Reference: Hebron
American
One of the most ancient cities of Canaan, being built seven years before Tanis, the capital of Lower Egypt, Nu 13:22. It was anciently called Kirjath-arba, (see ARBA,) and Mamre, and was a favorite residence of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here too they were buried, Ge 14:13-24; 23:2-19; 35:27. Under Joshua and Caleb the Israelites conquered it from the Canaanites and Anakim, and it was afterwards made a Levitical city of refuge, 13/type/leb'>Jos 14:13-15; 13/type/leb'>15:13; 21:11,13; Jg 1:10,20. It was David's seat of government during the seven years when he reigned over Judah only, 2Sa 2:3; 5:5. Here Absalom raised the standard of revolt, 2Sa 15:9-10. It was fortified by Rehoboam, and is mentioned after the captivity, but not in the New Testament, Ne 11:25. At present Hebron is an unwalled city of about 8,000 inhabitants, of whom some 600 are Jews, and the remainder Turks and Arabs. It lies in a deep valley and on the adjacent hillside, in the ancient hill-country of Judea, about 2,600 feet above the sea. Its modern name, El-khulil, the friend, is the same which the Moslems give to Abraham, "the friend of God;" and they profess to hold in their keeping the burial-place of the patriarchs, the "cave of Machpelah." It is covered by a small mosque, surrounded by a stone structure 60 feet high, 150 feet wide, and 200 feet long. Within this no Christian is permitted to enter; but it is evidently of very high antiquity, and may well be regarded as inclosing the true site of the ancient tomb. Other relics of antiquity exist in two stone reservoirs, the larger 133 feet square, and 21 feet deep. They are still in daily use; and one of them was probably the "pool in Hebron," above which David hung up the assassins of Ish-bosheth, 2Sa 4:12. The city contains nine mosques and two synagogues. Its streets are narrow; the houses of stone, with flat roofs surmounted by small domes. Large quantities of glass lamps and colored rings are here manufactured; also leathern bottles, raisins, and dibs, or grape-syrup. The environs of the city are very fertile, furnishing the finest vineyards in Palestine, numerous plantations of olive and other fruit trees, and excellent pasturage. See ESHCOL, MAMRE.
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Then one who escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew. And he was living at the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner. {They were allies with Abram}. When Abram heard that his {relative} was taken captive, he summoned his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen [of them], and he went in pursuit up to Dan. read more. And he divided [his trained men] against them at night, he and his servants. And he defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, which [is] north of Damascus. And he brought back all the possessions. And he also brought back Lot, his {relative}, and his possessions, and the women and the people as well. After his return from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who [were] with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that [is], the Valley of the King). And Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. (He was the priest of God Most High). And he blessed him and said, "Blessed [be] Abram by God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth. And blessed [be] God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave to him a tenth of everything. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people, but the possessions take for yourself." And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth, {that neither a thread nor} a thong of a sandal would I take from all that [belongs] to you, that you might not say, 'I made Abram rich.' {Nothing besides what} the servants have eaten and the share of the men who went out with me [will I take.] Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share."
And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from his dead, and he spoke to the Hittites [and] said, read more. "I [am] a stranger and an alien among you; give to me {my own burial site} among you so that I may bury my dead from before me. And the Hittites answered Abraham [and] said to him, "Hear us, my lord, you [are] a mighty prince in our midst. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial sites. None of us {will withhold his burial site} from you [for] burying your dead." And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the Hittites. And he spoke with them, saying, "{If you are willing} [that] I bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may sell to me the cave of Machpelah which {belongs to him}, which [is] at the end of his field. At full value let him sell [it] to me in your midst as {a burial site}." Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites with respect to all [who were] entering the gate of his city, [and] said, "No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field and the cave which [is] in it, I [also] give it to you in the sight of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead." And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "{If only you will hear me}--I give the price of the field. Take [it] from me that I may bury my dead there." And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him "My lord, hear me. A [piece of] land [worth] four hundred shekels of silver--what [is] that between me and you? Bury your dead." Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver {at the merchants' current rate}. So the field of Ephron which [was] in the Machpelah, which [was] near Mamre--the field and the cave which [was] in it, with all the trees that [were] in the field, which [were] within all its surrounding boundaries--{passed} to Abraham as a property in the presence of the Hittites, with respect to all [who were] entering the gate of his city. And thus afterward Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan
And Jacob came to Isaac his father [at] Mamre, [or] Kiriath-Arba (that [is], Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac dwelled as aliens.
