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HORMAH (‘devoted’ or ‘accursed’) was a city, apparently not far from Kadesh, where the Israelites were overthrown, when, after the death of the ten spies, they insisted on going forward (Num_14:45, Deu_1:44). At a later time it was taken and destroyed by Israel (Num_21:3, Jos_12:19), this feat being attributed in Jdg_1:17 to Judah and Simeon. There we learn that the former name was Zephath. Possibly the memory of the previous disaster here led to its being called ‘Accursed.’ It was one of ‘the uttermost cities of Judah, towards the borders of Edom in the south,’ and is named between Chesll and Ziklag (Jos_15:30), also between Bethul (or Bethuel) and Ziklag (Jos_19:4, 1Ch_4:30), in the territory occupied by Simeon. It was one of the towns to which David sent a share of the booty taken from the Amalekites who had raided Ziklag in his absence (1Sa_30:30). There is no need to assume with Guthe (Bibelwörterbuch, s.v.) that two cities are so named. Probably, as in so many other cases, the old name persisted, and may be represented by the modern es-Sebaitâ, 23 miles north of ‘Ain Kadîs, and 26 miles south of Beersheba. The probability is increased if Ziklag is correctly identified with ‘Aslûj, 14 miles north of es-Sebaitâ. On the other hand, Naqb es-Safâ agrees better with the position of Arad; but it seems too far from Kadesh, being more than 40 miles to the north-east (Robinson, BRP [Note: RP Biblical Researches in Palestine.] 9 ii. 181).
W. Ewing.