Bible Word Study
לַקּוּם
Laqqûwm · Lakkum, a place in Palestine
לַקּוּם
Lakkum, a place in Palestine
Definition
Lakkum is a proper noun referring to a town or location in the territory of Naphtali, as recorded in the Old Testament. It appears only in Joshua 19:33, where it is listed among the boundary points describing the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali. The name is thought to derive from a root meaning 'to stop up' or 'to barricade,' suggesting it may have been a fortified or defensible site. As a specific place name, its meaning is confined to this geographical identification within the biblical narrative.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 19:33, within a list of boundary descriptions for the tribal allotment of Naphtali. It functions solely as a geographical marker in this administrative and territorial context. There are no other occurrences or varied usages in the biblical text.
Etymology
The name לַקּוּם (Laqqûm) is likely derived from an unused Hebrew root (לָקַק, lāqaq) thought to mean 'to stop up' or 'to barricade.' This etymology suggests the location may have been understood as a 'fortification' or a place that was blocked or enclosed. It is a proper noun formed from this root, indicating its function as a place name rather than a common descriptive term.
Semantic Range
As a place name in a tribal boundary list, Lakkum reflects the ancient Israelite practice of defining tribal territories with precise geographical markers after the conquest of Canaan. These lists, like in Joshua 19, served legal and administrative purposes, establishing inheritance and identity for the tribes. Its potential meaning related to fortification might indicate it was a known defensive point or a settlement with walls, which would have been culturally significant for security and community. מָצוֹר (māṣôr, H4692) — a common noun for a siege, fortress, or stronghold, whereas Lakkum is a specific proper name for a location. עִיר (ʿîr, H5892) — a general term for a city or town, not a specific place name like Lakkum.
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]