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites [were]. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan [in] Egypt.)
And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Thus Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he remained true to Yahweh the God of Israel. read more. And the name of Hebron formerly [was] Kiriath Arba; [Arba was] the greatest person among the Anakites. And the land rested from war.
{According to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua}, he gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a plot of ground among the descendants of Judah, Kiriath Arba, which [is] Hebron ([Arba] was Anak's father).
And they gave to them Kiriath Arba, [Arba being] the father of Anak (that [is], Hebron), in the hill country of Judah and the pasturelands surrounding it.
To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge [for] the killer, and its pasturelands, Libnah and its pasturelands,
And Judah went against the Canaanites living in Hebron (the former name of Hebron [was] Kiriath Arba). And they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
They gave Hebron to Caleb just as Moses said, and he drove out the three sons of Anak from there.
Also, David brought up his men who [were] with him, each {with} his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron.
Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them, and they cut off their hands and their feet, and they hung [them] at the pool at Hebron, but the head of Ish-Bosheth they took and buried in the grave of Abner at Hebron.
He reigned over Judah at Hebron [for] seven years and six months; and he reigned over all Israel and Judah at Jerusalem [for] thirty-three years.
Then the king said to him, "Go in peace." So he got up and went to Hebron. Then Absalom sent scouts throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "When you hear the sound of the trumpet, you shall shout 'Absalom has become king in Hebron!'"
As for the villages in their territories, [some] from the descendants of Judah lived in Kiriath-Arba and {its settlements}, Dibon and {its settlements}, Jekabzeel and {its settlements},
Easton
a community; alliance. (1.) A city in the south end of the valley of Eshcol, about midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, from which it is distant about 20 miles in a straight line. It was built "seven years before Zoan in Egypt" (Ge 13:18; Nu 13:22). It still exists under the same name, and is one of the most ancient cities in the world. Its earlier name was Kirjath-arba (Ge 23:2; Jos 14:15; 15:3). But "Hebron would appear to have been the original name of the city, and it was not till after Abraham's stay there that it received the name Kirjath-arba, who [i.e., Arba] was not the founder but the conqueror of the city, having led thither the tribe of the Anakim, to which he belonged. It retained this name till it came into the possession of Caleb, when the Israelites restored the original name Hebron" (Keil, Com.). The name of this city does not occur in any of the prophets or in the New Testament. It is found about forty times in the Old. It was the favorite home of Abraham. Here he pitched his tent under the oaks of Mamre, by which name it came afterwards to be known; and here Sarah died, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah (Ge 23:17-20), which he bought from Ephron the Hittite. From this place the patriarch departed for Egypt by way of Beersheba (Ge 37:14; 46:1). It was taken by Joshua and given to Caleb (Jos 10:36-37; 12:10; 14:13). It became a Levitical city and a city of refuge (Jos 20:7; 21:11). When David became king of Judah this was his royal residence, and he resided here for seven and a half years (2Sa 5:5); and here he was anointed as king over all Israel (2Sa 2:1-4,11; 1Ki 2:11). It became the residence also of the rebellious Absalom (2Sa 15:10), who probably expected to find his chief support in the tribe of Judah, now called el-Khulil.
In one part of the modern city is a great mosque, which is built over the grave of Machpelah. The first European who was permitted to enter this mosque was the Prince of Wales in 1862. It was also visited by the Marquis of Bute in 1866, and by the late Emperor Frederick of Germany (then Crown-Prince of Prussia) in 1869.
