Shechem
Jump to: Hitchcock'sSmith'sATSISBEEaston'sConcordanceThesaurusGreekHebrewLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Thesaurus
Shechem (61 Occurrences)
... 39-42). To Shechem Joshua gathered all Israel "before God," and delivered
to them his second parting address (Joshua 24:1-15). He ...
/s/shechem.htm - 38k

Shechem's (5 Occurrences)
...Shechem's (5 Occurrences). ... Genesis 34:8 And Hamor spoke to them, saying, My son
Shechem's soul cleaves to your daughter: I pray you, give her to him as wife. ...
/s/shechem's.htm - 8k

Hamor (13 Occurrences)
... His son Shechem founded the city of that name which Simeon and Levi destroyed because
of his crime in the matter of Dinah, Jacob's daughter (Genesis 34:20). ...
/h/hamor.htm - 12k

Townsmen (18 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Genesis 34:20 Then Hamor and Shechem, his son, went to the meeting-place
of their town, and said to the men of the town, (See NIV). ...
/t/townsmen.htm - 12k

Citizens (28 Occurrences)
... Judges 9:2 "Say in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem, 'Which is better for
you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubba'al rule over you, or that one ...
/c/citizens.htm - 15k

Gaal (10 Occurrences)
... He headed the revolution, and led out the men of Shechem against Abimelech;
but was defeated, and fled to his own home (Judges 9:26-46). ...
/g/gaal.htm - 10k

Zebul (5 Occurrences)
... Habitation, the governor of Shechem under Abimelech (Judges 9:28, 30, 36). ...
and who is Shechem, that we should serve him (ie Abimelech)? ...
/z/zebul.htm - 12k

Dinah (7 Occurrences)
... 21). She was seduced by Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite chief, when
Jacob's camp was in the neighbourhood of Shechem. This ...
/d/dinah.htm - 10k

Shalem (1 Occurrence)
... The Revised Version translates this word, and reads, "Jacob came in peace to the
city of Shechem," thus not regarding it as a proper name at all. Int. ...
/s/shalem.htm - 8k

Millo (9 Occurrences)
... (2.) In Judges 9:6, 20 it is the name of a rampart in Shechem, probably the "tower
of Shechem" (9:46, 49). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MILLO. ...
/m/millo.htm - 14k

Bible Concordance
Shechem (61 Occurrences)

Acts 7:16 and they were brought back to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.
(WEB WEY ASV BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 12:6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land.
(WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 33:18 Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 33:19 He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:2 Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:4 Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, "Get me this young lady as a wife."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:5 Now Jacob had word of what Shechem had done to his daughter; but his sons were in the fields with the cattle, and Jacob said nothing till they came.
(BBE)

Genesis 34:6 Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:7 The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; a which thing ought not to be done.
(See NIV)

Genesis 34:8 Hamor talked with them, saying, "The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:11 Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you will tell me I will give.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:18 Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:20 Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:24 All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 34:26 They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 35:4 They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 37:12 His brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, "Aren't your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." He said to him, "Here I am."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 37:14 He said to him, "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again." So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 48:22 And I have given you more than your brothers, even Shechem as your heritage, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.
(BBE)

Numbers 26:31 and of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 17:2 So this was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, for the children of Helek, for the children of Asriel, for the children of Shechem, for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 17:7 The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which is before Shechem. The border went along to the right hand, to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 20:7 They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 21:21 They gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Gezer with its suburbs,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 24:1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 24:25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 24:32 They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 8:31 His concubine who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:1 Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:2 "Please speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem,'Is it better for you that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:3 His mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, "He is our brother."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:6 All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:7 When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, "Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:18 and you have risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy persons, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother);
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:20 but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:23 God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:24 that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:25 The men of Shechem set an ambush for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:26 Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:28 Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn't he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him?
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:31 He sent messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers are come to Shechem; and behold, they constrain the city to take part against you.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:34 Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:39 Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:41 Abimelech lived at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:46 When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:47 It was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Judges 9:49 All the people likewise each cut down his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them at the base of the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire on them; so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:57 and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite on their heads: and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 21:19 They said, "Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Kings 12:1 Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Kings 12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there, and built Penuel.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:67 They gave to them the cities of refuge, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its suburbs; Gezer also with its suburbs,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 7:19 The sons of Shemida were Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 7:28 Their possessions and habitations were Bethel and its towns, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, with its towns; Shechem also and its towns, to Azzah and its towns;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Chronicles 10:1 Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 60:6 God has spoken from his sanctuary: "I will triumph. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 108:7 God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 41:5 that there came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even eighty men, having their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and having cut themselves, with meal offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to the house of Yahweh.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Hosea 6:9 As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem, committing shameful crimes.
(WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Shechem

part; portion; back early in the morning

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Shechem

(back or shoulder).

