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/ylt'>Jos 14:13-15; 13/type/ylt'>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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And one who is escaping cometh and declareth to Abram the Hebrew, and he is dwelling among the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner, and they are Abram's allies. And Abram heareth that his brother hath been taken captive, and he draweth out his trained domestics, three hundred and eighteen, and pursueth unto Dan. read more. And he divideth himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smiteth them, and pursueth them unto Hobah, which is at the left of Damascus; and he bringeth back the whole of the substance, and also Lot his brother and his substance hath he brought back, and also the women and the people. And the king of Sodom goeth out to meet him (after his turning back from the smiting of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings who are with him), unto the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley. And Melchizedek king of Salem hath brought out bread and wine, and he is priest of God Most High; and he blesseth him, and saith, 'Blessed is Abram to God Most High, possessing heaven and earth; and blessed is God Most High, who hath delivered thine adversaries into thy hand;' and he giveth to him a tenth of all. And the king of Sodom saith unto Abram, 'Give to me the persons, and the substance take to thyself,' and Abram saith unto the king of Sodom, 'I have lifted up my hand unto Jehovah, God Most High, possessing heaven and earth -- from a thread even unto a shoe-latchet I take not of anything which thou hast, that thou say not, I -- I have made Abram rich; save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who have gone with me -- Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre -- they take their portion.'
and Sarah dieth in Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Caanan, and Abraham goeth in to mourn for Sarah, and to bewail her. And Abraham riseth up from the presence of his dead, and speaketh unto the sons of Heth, saying, read more. A sojourner and a settler I am with you; give to me a possession of a burying-place with you, and I bury my dead from before me.' And the sons of Heth answer Abraham, saying to him, Hear us, my lord; a prince of God art thou in our midst; in the choice of our burying-places bury thy dead: none of us his burying-place doth withhold from thee, from burying thy dead.' And Abraham riseth and boweth himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth, and he speaketh with them, saying, 'If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar; and he giveth to me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the extremity of his field; for full money doth he give it to me, in your midst, for a possession of a burying-place.' And Ephron is sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answereth Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, of all those entering the gate of his city, saying, Nay, my lord, hear me: the field I have given to thee, and the cave that is in it, to thee I have given it; before the eyes of the sons of my people I have given it to thee -- bury thy dead.' And Abraham boweth himself before the people of the land, and speaketh unto Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, 'Only -- if thou wouldest hear me -- I have given the money of the field -- accept from me, and I bury my dead there.' And Ephron answereth Abraham, saying to him, My lord, hear me: the land -- four hundred shekels of silver; between me and thee, what is it? -- thy dead bury.' And Abraham hearkeneth unto Ephron, and Abraham weigheth to Ephron the silver which he hath spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred silver shekels, passing with the merchant. And established are the field of Ephron, which is in Machpelah, which is before Mamre, the field and the cave which is in it, and all the trees which are in the field, which are in all its border round about, to Abraham by purchase, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, among all entering the gate of his city. And after this hath Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (which is Hebron), in the land of Canaan;
And Jacob cometh unto Isaac his father, at Mamre, the city of Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac have sojourned.
and they go up by the south, and come in unto Hebron, and there are Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, children of Anak (and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt),
And Joshua blesseth him, and giveth Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance, therefore hath Hebron been to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite for an inheritance unto this day, because that he was fully after Jehovah, God of Israel; read more. and the name of Hebron formerly is Kirjath-Arba (he is the great man among the Anakim); and the land hath rest from war.
And to Caleb son of Jephunneh hath he given a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, according to the command of Jehovah to Joshua, even the city of Arba, father of Anak -- it is Hebron.
and they give to them the city of Arba father of Anak (it is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah, and its suburbs round about it;
And to the sons of Aaron the priest they have given the city of refuge for the man-slayer, Hebron and its suburbs, and Libnah and its suburbs,
and Judah goeth unto the Canaanite who is dwelling in Hebron (and the name of Hebron formerly is Kirjath-Arba), and they smite Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
And they give to Caleb Hebron, as Moses hath spoken, and he dispossesseth thence the three sons of Anak.
and his men who are with him hath David brought up -- a man and his household -- and they dwell in the cities of Hebron.