One of the largest oaks in Palestine is found in the valley of Eshcol, about 3 miles north of the town. It is supposed by some to be the tree under which Abraham pitched his tent, and is called "Abraham's oak." (See Oak.)
(2.) The third son of Kohath the Levite (Ex 6:18; 1Ch 6:2,18).
(3.) 1Ch 2:42-43.
(4.) A town in the north border of Asher (Jos 19:28).
Illustration: Hebron
See Verses Found in Dictionary
So Abram pitched his tent, and he came and settled at the oaks of Mamre, which [were] at Hebron. And there he built an altar to Yahweh.
And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
So the field of Ephron which [was] in the Machpelah, which [was] near Mamre--the field and the cave which [was] in it, with all the trees that [were] in the field, which [were] within all its surrounding boundaries--{passed} to Abraham as a property in the presence of the Hittites, with respect to all [who were] entering the gate of his city. read more. And thus afterward Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan And the field and the cave which [was] in it {passed} to Abraham as {a burial site} from the Hittites.
Then he said to him, "Go now, see {if it goes well for your brothers and for the flock}, then return word to me." And he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he arrived at Shechem.
So Israel journeyed with all that he had, and he came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac.
And the sons of Kohath [are] Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel, and the years of the life of Kohath [were] {one hundred and thirty-three years}.
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites [were]. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan [in] Egypt.)
And Joshua went up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it and captured it, and they struck it with {the edge of the sword}, its king and all its cities, and all the people that [were] in it; he left behind no survivor, as he had done to Eglon, and he utterly destroyed it and all the people that [were] in it.
And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
And the name of Hebron formerly [was] Kiriath Arba; [Arba was] the greatest person among the Anakites. And the land rested from war.
it continues to [the] south to the ascent of Akrabbim, passes [along] to Zin, it goes up south of Kadesh Barnea, passes [along] Hezron, goes up to Addar, and makes a turn to Karka;
So {they set apart} Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that [is], Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
And they gave to them Kiriath Arba, [Arba being] the father of Anak (that [is], Hebron), in the hill country of Judah and the pasturelands surrounding it.
It happened after this that David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?" And Yahweh said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go up?" And he said, "To Hebron." So David went up there {along with} his two wives, Ahinoam {from Jezreel} and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. read more. Also, David brought up his men who [were] with him, each {with} his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron. Then the men of Judah came, and they anointed David there as king over the house of Judah, and they told David, "The men of Jabesh-Gilead buried Saul."
The number of days that David was king over Hebron, over the house of Judah, [was] seven years and six months.
He reigned over Judah at Hebron [for] seven years and six months; and he reigned over all Israel and Judah at Jerusalem [for] thirty-three years.
Then Absalom sent scouts throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "When you hear the sound of the trumpet, you shall shout 'Absalom has become king in Hebron!'"
And the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha his firstborn; he [was] the father of Ziph. The sons of Mareshah: Hebron. And the sons of Hebron [were] Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
Fausets
1. Third son of Kohath; younger brother of Amram, father of Moses and Aaron (Ex 6:18). The family of Hebronites sprang from him. In the 40th year of David's reign 2,700 of them, at Jazer in Gilead, "mighty men of valor," superintended for the king the two and a half tribes "in matters pertaining to God and the king" (1Ch 26:30-32); Jerijah was their chief. Also Hashabiah and 1,700 Hebronites were officers "in all the Lord's business and the king's service" on the W. of Jordan.
2. 1Ch 2:42-43.
