Bible Word Study
קְצִיץ
Qᵉtsîyts · Keziz, a valley in Palestine
קְצִיץ
Keziz, a valley in Palestine
Definition
Keziz (קְצִיץ) is a proper noun referring to a valley or ravine in the territory of Benjamin, as recorded in Joshua 18:21. The name appears only once in the Bible, listed among the cities allotted to the tribe of Benjamin after the Israelite conquest of Canaan. The term likely describes a geographical feature characterized by its abrupt or cut-off nature, fitting its etymological root. While its exact location remains uncertain, it is understood as a specific place within the tribal inheritance, not a common noun for a valley.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in Joshua 18:21, within a list of cities given to the tribe of Benjamin. The context is administrative and geographical, detailing the division of the Promised Land. There are no patterns of usage elsewhere in the Old Testament, as it is a single-occurrence proper name for a location.
Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root קָצַץ (qāṣaṣ, H7112), meaning 'to cut off' or 'to cut down.' The noun form קְצִיץ (qᵉtsîyts) conveys a sense of something 'abrupt' or 'cut off,' likely describing the valley's steep or severed topography. It is related to words implying a decisive separation or termination.
Semantic Range
As a place name, Keziz reflects the Israelite practice of naming locations based on physical characteristics, which helped in mapping and claiming the newly allotted tribal territories. Understanding it as part of Benjamin's inheritance underscores the fulfillment of God's promise to give the land to the tribes of Israel, a key theme in Joshua. עֵמֶק (ʿēmeq, H6010) — a broader, more common term for 'valley' or 'lowland'. גַּיְא (gayʾ, H1516) — often a steep ravine or wadi, sometimes with a seasonal stream.
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]