Bible Word Study
יׇקְנְעָם
Yoqnᵉʻâm · Jokneam, a place in Palestine
יׇקְנְעָם
Jokneam, a place in Palestine
Definition
Jokneam is a proper noun referring to a Canaanite city-state conquered by the Israelites. It is listed among the cities defeated by Joshua (Joshua 12:22) and later assigned as part of the territorial inheritance of the tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 19:11). The city was also designated as a Levitical city for the Kohathite clan (Joshua 21:34). Its location is traditionally identified with Tell Qeimun, near the Kishon River, guarding a strategic mountain pass.
Biblical Usage
The name Jokneam is used exclusively in the context of territorial lists in the Book of Joshua. It appears three times: first as a conquered Canaanite king (Joshua 12:22), then as a landmark in Zebulun's border description (Joshua 19:11), and finally as one of the cities given to the Levites (Joshua 21:34). Its usage is consistent as a geographical identifier for a significant fortified location.
Etymology
The name יָקְנְעָם (Yoqnᵉʻâm) is a compound, likely derived from the Hebrew root קוּן (qûn, H6969), meaning 'to lament' or 'to wail,' and עַם (ʻam, H5971), meaning 'people.' Thus, it can be interpreted as 'the people will be lamented' or 'the people lament.' This may reflect a historical event or a prophetic name given to the site.
Semantic Range
Jokneam's inclusion in the conquest (Joshua 12:22) and tribal allotment lists demonstrates God's faithfulness in fulfilling the promise of the land. Its designation as a Levitical city (Joshua 21:34) highlights the practical provision for worship and the integration of spiritual leadership within the tribal territories, a key component of Israel's covenantal society. As a conquered Canaanite city-state, Jokneam represented a stronghold of pre-Israelite culture and power. Its strategic location controlling a major pass made it militarily and economically significant. The transfer of such cities to Israelite tribes and Levites was a tangible act of dispossessing the Canaanites and establishing a new, covenant-based order in the land. None directly applicable as a proper place name. For other conquered Canaanite cities, see: מְגִדּוֹ (Megiddô, H4023) — another key city in the same region (the Jezreel Valley).
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]