Lexical Summary Eynayim: Eynayim Original Word: עֵינַיִם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Enaim, openly Genesis 38:21 Or meynam {ay-nawm'}; dual of ayin; double fountain; Enajim or Enam, a place in Palestine -- Enaim, openly (Genesis 38:21). see HEBREW ayin Brown-Driver-Briggs עֵינַ֫יִם proper name, of a location (on form see Ges§ 88c); — Genesis 38:14,21 (J), Αιναν#NAME? עֵינָם proper name, of a location in the Shephelah of Judah, ׳חָע Joshua 15:84 (Μαιανει, A ᵐ5L Ηναειμ) = עֵנַיִם .above Topical Lexicon EnayimGeographical setting Enayim (“Eyes” or “Springs”) lay in the Shephelah—the low-hills that slope westward from the Judean highlands toward Philistia. Its placement “on the way to Timnah” (Genesis 38:14) situates it along the strategic north–south route that linked Timnah, Adullam, and Hebron with the coastal plain. The list of towns in Joshua 15:33-36 frames it between Socoh and Azekah to the west and Keilah to the east, indicating a site inside the Elah Valley region. Several proposals have been advanced—Khirbet Umm er-Rakham, ‘Ain en-Naj, and Khirbet el-Ghanim among them—but no excavation has produced definitive proof. What is certain is that Enayim lay close enough to Timnah for regular traffic yet far enough from Judah’s family seat at Adullam to provide anonymity for the events recorded in Genesis 38. Biblical occurrences 1. Genesis 38:14-22. “She sat at the entrance to Enayim, on the way to Timnah”. Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar, denied the levirate marriage due her, veiled herself and waited for Judah beside the road. The meeting led to the conception of Perez and Zerah, ancestors of King David and, ultimately, of Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:18-22; Matthew 1:3). Historical context Genesis 38 occurs during the patriarchal age, before Israel’s sojourn in Egypt. Enayim, therefore, already existed as a way-station or small settlement in Canaanite territory. By Joshua’s generation—more than four centuries later—the site had been absorbed into Judah’s inheritance, bearing witness to the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would possess the land. Theological and ministry significance 1. Providence in obscure places. Enayim is scarcely mentioned, yet the Lord used this modest roadside location to advance the messianic line. The sovereignty that orchestrated history at Jerusalem and Bethel also directed events at an otherwise unremarkable hill-town. Archaeological and scholarly notes • Textual tradition. Older English versions, following the Masoretic pointing, render פֶּתַח עֵינַיִם as “an open place.” Most modern translators treat it as a toponym, “entrance to Enayim,” aligning Genesis 38 with Joshua 15:34. Lessons for today • God often accomplishes pivotal kingdom work in overlooked settings; therefore, no act of obedience in a “small” place is insignificant. Forms and Transliterations בָעֵינַ֖יִם בעינים וְהָעֵינָֽם׃ והעינם׃ ḇā‘ênayim ḇā·‘ê·na·yim vaeiNayim vehaeiNam wə·hā·‘ê·nām wəhā‘ênāmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 38:21 HEB: הַקְּדֵשָׁ֛ה הִ֥וא בָעֵינַ֖יִם עַל־ הַדָּ֑רֶךְ NAS: was by the road at Enaim? But they said, INT: Where the harlot who Enaim was by the road Joshua 15:34 2 Occurrences |
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