3. A city in the hill country of Judah, originally Kirjath (the city of) Arba (Jos 15:13; 14:15). "Arba was a great man among the Anakims, father of Anak." (See Jos 21:11; Jg 1:10.) Twenty Roman miles S. of Jerusalem, and twenty N. of Beersheba. Rivaling Damascus in antiquity. Built seven years before Zoan in Egypt (Nu 13:22). Well known at Abram's entrance into Canaan, 3,780 years ago (Ge 42:18). Hebron was the original name, changed to Kirjath Arba during Israel's sojourn in Egypt, and restored by Caleb, to whom it was given at the conquest of Palestine (Ge 23:2; Jos 14:13-15). The third resting place of Abram; Shechem was the first, Bethel the second.
Near Hebron was the cave of Machpelah, where he and Sarah were buried. Now El Khalil, the house of "the friend" of God. Over the cave is now the mosque El Haran, from which all but Muslims are excluded jealously (though the Prince of Wales was admitted), and in which probably lie the remains of Abraham and Isaac, and possibly Jacob's embalmed body, brought up in state from Egypt (Ge 50:13). Near it was the oak or terebinth, a place of pagan worship. Hebron was called for a time also Mamre, from Abram's ally (Ge 23:19; 35:27). It was made a Levite city of refuge (Jos 21:11-13). Still there is an oak bearing Abraham's name, 23 ft. in girth, and covering 90 ft. space in diameter. In Hebron, David reigned over Judah first for seven and a half years (2Sa 5:5). Here Absalom set up the standard of revolt.
On the return from Babylon some of the children of Judah dwelt in Kirjath Arba (Ne 11:25). After various vicissitudes it fell into the Moslems' hands in A.D. 1187, and has continued so ever since. It is picturesquely situated in a narrow valley running from N. to S. (probably that of Eshcol, whence the spies got the great cluster of grapes, Nu 13:23), surrounded by rocky hills, still famed for fine grapes. S. of the town in the bottom of the valley is a tank, 130 ft. square by 50 deep. At the western end is another, 85 ft. long by 55 broad. Over the former probably David hung Ishbosheth's murderers (2Sa 4:12).
4. A town in Asher; spelled in Hebrew differently from the former Hebron. Abdon is read in many manuscripts
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
And thus afterward Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan
And Jacob came to Isaac his father [at] Mamre, [or] Kiriath-Arba (that [is], Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac dwelled as aliens.
On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live; I fear God.
And his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which field Abraham had bought as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite before Mamre.
And the sons of Kohath [are] Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel, and the years of the life of Kohath [were] {one hundred and thirty-three years}.
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites [were]. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan [in] Egypt.) And they came up to the valley of Eshcol, and they cut off a vine branch and one cluster of grapes from there; they carried it on pole between two [men], [with] pomegranates and figs.
And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Thus Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he remained true to Yahweh the God of Israel. read more. And the name of Hebron formerly [was] Kiriath Arba; [Arba was] the greatest person among the Anakites. And the land rested from war.
And the name of Hebron formerly [was] Kiriath Arba; [Arba was] the greatest person among the Anakites. And the land rested from war.
{According to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua}, he gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a plot of ground among the descendants of Judah, Kiriath Arba, which [is] Hebron ([Arba] was Anak's father).
And they gave to them Kiriath Arba, [Arba being] the father of Anak (that [is], Hebron), in the hill country of Judah and the pasturelands surrounding it.
And they gave to them Kiriath Arba, [Arba being] the father of Anak (that [is], Hebron), in the hill country of Judah and the pasturelands surrounding it. But the field of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property. read more. To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge [for] the killer, and its pasturelands, Libnah and its pasturelands,
And Judah went against the Canaanites living in Hebron (the former name of Hebron [was] Kiriath Arba). And they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them, and they cut off their hands and their feet, and they hung [them] at the pool at Hebron, but the head of Ish-Bosheth they took and buried in the grave of Abner at Hebron.
He reigned over Judah at Hebron [for] seven years and six months; and he reigned over all Israel and Judah at Jerusalem [for] thirty-three years.
