Bible Word Study
עֵין חָצוֹר
ʻÊyn Châtsôwr · En-Chatsor, a place in Palestine
עֵין חָצוֹר
En-Chatsor, a place in Palestine
Definition
En-Chatsor (עֵין חָצוֹר) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in ancient Palestine, mentioned only once in the Old Testament. The name means 'fountain of Hazor' or 'spring of Hazor,' indicating it was a settlement or site associated with a water source and likely connected to the larger, well-known city of Hazor. It is listed among the fortified cities allotted to the tribe of Naphtali during the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 19:37). As a place name, it signifies a specific geographical point within the tribal inheritance, contributing to the detailed record of Israel's settlement in the Promised Land.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 19:37, within a list of cities given to the tribe of Naphtali. Its usage is purely geographical and administrative, serving to delineate territorial boundaries following the Israelite conquest. There are no patterns of broader usage, as it is a single-occurrence proper noun referencing a specific locale.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'עַיִן' (ʿayin, H5869), meaning 'spring,' 'fountain,' or 'eye,' and 'חָצוֹר' (chatsor, H2674), meaning 'village' or 'enclosure,' but here referencing the prominent city of Hazor. Thus, En-Chatsor literally translates to 'spring of Hazor,' likely denoting a settlement or outpost dependent on a water source and associated with the larger city-state of Hazor.
Semantic Range
In its ancient Near Eastern context, place names often described physical features or connections to nearby cities. En-Chatsor's name highlights the critical importance of reliable water sources (springs) for settlement and survival in Canaan. Its inclusion in a list of fortified cities (Joshua 19:35) suggests it was a site of strategic or defensive value within Naphtali's territory, part of the network of settlements securing Israel's hold on the land. חָצוֹר (Chătsôwr, H2674) — The major fortified city, often referenced independently, whereas En-Chatsor is a specific spring-site associated with it. עַיִן (ʿayin, H5869) — The common noun for 'spring' or 'fountain,' which forms the first part of this compound place name.
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]