And David commandeth the young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang them over the pool in Hebron, and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken, and bury it in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.
in Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years, over all Israel and Judah.
And the king saith to him, 'Go in peace;' and he riseth and goeth to Hebron, and Absalom sendeth spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, 'At your hearing the voice of the trumpet, then ye have said, Absalom hath reigned in Hebron.'
And at the villages with their fields, of the sons of Judah there have dwelt, in Kirjath-Arba and its small towns, and in Dibon and its small towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,
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
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And Abram tenteth, and cometh, and dwelleth among the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and buildeth there an altar to Jehovah.
and Sarah dieth in Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Caanan, and Abraham goeth in to mourn for Sarah, and to bewail her.
And established are the field of Ephron, which is in Machpelah, which is before Mamre, the field and the cave which is in it, and all the trees which are in the field, which are in all its border round about, to Abraham by purchase, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, among all entering the gate of his city. read more. And after this hath Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (which is Hebron), in the land of Canaan; and established are the field, and the cave which is in it, to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, from the sons of Heth.
and he saith to him, 'Go, I pray thee, see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the flock, and bring me back word;' and he sendeth him from the valley of Hebron, and he cometh to Shechem.
And Israel journeyeth, and all that he hath, and cometh in to Beer-Sheba, and sacrificeth 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 are a hundred and thirty and three years.
and they go up by the south, and come in unto Hebron, and there are Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, children of Anak (and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt),
And Joshua goeth up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron, and they fight against it, and capture it, and smite it by the mouth of the sword, and its king, and all its cities, and every person who is in it -- he hath not left a remnant -- according to all that he did to Eglon -- and doth devote it, and every person who is in it.
And Joshua blesseth him, and giveth Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance,
and the name of Hebron formerly is Kirjath-Arba (he is the great man among the Anakim); and the land hath rest from war.
and it hath gone out unto the south to Maaleh-Akrabbim, and passed over to Zin, and gone up on the south to Kadesh-Barnea, and passed over to Hezron, and gone up to Adar, and turned round to Karkaa,
And they sanctify Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-Arba (it is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah;
and they give to them the city of Arba father of Anak (it is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah, and its suburbs round about it;
And it cometh to pass afterwards, that David asketh at Jehovah, saying, 'Do I go up into one of the cities of Judah?' and Jehovah saith unto him, 'Go up.' And David saith, 'Whither do I go up?' and He saith, 'To Hebron.' And David goeth up thither, and also his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite; read more. and his men who are with him hath David brought up -- a man and his household -- and they dwell in the cities of Hebron. And the men of Judah come, and anoint there David for king over the house of Judah; and they declare to David, saying, 'The men of Jabesh-Gilead are they who buried Saul.'
And the number of the days that David hath been king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, is seven years and six months.
in Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years, over all Israel and Judah.
and Absalom sendeth spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying, 'At your hearing the voice of the trumpet, then ye have said, Absalom hath reigned in Hebron.'
And sons of Caleb brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha his first-born, he is father of Ziph; and sons of Mareshah: Abi-Hebron. And sons of Hebron: Korah, and Tappuah, and 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
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and Sarah dieth in Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Caanan, and Abraham goeth in to mourn for Sarah, and to bewail her.
And after this hath Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (which is Hebron), in the land of Canaan;
And Jacob cometh unto Isaac his father, at Mamre, the city of Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac have sojourned.
And Joseph saith unto them on the third day, 'This do and live; God I fear!
and his sons bear him away to the land of Canaan, and bury him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a burying-place, from Ephron the Hittite, on the front of Mamre.
And the sons of Kohath are Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath are a hundred and thirty and three years.
and they go up by the south, and come in unto Hebron, and there are Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, children of Anak (and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt), and they come in unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down thence a branch and one cluster of grapes, and they bear it on a staff by two, also some of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
And Joshua blesseth him, and giveth Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance, therefore hath Hebron been to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite for an inheritance unto this day, because that he was fully after Jehovah, God of Israel; read more. and the name of Hebron formerly is Kirjath-Arba (he is the great man among the Anakim); and the land hath rest from war.
and the name of Hebron formerly is Kirjath-Arba (he is the great man among the Anakim); and the land hath rest from war.