And the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha his firstborn; he [was] the father of Ziph. The sons of Mareshah: Hebron. And the sons of Hebron [were] Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
For the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his brothers, one thousand seven hundred men of ability, [were] over the administration of Israel beyond the Jordan westward, for all the work of Yahweh and for the service of the king. For the Hebronites: Jeriah the chief of the Hebronites for the genealogy for the {families}. (In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were examined, and there was found among them mighty warriors of strength at Jazer in Gilead.) read more. And his brothers, sons of ability, [were] two thousand seven hundred heads of the {families}, and King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, for every matter of God and matter of the king.
As for the villages in their territories, [some] from the descendants of Judah lived in Kiriath-Arba and {its settlements}, Dibon and {its settlements}, Jekabzeel and {its settlements},
Hastings
A very ancient city in Palestine, 20 miles S.S.W. from Jerusalem. It is in a basin on one of the highest points of the Jud
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They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites [were]. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan [in] Egypt.)
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites [were]. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan [in] Egypt.)
So now give me this hill country that Yahweh spoke [of] on that day, for you heard on that day that the Anakites [were] there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps Yahweh [is] with me, and I will drive them out just as Yahweh promised."
Caleb drove out from there three of Anak's sons, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak.
So {they set apart} Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that [is], Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
He reigned over Judah at Hebron [for] seven years and six months; and he reigned over all Israel and Judah at Jerusalem [for] thirty-three years.
It happened at the end of four years [that] Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to Yahweh in Hebron,
As for the villages in their territories, [some] from the descendants of Judah lived in Kiriath-Arba and {its settlements}, Dibon and {its settlements}, Jekabzeel and {its settlements},
Morish
Heb'ron
1. City and district in which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt, about twenty-two miles south of Jerusalem. There also Sarah died, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah, as were also Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rebekah, and Leah. Ge 49:31. The city was built seven years before 'Zoan in Egypt' and had been formerly called KIRJATH-ARBA It was thus one of the most ancient cities known in the world. It was possessed by the Canaanites, until conquered by Joshua, and the city given to Caleb, in the portion of Judah. It afterwards became a city of refuge. David reigned in Hebron seven and a half years. Ge 13:18; 23:2,19; Nu 13:22; Jos 10:36; 20:7; Jg 1:10,20; 2Sa 2:11, etc. There is still a large town on the spot, with some 18,000 inhabitants, called el Khulil, 31 32' N, 35 6' E. Also a mosque, said to be built over the cave of Machpelah. This is strictly guarded, very few being allowed to see the tomb.
2. City in Asher. Jos 19:28. Not identified.
3. Son of Kohath, a son of Levi. His descendants are called HEBRONITES. Ex 6:18; Nu 3:19,27; 1Ch 6:2,18; 15:9; 23:12,19.
4. One of the descendants of Caleb. 1Ch 2:42-43.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
So Abram pitched his tent, and he came and settled at the oaks of Mamre, which [were] at Hebron. And there he built an altar to Yahweh.
And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
And thus afterward Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan
There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife. And there I buried Leah--
And the sons of Kohath [are] Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel, and the years of the life of Kohath [were] {one hundred and thirty-three years}.
{To Kohath belonged} the clan of Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan [of] the Uzzielites; these [were] the clans of the Kohathites.
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites [were]. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan [in] Egypt.)
And Joshua went up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it
So {they set apart} Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that [is], Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
And Judah went against the Canaanites living in Hebron (the former name of Hebron [was] Kiriath Arba). And they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
They gave Hebron to Caleb just as Moses said, and he drove out the three sons of Anak from there.
And the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha his firstborn; he [was] the father of Ziph. The sons of Mareshah: Hebron. And the sons of Hebron [were] Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
Smith
He'bron
(alliance).
1. The third son of Kohath, who was the second son of Levi.
Ex 6:18; Nu 3:19; 1Ch 6:2,18; 23:12
He was the founder of a family of Hebronites,
Nu 3:27; 26:58; 1Ch 26:23,30-31
, or Bene-Hebron.
