Bible Word Study
סְכָכָה
Çᵉkâkâh · Secacah, a place in Palestine
סְכָכָה
Secacah, a place in Palestine
Definition
Secacah (סְכָכָה) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in the wilderness region of Judah, as recorded in Joshua 15:61. It is listed among six cities in the wilderness district, indicating it was a settlement or fortified place in a remote, arid area. The name itself, derived from the Hebrew root meaning 'to cover' or 'to hedge in,' likely describes its geographical character—perhaps an enclosed or protected site. As a place name, it has no other biblical meanings or applications beyond this single reference.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 15:61, within a list of cities allotted to the tribe of Judah. It is used strictly as a geographical proper noun, with no narrative or descriptive context beyond its inclusion in the territorial inventory. There are no patterns of usage across different books or literary genres, as it is a hapax legomenon (a word occurring only once).
Etymology
Secacah comes from the Hebrew root סָכַךְ (sākak, H5526), which means 'to cover,' 'screen,' 'fence in,' or 'protect.' The noun form סְכָכָה (sᵉkākâ) likely denotes an 'inclosure' or 'hedge,' suggesting the place was perceived as a sheltered or enclosed settlement. Cognates in related Semitic languages carry similar meanings of covering or protection, reinforcing the idea of a secure location.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near Eastern context, place names often reflected physical characteristics or functions of a location. Secacah, situated in the wilderness of Judah, would have been one of many small settlements or outposts that provided security and resources in a harsh environment. Its inclusion in Joshua's city list underscores the thoroughness of Israel's territorial claims, even in less hospitable regions, as part of God's promise of the land. No direct synonyms as a proper noun, but related terms for enclosures or protected places include: חָצֵר (ḥāṣēr, H2691) — a courtyard or village; מִבְצָר (mibṣār, H4013) — a fortress or stronghold.
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]