And to Caleb son of Jephunneh hath he given a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, according to the command of Jehovah to Joshua, even the city of Arba, father of Anak -- it is Hebron.
and they give to them the city of Arba father of Anak (it is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah, and its suburbs round about it;
and they give to them the city of Arba father of Anak (it is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah, and its suburbs round about it; and the field of the city and its villages they have given to Caleb son of Jephunneh for his possession. read more. And to the sons of Aaron the priest they have given the city of refuge for the man-slayer, Hebron and its suburbs, and Libnah and its suburbs,
and Judah goeth unto the Canaanite who is dwelling in Hebron (and the name of Hebron formerly is Kirjath-Arba), and they smite Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
And David commandeth the young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang them over the pool in Hebron, and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken, and bury it in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.
in Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years, over all Israel and Judah.
And sons of Caleb brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha his first-born, he is father of Ziph; and sons of Mareshah: Abi-Hebron. And sons of Hebron: Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.
Of the Hebronite, Hashabiah and his brethren, sons of valour, a thousand and seven hundred, are over the inspection of Israel, beyond the Jordan westward, for all the work of Jehovah, and for the service of the king. Of the Hebronite, Jerijah is the head, of the Hebronite, according to his generations, for the fathers -- in the fortieth year of the reign of David they have been sought out, and there are found among them mighty ones of valour, in Jazer of Gilead -- read more. and his brethren, sons of valour, two thousand and seven hundred, are heads of the fathers, and king David appointeth them over the Reubenite, and the Gadite, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, for every matter of God and matter of the king.
And at the villages with their fields, of the sons of Judah there have dwelt, in Kirjath-Arba and its small towns, and in Dibon and its small towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,
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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and they go up by the south, and come in unto Hebron, and there are Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, children of Anak (and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt),
and they go up by the south, and come in unto Hebron, and there are Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, children of Anak (and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt),
And now, give to me this hill-country, of which Jehovah spake in that day, for thou didst hear in that day, for Anakim are there, and cities, great, fenced; if so be Jehovah is with me, then I have dispossessed them, as Jehovah hath spoken.'
And Caleb is dispossessing thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, children of Anak,
And they sanctify Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-Arba (it is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah;
in Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years, over all Israel and Judah.
And it cometh to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom saith unto the king, 'Let me go, I pray thee, and I complete my vow, that I vowed to Jehovah in Hebron,
and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, that are in Judah and in Benjamin, cities of bulwarks.
And at the villages with their fields, of the sons of Judah there have dwelt, in Kirjath-Arba and its small towns, and in Dibon and its small towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,
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.
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And Abram tenteth, and cometh, and dwelleth among the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and buildeth there an altar to Jehovah.
and Sarah dieth in Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Caanan, and Abraham goeth in to mourn for Sarah, and to bewail her.
And after this hath Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (which 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 are a hundred and thirty and three years.
And of Kohath is the family of the Amramite, and the family of the Izharite, and the family of the Hebronite, and the family of the Uzzielite; these are families of the Kohathite.
and they go up by the south, and come in unto Hebron, and there are Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, children of Anak (and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt),
And Joshua goeth up, and all Israel with him, from Eglon to Hebron, and they fight against it,
And they sanctify Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-Arba (it is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah;
and Judah goeth unto the Canaanite who is dwelling in Hebron (and the name of Hebron formerly is Kirjath-Arba), and they smite Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
And they give to Caleb Hebron, as Moses hath spoken, and he dispossesseth thence the three sons of Anak.
And sons of Caleb brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha his first-born, he is father of Ziph; and sons of Mareshah: Abi-Hebron. And sons of Hebron: Korah, and Tappuah, and 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.
