Bible Word Study
אֶפֶס דַּמִּים
ʼEpheç Dammîym · Ephes-Dammim, a place in Palestine
אֶפֶס דַּמִּים
Ephes-Dammim, a place in Palestine
Definition
Ephes-Dammim is a proper noun referring to a specific location in ancient Palestine, mentioned only in 1 Samuel 17:1. The name translates to 'boundary of blood-drops' or 'edge of bloodshed,' likely describing a frontier or border region that was a site of conflict. In the biblical narrative, it is the place where the Philistine army encamped before the famous battle between David and Goliath in the Valley of Elah. This single reference establishes it as a significant geographical marker in the story of Israel's conflict with the Philistines.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Samuel 17:1. It functions strictly as a geographical proper noun, identifying the Philistine encampment site. The context is military, setting the stage for a pivotal battle. No patterns exist beyond this single, specific usage.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'Ephes' (H657, אֶפֶס), meaning 'ceasing,' 'end,' or 'boundary,' and 'Dammim,' the plural form of 'dam' (H1818, דָּם), meaning 'blood.' The plural 'Dammim' can imply 'drops of blood' or 'bloodshed.' Thus, the name literally means 'boundary of blood-drops,' suggesting a borderland known for violence or conflict.
Semantic Range
While the place name itself is not a direct theological term, its location is theologically significant as the setting for David's victory over Goliath, a foundational event demonstrating God's power working through faith and covenant faithfulness (1 Samuel 17:45-47). Understanding the ominous meaning of its name ('boundary of bloodshed') enriches the narrative by highlighting the high-stakes, hostile environment where God's deliverance was displayed. In the ancient Near East, place names often described geographical features or commemorated historical events. 'Ephes-Dammim' likely memorialized a past battle or served as a warning about the dangers of this frontier region. For the original audience, the name immediately conveyed a sense of a contested and violent border zone, deepening their understanding of the threat posed by the Philistine encampment there. There are no direct synonyms for this proper noun. Geographically, it was in the region of Judah, but no other Hebrew place name refers to this specific site.
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]