  1. An important city in central Palestine, in the valley between mounts Ebal and Gerizim, 34 miles north of Jerusalem and 7 miles southeast of Samaria. Its present name, Nablus , is a corruption of Neapolis, which succeeded the more ancient Shechem, and received its new name from Vespasian. On coins still extant it is called Flavia Neapolis. The situation of the town is one of surpassing beauty. It lies in a sheltered valley, protected by Gerizim on the south and Ebal on the north. The feet of these mountains, where they rise from the town, are not more than five hundred yards apart. The bottom of the valley is about 1800 feet above the level of the sea, and the top of Gerizim 800 feet higher still. The sit of the present city, which was also that of the Hebrew city, occurs exactly on the water-summit; and streams issuing from the numerous springs there flow down the opposite slopes of the valley, spreading verdure and fertility in every direction. Travellers vie with each other in the language which they employ to describe the scene that here bursts so suddenly upon them on arriving in spring or early summer at this paradise of the holy land. "The whole valley," says Dr. Robinson, "was filled with gardens of vegetables and orchards of all kinds of fruits, watered by fountains which burst forth in various parts and flow westward in refreshing streams. it came upon us suddenly like a scene of fairy enchantment. We saw nothing to compare with it in all Palestine." The allusions to Shechem in the Bible are numerous, and show how important the place was in Jewish history. Abraham, on his first migration to the land of promise, pitched his tent and built an altar under the oak (or terebinth) of Moreh at Shechem. "The Canaanite was then in the land;" and it is evident that the region, if not the city, was already in possession of the aboriginal race. See (Genesis 12:6) At the time of Jacob's arrival here, after his sojourn in Mesopotamia, (Genesis 33:18; 34) Shechem was a Hivite city, of which Hamor, the father of Shechem, was the headman. it was at this time that the patriarch purchased from that chieftain "the parcel of the field" which he subsequently bequeathed, as a special patrimony, to his son Joseph. (Genesis 33:19; Joshua 24:32; John 4:5) The field lay undoubtedly on the rich plain of the Mukhna , and its value was the greater on account of the well which Jacob had dug there, so as not to be dependent on his neighbors for a supply of water. In the distribution of the land after its conquest by the Hebrews, Shechem fell to the lot of Ephraim, (Joshua 20:7) but was assigned to the Levites, and became a city of refuge. (Joshua 21:20,21) It acquired new importance as the scene of the renewed promulgation of the law, when its blessings were heard from Gerizim and its curses from Ebal, and the people bowed their heads and acknowledged Jehovah as their king and ruler. (27:11; Joshua 24:23-25) it was here Joshua assembled the people, shortly before his death, and delivered to them his last counsels. (Joshua 24:1,25) After the death of Gideon, Abimelech, his bastard son, induced the Shechemites to revolt from the Hebrew commonwealth and elect him as king. (Judges 9:1) ... In revenge for his expulsion after a reign of three years, Abimelech destroyed the city, and as an emblem of the fate to which he would consign it, sowed the ground with salt. (Judges 9:34-45) It was soon restored, however, for we are told in (1 Kings 12:1) ... that all Israel assembled at Shechem, and Rehoboam, Solomon's successor, went thither to be inaugurated as king. here, at this same place, the ten tribes renounced the house of David, and transferred their allegiance to Jeroboam, (1 Kings 12:16) under whom Shechem became for a time the capital of his kingdom. From the time of the origin of the Samaritans, the history of Shechem blends itself with that of this people and of their sacred mount, Gerizim. [SAMARIA] Shechem reappears in the New Testament. It is the SYCHAR of (John 4:5) near which the Saviour conversed with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. The population of Nablus consists of about 5000, among whom are 500 Greek Christians, 150 Samaritans, and a few Jews. The enmity between the Samaritans and jews is as inveterate still as it was in the days of Christ. The Mohammedans, of course, make up the bulk of the population. The well of Jacob and the tomb of Joseph are still shown in the neighborhood of the town. The well of Jacob lies about a mile and a half east of the city, close to the lower road, and just beyond the wretched hamlet of Balata . The Christians sometimes call it Bir es-Samariyeh -- "the well of the Samaritan woman." The well is deep --75 feet when last measured --and there was probably a considerable accumulation of rubbish at the bottom. Sometimes it contains a few feet of water, but at others it is quite dry. It is entirely excavated in the solid rock, perfectly round, 9 feet in diameter, with the sides hewn smooth and regular. Of all the special localities of our Lord's life, this is almost the only one absolutely undisputed. The tomb of Joseph lies about a quarter of a mile north of the well, exactly in the centre of the opening of the valley. It is a small between Gerizim and Ebal. It is a small, square enclosure of high whitewashed walls, surrounding a tomb of the ordinary kind, but with the peculiarity that it is placed diagonally to the walls, instead of parallel as usual. A rough pillar used as an altar and black with the traces of fire is at the head and another at the foot of the tome. In the walls are two slabs with Hebrew inscriptions, and the interior is almost covered with the names of pilgrims in Hebrew Arabic and Samaritan. Beyond this there is nothing to remark in the structure itself. The local tradition of the tomb, like that of the well is as old as the beginning of the fourth century.
  2. The son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivite settlement of Shechem at the time of Jacob's arrival. (Genesis 33:19; 34:2-26; Joshua 24:32; Judges 9:28)
  3. A man of Manasseh, of the clan of Gilead. (Numbers 26:31)
  4. A Gileadite, son of Shemida, the younger brother of the foregoing. (1 Chronicles 7:19)
ATS Bible Dictionary
Shechem

