwa'). These in settled life soon became more permanent dwellings, or what we understand by a village. The term, however, is applied only to the villages of Jair in the tribe of Manasseh (Nu 32:41; 1Ki 4:13). (3) Chatserim likewise came from nomadic life. They were originally enclosures specially for cattle, alongside of which dwellings for the herdsmen and peasantry naturally grew up (see HAZAR-ADDAR; HAZOR). They were unwalled (Le 25:31) and lay around the…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Village
The earliest Oriental village prob- ably arose in the transition from nomadic to settled life. Interests centring in a particular locality called for more constant residence ; and in course of time the tent, best suited to the moving life, would give place to the hut or house, the encampment to the village. The name nin {iiraOXeis) in tn; nin (JJavvoth-Jair, Nu 32" etc.), apjiliod to smaller towns or villages, agrees \vith this idea. Abulw. connects it with Arab, hayy, ' tents of a clan ' (cf. Arab, hiwa', 'group of tents'). The term, which formerly denoted the temporary dwellings, would naturally be applied to the more permanent settlements (iloore. Judges, p. 274 ; \V. R. Smith, BS^ p. 281). The common word for village, isij (ftrai/Xtj), primarily ' an enclosure,' is sometimes used for the open dwellings of the nomads (Gn 25", Is 42"). -IS? (K nr,, Ca 7", 1 Ch 27=*, t;? Neh 6=, "i;3 1 S 6'*), 'a hamlet' or 'vUlage,' appeared in Palestine with the advent of Aramaic, and still persists in such place-names as Kefr Kennah, Kefr Sabt, etc. Uther words are f;? (iwiar-qi, Hab 3"RV 'warrio…
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