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And Abram tenteth, and cometh, and dwelleth among the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and buildeth there an altar to Jehovah.
and Sarah dieth in Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Caanan, and Abraham goeth in to mourn for Sarah, and to bewail her. And Abraham riseth up from the presence of his dead, and speaketh unto the sons of Heth, saying, read more. A sojourner and a settler I am with you; give to me a possession of a burying-place with you, and I bury my dead from before me.' And the sons of Heth answer Abraham, saying to him, Hear us, my lord; a prince of God art thou in our midst; in the choice of our burying-places bury thy dead: none of us his burying-place doth withhold from thee, from burying thy dead.' And Abraham riseth and boweth himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth, and he speaketh with them, saying, 'If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar; and he giveth to me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the extremity of his field; for full money doth he give it to me, in your midst, for a possession of a burying-place.'
and speaketh unto Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, 'Only -- if thou wouldest hear me -- I have given the money of the field -- accept from me, and I bury my dead there.' And Ephron answereth Abraham, saying to him, read more. My lord, hear me: the land -- four hundred shekels of silver; between me and thee, what is it? -- thy dead bury.' And Abraham hearkeneth unto Ephron, and Abraham weigheth to Ephron the silver which he hath spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred silver shekels, passing with the merchant. And established are the field of Ephron, which is in Machpelah, which is before Mamre, the field and the cave which is in it, and all the trees which are in the field, which are in all its border round about, to Abraham by purchase, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, among all entering the gate of his city. And after this hath Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (which is Hebron), in the land of Canaan; and established are the field, and the cave which is in it, to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, from the sons of Heth.
and he saith to him, 'Go, I pray thee, see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the flock, and bring me back word;' and he sendeth him from the valley of Hebron, and he cometh to Shechem.
And the sons of Kohath are Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath are a hundred and thirty and three years.
And of Kohath is the family of the Amramite, and the family of the Izharite, and the family of the Hebronite, and the family of the Uzzielite; these are families of the Kohathite.
These are families of the Levite: the family of the Libnite, the family of the Hebronite, the family of the Mahlite, the family of the Mushite, the family of the Korathite. And Kohath hath begotten Amram,
And to Caleb son of Jephunneh hath he given a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, according to the command of Jehovah to Joshua, even the city of Arba, father of Anak -- it is Hebron. And Caleb is dispossessing thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, children of Anak,
and Humtah, and Kirjath-Arba (it is Hebron), and Zior; nine cities and their villages.
And to the sons of Aaron the priest they have given the city of refuge for the man-slayer, Hebron and its suburbs, and Libnah and its suburbs,
and Judah goeth unto the Canaanite who is dwelling in Hebron (and the name of Hebron formerly is Kirjath-Arba), and they smite Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
Sons of Hebron: Jeriah the head, 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.
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And Abraham riseth and boweth himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth, and he speaketh with them, saying, 'If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar; read more. and he giveth to me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the extremity of his field; for full money doth he give it to me, in your midst, for a possession of a burying-place.'
and they go up by the south, and come in unto Hebron, and there are Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, children of Anak (and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt),
And Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sendeth unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
and they do so, and bring out unto him these five kings from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon.
and capture it, and smite it by the mouth of the sword, and its king, and all its cities, and every person who is in it -- he hath not left a remnant -- according to all that he did to Eglon -- and doth devote it, and every person who is in it.
And Joshua blesseth him, and giveth Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance,
and the name of Hebron formerly is Kirjath-Arba (he is the great man among the Anakim); and the land hath rest from war.
And to Caleb son of Jephunneh hath he given a portion in the midst of the sons of Judah, according to the command of Jehovah to Joshua, even the city of Arba, father of Anak -- it is Hebron.
And to the sons of Aaron the priest they have given the city of refuge for the man-slayer, Hebron and its suburbs, and Libnah and its suburbs,
and Caleb saith, 'He who smiteth Kirjath-Sepher -- and hath captured it -- then I have given to him Achsah my daughter for a wife.' And Othniel son of Kenaz, younger brother of Caleb, doth capture it, and he giveth to him Achsah his daughter for a wife.
And David goeth up thither, and also his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and his men who are with him hath David brought up -- a man and his household -- and they dwell in the cities of Hebron. read more. And the men of Judah come, and anoint there David for king over the house of Judah; and they declare to David, saying, 'The men of Jabesh-Gilead are they who buried Saul.' And David sendeth messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead, and saith unto them, 'Blessed are ye of Jehovah, in that ye have done this kindness with your lord, with Saul, that ye bury him.
And it cometh to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absalom saith unto the king, 'Let me go, I pray thee, and I complete my vow, that I vowed to Jehovah in Hebron, for a vow hath thy servant vowed in my dwelling in Geshur, in Aram, saying, If Jehovah doth certainly bring me back to Jerusalem, then I have served Jehovah.'