1. A Canaanite prince, at the town of the same name, who abducted Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and was soon afterwards treacherously slain, with many of his people, by Simeon and Levi, Genesis 34:1-31.

2. A city of central Canaan, between the mountains Gerizim and Ebal, thirty-four miles north of Jerusalem; called also Sychar and Sychem, Acts 7:16. It is first mentioned in the history of Abraham, who here erected his first altar in Canaan, and took possession of the country in the name of Jehovah, Genesis 12:6 33:18,19 35:4. Jacob bought a field in its neighborhood, which by way of overplus, he gave to his son Joseph, who was buried here, Genesis 48:22 Joshua 24:32. After the conquest of Canaan it became a Levitical city of refuge in Ephraim, and a gathering-place of the tribes, Joshua 20:7 21:21 24:1,25 Jud 9:1-57. Here Rehoboam gave the ten tribes occasion to revolt, 1 Kings 12:1-33. In its vicinity was Jacob's well or fountain, at which Christ discoursed with the woman of Samaria, John 4:5. See also Acts 8:25 9:31 15:3. After the ruin of Samaria by Shalmaneser, Shechem became the capital of the Samaritans; and Josephus says it was so in the time of Alexander the Great. St the present day it is also the seat of the small remnant of the Samaritans. See SAMARITANS.

It was called by the Romans Neapolis, from which the Arabs have made Napolose, or Nabulus.

The valley of Shechem extends several miles northwest between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, and is about five hundred yards wide; so that in the pure and elastic air of Palestine the two mountains are within hailing distance of each other, one circumstance among thousands evincing the exact truthfulness of Bible narratives, De 27:11-14 Jud 9:7. The winter rains which fall in the eastern part of the valley find their way to the Jordan, while in the western part are numerous springs, forming a pretty brook which flows towards the Mediterranean. "Here," says Dr. Robinson, "a scene of luxuriant and almost unparalleled verdure burst upon our view. The whole valley was filled with gardens of vegetables and orchards of all kinds of fruits, watered by several fountains, which burst forth in various parts and flow westward in refreshing streams. It came upon us suddenly, like a scene of fairy enchantment. We saw nothing to compare with it in Palestine." The modern town has several long and narrow streets, partly on the base of Mount Gerizim. It does not appear to extend so far to the east as the ancient city did. The houses are high and well built of stone, and covered with small domes. Nabulus is thought to contain eight thousand inhabitants, all Mohammedans except five hundred Greek Christians, one hundred and fifty Samaritans, and as many Jews. The rocky base of Mount Ebal on the north of the valley is full of ancient excavated tombs. On Mount Gerizim is the holy place of the Samaritans, and the ruins of a strong fortress erected by Justinian. At the foot of these mountains on the east lies the beautiful plain of Mukhna, ten miles long and a mile and a half wide; and where the valley opens on this plain, Joseph's tomb and Jacob's well are located, by the unanimous consent of Jews, Christians, and Mohammedans. The former spot is now covered by a Mohammedan Wely, or sacred tomb; and the latter by an arched stone chamber, entered by a narrow hole in the roof, and the mouth of the well within is covered by a large stone. The well itself is one hundred and five feet deep, and is now sometimes dry. It bears every mark of high antiquity.

