Bible Word Study
עֵין חַדָּה
ʻÊyn Chaddâh · En-Chaddah, a place in Palestine
עֵין חַדָּה
En-Chaddah, a place in Palestine
Definition
En-Chaddah is a proper noun referring to a specific location within the territory allotted to the tribe of Issachar, as recorded in the list of cities in Joshua 19:21. The name itself means 'fountain of sharpness' or 'spring of the point,' likely describing a geographical feature such as a spring with sharp, pointed rocks or a location known for its piercing or swift water. As a place name, it appears only in this single biblical context, serving to mark a boundary point in the tribal inheritance. There are no other major senses or differing meanings for this term in Scripture.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 19:21, within a detailed list of cities given to the tribe of Issachar. Its usage is purely geographical and administrative, functioning as a boundary marker in the description of the tribal allotment. No patterns of usage exist beyond this single occurrence.
Etymology
The name En-Chaddah is a compound of two Hebrew elements. The first part, 'En' (עַיִן, H5869), means 'spring' or 'fountain.' The second part, 'Chaddah,' is the feminine form derived from the root חָדַד (H2300), meaning 'to be sharp,' 'to be keen,' or 'to be swift.' Thus, the name literally translates to 'spring of sharpness' or 'fountain of the point,' likely describing the physical character of the location.
Semantic Range
In its original setting, En-Chaddah was one of many specific place names used to define tribal territories after the Israelite conquest of Canaan. These precise geographical lists, as seen in Joshua, served legal and communal purposes, establishing inheritance rights and boundaries for the tribes. The name's descriptive nature ('fountain of sharpness') reflects a common ancient Near Eastern practice of naming locations after observable physical features, which differs from modern, often administrative or commemorative, place-naming conventions. עַיִן (ʻayin, H5869) — The generic word for 'spring' or 'fountain,' of which En-Chaddah is a specific instance. בְּאֵר (be'er, H875) — Another word for 'well,' often a dug or constructed water source, whereas 'en' typically refers to a natural spring.
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]