Bible Word Study
אֲנָחֲרָת
ʼĂnâchărâth · Anacharath, a place in Palestine
אֲנָחֲרָת
Anacharath, a place in Palestine
Definition
Anacharath is a proper noun referring to a town or location within the territory allotted to the tribe of Issachar during the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 19:19). It is identified as a place in Palestine, likely situated in the fertile Jezreel Valley region. The name's probable meaning, 'gorge' or 'narrow pass,' suggests its geographical character, possibly indicating a settlement near a ravine or constricted valley. This single biblical reference provides the sole scriptural data for its location and significance.
Biblical Usage
The word אֲנָחֲרָת (Anacharath) is used only once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 19:19, within a list of cities given to the tribe of Issachar. Its usage is purely geographical and administrative, serving to define the tribal boundaries after the Israelite conquest. No narrative or descriptive context is provided beyond its inclusion in this territorial catalogue.
Etymology
The name Anacharath is probably derived from the same Hebrew root as H5170 (נַחַר, nachar), which relates to snorting or breathing heavily, often used in the context of a rushing stream or torrent. This root suggests the meaning developed to denote a 'gorge' or 'narrow pass,' likely describing a geographical feature near which the town was built. It is a locative name describing the terrain.
Semantic Range
As a place-name in a tribal boundary list, Anacharath reflects the Israelite practice of defining land inheritance by specific towns and regions, a crucial aspect of their identity as tribes receiving God's promised territory. Its probable meaning related to a geographical feature highlights how settlements were often named for and situated near identifiable landmarks like valleys or passes, which were important for travel, defense, and agriculture in ancient Canaan. No direct synonyms as a proper place-name. Geographically, it could be associated with terms for valley or pass, such as: גַיְא (gay', H1516) — a general term for valley; עֵמֶק (ʿēmeq, H6010) — a broad valley or plain.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]