The following extract is from Dr. Clarke's description of this place: "There is nothing in the Holy Land finer than a view of Napolose from the heights around it. As the traveller descends towards it from the hills, it appears luxuriantly embosomed in the most delightful and fragrant bowers, half concealed by rich gardens, and by stately trees collected into groves, all around the bold and beautiful valley in which it stands. Trade seems to flourish among its inhabitants. Their principal employment is in making soap; but the manufactures of the town supply a very widely extended neighborhood, and are exported to a great distance upon camels. In the morning after our arrival, we met caravans coming from Grand Cairo, and noticed others reposing in the large olive plantations near the gates."

"The sacred story of events transacted in the fields of Sychem, from our earliest years is remembered with delight; but with the territory before our eyes where those events took place, and in the view of objects existing as they were described above three thousand years ago, the grateful impression kindles into ecstasy. Along the valley we beheld ?a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,- Genesis 37:25, as in the days of Reuben and Judah, ?with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh,- who would gladly have purchased another Joseph of his brethren, and conveyed him as a slave to some Potiphar in Egypt. Upon the hills around, flocks and herds were feeding, as of old; nor in the simple garb of the shepherds of Samaria was there any thing repugnant to the notions we may entertain of the appearance presented by the sons of Jacob. It was indeed a scene to abstract and to elevate the mind; and under emotions so called forth by every circumstance of powerful coincidence, a single moment seemed to concentrate whole ages of existence."

"The principal object of veneration is Jacob's well, over which a church was formerly erected. This is situated at a small distance from the town, in the road to Jerusalem, and has been visited by pilgrims of all ages, but particularly since the Christian era, as the place where our Savior revealed himself to the woman of Samaria."

"The spot is so distinctly marked by the evangelist, and so little liable to uncertainty, from the circumstance of the well itself and the features of the country, that, if no tradition existed for its identity, the site of it could hardly be mistaken. Perhaps no Christian scholar ever attentively read John 4:1-54, without being struck with the numerous intervals evidences of truth which crowd upon the mind in its perusal. Within so small a compass it is impossible to find in other writings so many sources of reflection and of interest. Independently of its importance as a theological document, it concentrates so much information, that a volume might be filled with illustration it reflects on the history of the Jews and on the geography of their country. All that can be gathered on these subjects from Josephus seems but as a comment to illustrate this chapter. The journey of our Lord from Judea into Galilee; the cause of it; his passage through the territory of Samaria; his approach to the metropolis of this country; its name; his arrival at the Amorite field which terminates the narrow valley of Sychem; the ancient custom of halting at a well; the female employment of drawing water; the disciples sent into the city for food, by which its situation out of the town is obviously implied; the question of the woman referring to existing prejudices which separated the Jews from the Samaritans; the depth of the well; the oriental allusion contained in the expression, ?living water;- the history of the well, and the customs thereby illustrated; the worship upon Mount Gerizim; all these occur within the space of twenty verses."

Easton's Bible Dictionary
Shoulder.

(1.) The son of Hamor the Hivite (Genesis 33:19; 34).

(2.) A descendant of Manasseh (Numbers 26:31; Joshua 17:2).

