McClintock Biblical Encyclopedia: Kirjath-Arba

Online Resource Library

Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | Download

McClintock Biblical Encyclopedia: Kirjath-Arba


Subjects in this Topic:

(Hebrew Kiryath'- Aba', àִøְáִּò ÷øְéִú , city of Arba ; Sept. ðüëéò Á᾿ñâüê , Gen_23:2; Jdg_14:15; Jdg_15:13; Jdg_20:7; Êáñéáèáñâüê , Jos_21:11; Jdg_1:10; ðüëéò ôïῦ ðåäßïõ , Gen_35:27; once with the art. ÷ַøְéִú äָàִøְáִּò , Kiryath'-ha-Arba'; Septuag. Êáñéáèáñâü v. r. Êáñéáèáñâüê , Neh_11:25; Auth. Vers. " city of Arba," in Gen_35:27; Jos_15:13; Jos_21:11), the ori alame fHrnc, in the mountains of Judah, so called from its founder, one of the Anakim, and inhabited under the same name after the exile. Hengstenberg, however, thinks that Hebron was the earlier name, and Kirjath-Arba only was imposed by the Canaanites (Beitr. 3:187). Sir John AMandevillo (cir. 1322) found it still " called by the Saracens Karicarba, and by the Jews Arbotha" (Early Travels, p. 161), It is a Jewish gloss (first mentioned by Jerome) which interprets the latter part of the name ( àִøְáִּò arba, Heb. "four") as referring to the four great meil buried there (the saints Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; so the Talmud, see Keil. ad loc.; or the giants Anak, Ahiman, Sheshai, and Tolmai, according to Bochart, Canan, i, 1).