2. A city of Judah,
situated among the mountains,
20 Roman miles south of Jerusalem, and the same distance north of Beersheba. Hebron is one of the most ancient cities in the world still existing; and in this respect it is the rival of Damascus. It was a well-known town when Abraham entered Canaan, 3800 years ago.
Its original name was Kirjath-arba,
the city of Arba; so called from Arba the father of Anak.
Sarah died at Hebron; and Abraham then bought from Ephron the Hittite the field and cave of Machpelah, to serve as a family tomb
The cave is still there, and the massive walls of the Haram or mosque, within which it lies, form the most remarkable object in the whole city. Abraham is called by Mohammedans el-Khulil, "the Friend," i.e. of God, and this is the modern name of Hebron. Hebron now contains about 5000 inhabitants, of whom some fifty families are Jews. It is picturesquely situated in a narrow valley, surrounded by rocky hills. The valley runs from north to south; and the main quarter of the town, surmounted by the lofty walls of the venerable Haram, lies partly on the eastern slope.
comp. Gene 23:19 About a mile from the town, up the valley, is one of the largest oak trees in Palestine. This, say some, is the very tree beneath which Abraham pitched his tent, and it still bears the name of the patriarch.
3. One of the towns in the territory of Asher,
probably Ebdon or Abdom.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
So Abram pitched his tent, and he came and settled at the oaks of Mamre, which [were] at Hebron. And there he built an altar to Yahweh.
And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from his dead, and he spoke to the Hittites [and] said, read more. "I [am] a stranger and an alien among you; give to me {my own burial site} among you so that I may bury my dead from before me. And the Hittites answered Abraham [and] said to him, "Hear us, my lord, you [are] a mighty prince in our midst. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial sites. None of us {will withhold his burial site} from you [for] burying your dead." And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the Hittites. And he spoke with them, saying, "{If you are willing} [that] I bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may sell to me the cave of Machpelah which {belongs to him}, which [is] at the end of his field. At full value let him sell [it] to me in your midst as {a burial site}."
And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "{If only you will hear me}--I give the price of the field. Take [it] from me that I may bury my dead there." And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him read more. "My lord, hear me. A [piece of] land [worth] four hundred shekels of silver--what [is] that between me and you? Bury your dead." Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver {at the merchants' current rate}. So the field of Ephron which [was] in the Machpelah, which [was] near Mamre--the field and the cave which [was] in it, with all the trees that [were] in the field, which [were] within all its surrounding boundaries--{passed} to Abraham as a property in the presence of the Hittites, with respect to all [who were] entering the gate of his city. And thus afterward Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan And the field and the cave which [was] in it {passed} to Abraham as {a burial site} from the Hittites.
Then he said to him, "Go now, see {if it goes well for your brothers and for the flock}, then return word to me." And he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he arrived at Shechem.
And the sons of Kohath [are] Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel, and the years of the life of Kohath [were] {one hundred and thirty-three years}.
{To Kohath belonged} the clan of Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan [of] the Uzzielites; these [were] the clans of the Kohathites.
These [are] the clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites, the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites, the clan of the Korahites. Kohath fathered Amram.
{According to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua}, he gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a plot of ground among the descendants of Judah, Kiriath Arba, which [is] Hebron ([Arba] was Anak's father). Caleb drove out from there three of Anak's sons, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak.
Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that [is], Hebron), and Zior; nine cities and their villages.
To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge [for] the killer, and its pasturelands, Libnah and its pasturelands,
And Judah went against the Canaanites living in Hebron (the former name of Hebron [was] Kiriath Arba). And they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief and eighty of his brothers.