(3.) A city in Samaria (Genesis 33:18), called also Sichem (12:6), Sychem (Acts 7:16). It stood in the narrow sheltered valley between Ebal on the north and Gerizim on the south, these mountains at their base being only some 500 yards apart. Here Abraham pitched his tent and built his first altar in the Promised Land, and received the first divine promise (Genesis 12:6, 7). Here also Jacob "bought a parcel of a field at the hands of the children of Hamor" after his return from Mesopotamia, and settled with his household, which he purged from idolatry by burying the teraphim of his followers under an oak tree, which was afterwards called "the oak of the sorcerer" (Genesis 33:19; 35:4; Judges 9:37). (see MEONENIM.) Here too, after a while, he dug a well, which bears his name to this day (John 4:5, 39-42). To Shechem Joshua gathered all Israel "before God," and delivered to them his second parting address (Joshua 24:1-15). He "made a covenant with the people that day" at the very place where, on first entering the land, they had responded to the law from Ebal and Gerizim (Joshua 24:25), the terms of which were recorded "in the book of the law of God", i.e., in the roll of the law of Moses; and in memory of this solemn transaction a great stone was set up "under an oak" (Comp. Genesis 28:18; 31:44-48; Exodus 24:4; Joshua 4:3, 8, 9), possibly the old "oak of Moreh," as a silent witness of the transaction to all coming time.

Shechem became one of the cities of refuge, the central city of refuge for Western Palestine (Joshua 20:7), and here the bones of Joseph were buried (24:32). Rehoboam was appointed king in Shechem (1 Kings 12:1, 19), but Jeroboam afterwards took up his residence here. This city is mentioned in connection with our Lord's conversation with the woman of Samaria (John 4:5); and thus, remaining as it does to the present day, it is one of the oldest cities of the world. It is the modern Nablus, a contraction for Neapolis, the name given to it by Vespasian. It lies about a mile and a half up the valley on its southern slope, and on the north of Gerizim, which rises about 1,100 feet above it, and is about 34 miles north of Jerusalem. It contains about 10,000 inhabitants, of whom about 160 are Samaritans and 100 Jews, the rest being Christians and Mohammedans.

The site of Shechem is said to be of unrivalled beauty. Stanley says it is "the most beautiful, perhaps the only very beautiful, spot in Central Palestine."

Gaza, near Shechem, only mentioned 1 Chronicles 7:28, has entirely disappeared. It was destroyed at the time of the Conquest, and its place was taken by Shechem. (see SYCHAR.)

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SHECHEM

she'-kem (shekhem, "shoulder"; Suchem, he Sikima, ta Sikima, etc.; the King James Version gives "Sichem" in Genesis 12:6; and "Sychem" in Acts 7:16):

1. Historical:

This place is first mentioned in connection with Abraham's journey from Haran. At the oak of Moreh in the vicinity he reared his first altar to the Lord in Palestine (Genesis 12:6 f). It was doubtless by this oak that Jacob, on his return from Paddan-aram, buried "the strange (the American Standard Revised Version "foreign") gods" (Genesis 35:4). Hither he had come after his meeting with Esau (Genesis 33:18). Eusebius, in Onomasticon, here identifies Shechem with Shalem; but see SHALEM. To the East of the city Jacob pitched his tent in a "parcel of ground" which he had bought from Hamor, Shechem's father (Genesis 33:19). Here also he raised an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel, "God, the God of Israel" (Genesis 33:20). Then follows the story of Dinah's defilement by Shechem, son of the city's chief; and of the treacherous and terrible vengeance exacted by Simeon and Levi (Genesis 34). To the rich pasture land near Shechem Joseph came to seek his brethren (Genesis 37:12). It is mentioned as lying to the West of Michmethath (el-Makhneh) on the boundary of Manasseh (Joshua 17:7). It was in the territory of Ephraim; it was made a city of refuge, and assigned to the Kohathite Levites (Joshua 20:7; Joshua 21:21). Near the city the Law was promulgated (Deuteronomy 27:11 Joshua 8:33). When his end was approaching Joshua gathered the tribes of Israel here and addressed to them his final words of counsel and exhortation (chapter 24). Under the oak in the neighboring sanctuary he set up the stone of witness (24:26). The war of conquest being done, Joseph's bones were buried in the parcel of ground which Jacob had bought, and which fell to the lot of Joseph's descendants (24:33). Abimelech, whose mother was a native of the city, persuaded the men of Shechem to make him king (Judges 9:1-6), evidently seeking a certain consecration from association with "the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem." Jotham's parable was spoken from the cliff of Gerizim overhanging the town (Judges 9:7). After a reign of three years Abimelech was rejected by the people. He captured the city, razed it to the foundations, and sowed it with salt. It was then the seat of Canaanite idolatry, the temple of Baal-berith being here (Judges 9:4, 46). In the time of the kings we find that the city was once more a gathering-place of the nation. It was evidently the center, especially for the northern tribes; and hither Rehoboam came in the hope of getting his succession to the throne confirmed (1 Kings 12:1 2 Chronicles 10:1). At the disruption Jeroboam fortified the city and made it his residence (2 Chronicles 10:25; Ant, VIII, viii, 4). The capital of the Northern Kingdom was moved, however, first to Tirzah and then to Samaria, and Shechem declined in political importance. Indeed it is not named again in the history of the monarchy. Apparently there were Israelites in it after the captivity, some of whom on their way to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem met a tragic fate at the hands of Ishmael ben Nethaniah (Jeremiah 41:5). It became the central city of the Samaritans, whose shrine was built on Mt. Gerizim (Sirach 50:26; Ant, XI, viii, 6; XII, i, 1; XIII, iii, 4). Shechem was captured by John Hyrcanus in 132 B.C. (Ant., XIII, ix, 1; BJ, I, ii, 6). It appears in the New Testament only in the speech of Stephen (Acts 7:16, King James Version "Sychem"). Some (e.g. Smith, DB, under the word) would identify it with Sychar of John 4:5; but see SYCHAR. Under the Romans it became Flavia Neapolis. In later times it was the seat of a bishopric; the names of five occupants of the see are known.

