Bible Word Study
תִּמְנַת חֶרֶס
Timnath Chereç · Timnath-Cheres, a place in Palestine
תִּמְנַת חֶרֶס
Timnath-Cheres, a place in Palestine
Definition
Timnath Chereç (also spelled Timnath Serah) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in ancient Palestine. It is best known as the city given to Joshua as his inheritance after the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 19:50). The name itself means 'portion of the sun' or 'portion of abundance,' signifying a place of allotted territory. In Joshua 24:30 and Judges 2:9, it is recorded as the burial place of Joshua, cementing its significance as a memorial site for the great Israelite leader.
Biblical Usage
This place name is used exclusively in three verses across two books: Joshua and Judges. In Joshua 19:50, it is the city allotted to Joshua. In Joshua 24:30 and Judges 2:9, it is identified as the location of Joshua's burial. The usage is consistently as a geographical identifier for a personal inheritance and a burial site, marking the end of an era of conquest and leadership.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew words: 'Timnah' (תִּמְנָה, H8553), meaning 'portion' or 'allotment,' and 'Chereç' (חֶרֶס, H2775), meaning 'sun' or possibly 'earthenware/pottery.' The variant 'Serah' (סֶרַח) may be a scribal alteration. Thus, the name likely means 'portion of the sun,' possibly indicating a sunny location, or it may carry a symbolic meaning of a splendid or abundant portion.
Semantic Range
Timnath Chereç holds theological significance as the fulfillment of God's promise to provide an inheritance for His faithful servant, Joshua. Its role as Joshua's burial site (Joshua 24:30) contrasts with the burial of Joseph's bones at Shechem, marking a completion of the conquest era. It serves as a tangible reminder of God's faithfulness in rewarding leadership and the importance of remembering the legacy of faith (Judges 2:7-10). In ancient Near Eastern culture, the naming of a city after a leader's inheritance and as his burial place established a permanent familial and tribal claim to the land. A burial site within one's inheritance was of great importance, ensuring a lasting connection to the ancestral portion. The 'sun' element in the name may reflect a local geographical feature or a symbolic wish for the prosperity of the allotment. Timnath Serah (תִּמְנַת סֶרַח, H8556) — An alternate spelling for the same location, used interchangeably in the biblical text.
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]