The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth
Watsons
HEBRON, one of the most ancient cities in the world; for it was built seven years before Zoan, the capital of Lower Egypt, Nu 13:22. Now, as the Egyptians gloried much in the antiquity of their cities, and their country was indeed one of the first that was peopled after the dispersion of Babel, it may be from hence concluded that it was one of the most ancient. Some think it was founded by Arba, one of the oldest giants in Palestine; for which reason it was called Kirjath-arba, or Arba's city, Jos 14:15; which name was afterward changed to that of Hebron, Jos 15:13. Arba was the father of Anak; and from Anak the giants, called Anakim, took their name, who were still dwelling at Hebron when Joshua conquered the land of Canaan. When it was first called Hebron, is uncertain; some think, not till it was conquered by Caleb, and that he called it so from his son of that name. But Calmet is of opinion that the name of Hebron is more ancient; and that Caleb, to do honour to his son, named him after this ancient and celebrated place. Hebron was situated upon an eminence, twenty miles southward from Jerusalem, and twenty miles north from Beersheba. Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac were buried near Hebron, in the cave of Machpelah, or the double cave, which Abraham bought of Ephron, Ge 23:7-9. Hebron was the allotment of Judah. The Lord assigned it for the inheritance of Caleb, Jos 14:13; 10:3,23,37. Joshua first took Hebron, and killed the king, whose name was Hoham. But afterward Caleb again made a conquest of it, assisted by the troops of his tribe, and the valour of Othniel, Jg 1:12-13. It was appointed to be a dwelling for priests, and declared to be a city of refuge, Jos 21:13. David, after the death of Saul, fixed the seat of his government there, 2Sa 2:2-5. At Hebron, Absalom began his rebellion, 2Sa 15:7-8, &c. During the captivity of Babylon, the Edomites having invaded the southern parts of Judea, made themselves masters of Hebron; hence Josephus sometimes makes it a part of Edom. Here Zacharias and Elizabeth are believed to have dwelt; and it is supposed to have been the birth place of John the Baptist. Hebron is now called El Hhalil; though not a town of large dimensions, it has a considerable population. According to Ali Bey, it contains about four hundred families of Arabs; but he does not notice either the Jews, who are numerous, or the Turks. He describes it as situated on the slope of a mountain, and having a strong castle. Provisions, he says, are abundant, and there is a considerable number of shops. The streets are winding, and the houses unusually high. The country is well cultivated, to a considerable extent. Hebron is computed to be twenty- seven miles south-west of Jerusalem.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the Hittites. And he spoke with them, saying, "{If you are willing} [that] I bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar, read more. that he may sell to me the cave of Machpelah which {belongs to him}, which [is] at the end of his field. At full value let him sell [it] to me in your midst as {a burial site}."
They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites [were]. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan [in] Egypt.)
So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent [word] to Hohman king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
And they did so, and brought him these five kings from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
and captured it, and they struck it with {the edge of the sword}, its king and all its cities, and all the people that [were] in it; he left behind no survivor, as he had done to Eglon, and he utterly destroyed it and all the people that [were] in it.
And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
And the name of Hebron formerly [was] Kiriath Arba; [Arba was] the greatest person among the Anakites. And the land rested from war.
{According to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua}, he gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a plot of ground among the descendants of Judah, Kiriath Arba, which [is] Hebron ([Arba] was Anak's father).
To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge [for] the killer, and its pasturelands, Libnah and its pasturelands,
And Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and captures it, I will give to him Acsah my daughter as a wife." Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb, captured it, and he gave to him Acsah his daughter as a wife.
So David went up there {along with} his two wives, Ahinoam {from Jezreel} and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. Also, David brought up his men who [were] with him, each {with} his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron. read more. Then the men of Judah came, and they anointed David there as king over the house of Judah, and they told David, "The men of Jabesh-Gilead buried Saul." So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-Gilead and said to them, "May you be blessed by Yahweh because you did this loyal love with your lord, with Saul, and you buried him.
It happened at the end of four years [that] Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to Yahweh in Hebron, for your servant made a vow while I [was] staying in Geshur in Aram, saying, '{If Yahweh will indeed let me return} to Jerusalem, then I will worship Yahweh.'"