2. Location and Physical Features:

There is no doubt as to the situation of ancient Shechem. It lay in the pass which cuts through Mts. Ephraim, Ebal and Gerizim, guarding it on the North and South respectively. Along this line runs the great road which from time immemorial has formed the easiest and the quickest means of communication between the East of the Jordan and the sea. It must have been a place of strength from antiquity. The name seems to occur in Travels of a Mohar (Max Muller, Asien u. Europa, 394), "Mountain of Sahama" probably referring to Ebal or Gerizim. The ancient city may have lain somewhat farther East than the modern Nablus, in which the Roman name Neapolis survives. The situation is one of great beauty. The city lies close to the foot of Gerizim. The terraced slopes of the mountain rise steeply on the South. Across the valley, musical with the sound of running water, the great bulk of Ebal rises on the North, its sides, shaggy with prickly pear, sliding down into grain fields and orchards. The copious springs which supply abundance of water rise at the base of Gerizim. The fruitful and well-wooded valley winds westward among the hills. It is traversed by the carriage road leading to Jaffa and the sea. Eastward the valley opens upon the plain of Makhneh. To the East of the city, in a recess at the base of Gerizim, is the sanctuary known as Rijal el-`Amud, literally, "men of the column" or "pillar," where some would locate the ancient "oak of Moreh" or "of the pillar." Others would find it in a little village farther East with a fine spring, called BalaTa, a name which may be connected with balluT, "oak." Still farther to the East and near the base of Ebal is the traditional tomb of Joseph, a little white-domed building beside a luxuriant orchard. On the slope of the mountain beyond is the village of `Askar; see SYCHAR. To the South of the vale is the traditional Well of Jacob; see JACOB'S WELL. To the Southwest of the city is a small mosque on the spot where Jacob is said to have mourned over the blood-stained coat of Joseph. In the neighboring minaret is a stone whereon the Ten Commandments are engraved in Samaritan characters. The main center of interest in the town is the synagogue of the Samaritans, with their ancient manuscript of the Pentateuch.

3. Modern Shechem:

The modern town contains about 20,000 inhabitants, the great body of them being Moslems. There are some 700 or 800 Christians, chiefly belonging to the Greek Orthodox church. The Samaritans do not total more than 200. The place is still the market for a wide district, both East and West of Jordan. A considerable trade is done in cotton and wool. Soap is manufactured in large quantities, oil for this purpose being plentifully supplied by the olive groves. Tanning and the manufacture of leather goods are also carried on. In old times the slopes of Ebal were covered with vineyards; but these formed a source of temptation to the "faithful." They were therefore removed by authority, and their place taken by the prickly pears mentioned above.

W. Ewing

TOWER OF SHECHEM

(mighdal shekhem): Mentioned only in Judges 9:46-49. It seems along with the Beth-millo and the Beth-el-berith to have comprised the three strongest parts of the fortification when Abimelech besieged the town. It was, however, abandoned by its defenders, who took refuge in the Beth-millo, in which they were slain.

Greek
4966. Suchem -- Shechem, a city in Samaria
... Shechem, a city in Samaria. Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration:
Suchem Phonetic Spelling: (soo-khem') Short Definition: Shechem Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4966.htm - 6k

1697. Hemmor -- Emmor, a Canaanite
... Indeclinable Transliteration: Hemmor Phonetic Spelling: (em-mor') Short Definition:
Hamor Definition: Hamor, a man whose sons sold a field at Shechem to Jacob. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1697.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew
1037. Beth Millo -- "house of earthwork," a place near Shechem ...
Beth Millo. 1036, 1037. Beth Millo. 1038 . "house of earthwork," a place
near Shechem, also a citadel in Jer. Transliteration: Beth ...
/hebrew/1037.htm - 6k

5858c. Ebal -- a mountain North of Shechem
... 5858b, 5858c. Ebal. 5859 . a mountain North of Shechem. Transliteration:
Ebal Short Definition: Ebal. Word Origin from the same ...
/hebrew/5858c.htm - 5k

8405. Tebets -- a city near Shechem
... 8404, 8405. Tebets. 8406 . a city near Shechem. Transliteration: Tebets
Phonetic Spelling: (tay-bates') Short Definition: Thebez. ...
/hebrew/8405.htm - 6k

4176. Moreh -- a place near Shechem, also a hill of unc. location
... 4175b, 4176. Moreh or Moreh. 4177 . a place near Shechem, also a hill of unc. ...
Word Origin from yarah Definition a place near Shechem, also a hill of unc. ...
/hebrew/4176.htm - 6k

6756a. Tsalmon -- a mountain near Shechem, also perhaps a ...
... 6756, 6756a. Tsalmon. 6756b . a mountain near Shechem, also perhaps a snowcapped
mountain of unc. location. Transliteration: Tsalmon Short Definition: Zalmon ...
/hebrew/6756a.htm - 5k

7930. Shikmi -- descendant of Shechem
... descendant of Shechem. Transliteration: Shikmi Phonetic Spelling: (shik-mee') Short
Definition: Shechemites. ... of Shechem NASB Word Usage Shechemites (1). ...
/hebrew/7930.htm - 6k

2544. Chamor -- father of Shechem
... 2543, 2544. Chamor. 2545 . father of Shechem. Transliteration: Chamor
Phonetic Spelling: (kham-ore') Short Definition: Hamor. Word ...
/hebrew/2544.htm - 6k

4407. Millo -- a place near Shechem, also a citadel in Jer.
... 4406, 4407. Millo or Millo. 4408 . a place near Shechem, also a citadel in
Jer. ... Word Origin from male Definition a place near Shechem, also a citadel in Jer ...
/hebrew/4407.htm - 6k

725. Arumah -- a place near Shechem
... 724, 725. Arumah. 726 . a place near Shechem. Transliteration: Arumah
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-oo-maw') Short Definition: Arumah. ...
/hebrew/725.htm - 6k

6756. Tsalmown -- a mountain near Shechem, also perhaps a ...
... 6755, 6756. Tsalmown. 6756a . a mountain near Shechem, also perhaps a
snowcapped mountain of unc. location. Transliteration: Tsalmown ...
/hebrew/6756.htm - 5k

Library

The National Oath at Shechem
... THE BOOK OF JOSHUA THE NATIONAL OATH AT SHECHEM. ... So Joshua made a covenant with the
people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.26. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the national oath at shechem.htm

The Crowning of Abimelech
... And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and
spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/iii the crowning of abimelech.htm

Six Cities
... Child!". [Illustration: Shechem]. Second City"Shechem. Shechem was situated
at the extremity of a valley among the hills of Ephraim. ...
/.../macduff/the cities of refuge or the name of jesus/ii six cities.htm

Of the Cities of Refuge.
... 20:7,8]. And these were placed by one another, just as two ranks of vines are in
a vineyard: Hebron in Judea against Bezer in the wilderness: Shechem in mount ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 50 of the cities.htm

Appendix D.
... But it was Jacob who bought a field near Shechem of the children of Hamer, Shechem's
father.' These two incidents, then, in this case are confused together. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/burgon/inspiration and interpretation/appendix d.htm

Appendix xv. The Location of Sychar, and the Date of Our Lord's ...
... Till comparitively lately, the Sychar of John 4.was generally as representing
the ancient Shechem. The first difficulty here was ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xv the location of.htm

Concerning the violation of Dina's Chastity.
... 1. Hereupon Jacob came to the place, till this day called Tents [Succoth]; from
whence he went to Shechem, which is a city of the Canaanites. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 21 concerning the violation.htm

Chapter xxxv
... they turned over to Jacob all the foreign gods in their possession and the rings
that were in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the terebinth near Shechem ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxv.htm

The Story of Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors
... At one time, Joseph's ten brothers were taking care of the flock in the fields near
Shechem, which was nearly fifty miles from Hebron, where Jacob's tents were ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of joseph and.htm

Joseph and his Brethren
... And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. And Israel said
unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/i joseph and his brethren.htm

Subtopics

Shechem

Shechem: Also Called Sichem and Sychem, a District in the Central Part of the Land of Canaan: Abraham Lives In

Shechem: Also Called Sichem and Sychem, a District in the Central Part of the Land of Canaan: Jacob Buried In

Shechem: Also Called Sichem and Sychem, a District in the Central Part of the Land of Canaan: Joseph Buried In

Shechem: Also Called Sychar, a City of Refuge in Mount Ephraim

Shechem: Also Called Sychar, a City of Refuge in Mount Ephraim: Abimelech Made King At

Shechem: Also Called Sychar, a City of Refuge in Mount Ephraim: Destroyed by Abimelech

Shechem: Also Called Sychar, a City of Refuge in Mount Ephraim: Jesus Visits; Disciples Made In

Shechem: Also Called Sychar, a City of Refuge in Mount Ephraim: Joshua Buried At

Shechem: Also Called Sychar, a City of Refuge in Mount Ephraim: Men of, Killed by Ishmael

Shechem: Also Called Sychar, a City of Refuge in Mount Ephraim: Rebuilt by Jeroboam

Shechem: Also Called Sychar, a City of Refuge in Mount Ephraim: Rehoboam Crowned At

Shechem: Ancestor of the Shechemites

Shechem: Joshua Assembled the Tribes of Israel At

Shechem: Son of Hamor; Seduces Jacob's Daughter; Killed by Jacob's Sons

Shechem: Son of Hamor; Seduces Jacob's Daughter; Killed by Jacob's Sons: Called Sychem

Shechem: Son of Shemidah

Shechem: The Flocks and Herds of Jacob Kept In

Related Terms

Shechem's (5 Occurrences)

Hamor (13 Occurrences)

Townsmen (18 Occurrences)

Citizens (28 Occurrences)

Gaal (10 Occurrences)

Zebul (5 Occurrences)

Dinah (7 Occurrences)

Shalem (1 Occurrence)

Millo (9 Occurrences)

Masters (59 Occurrences)

Abim'elech (58 Occurrences)

Jerubbaal (15 Occurrences)

Ebed (7 Occurrences)

Kinsmen (74 Occurrences)

Ga'al (8 Occurrences)

Parcel (10 Occurrences)

Sychar (1 Occurrence)

Gerizim (4 Occurrences)

Jerub-baal's (3 Occurrences)

Jerubba'al (11 Occurrences)

Terebinth (15 Occurrences)

Rehobo'am (42 Occurrences)

Moreh (3 Occurrences)

Beth-millo (3 Occurrences)

Arumah (2 Occurrences)

Meonenim (1 Occurrence)

Jotham (26 Occurrences)

Abimelech (63 Occurrences)

Relatives (132 Occurrences)

Zalmon (3 Occurrences)

Kesitah (3 Occurrences)

Kesitahs (2 Occurrences)

Thebez (3 Occurrences)

Tirzah (17 Occurrences)

Ebal (8 Occurrences)

Michmethath (2 Occurrences)

Michmethah (2 Occurrences)

Communed (20 Occurrences)

Hivite (25 Occurrences)

Mount (311 Occurrences)

Oak (22 Occurrences)

Bought (66 Occurrences)

Jacob's (34 Occurrences)

Flocks (128 Occurrences)

Rehoboam (42 Occurrences)

Threescore (87 Occurrences)

Buried (125 Occurrences)

Refuge (111 Occurrences)

Leaders (167 Occurrences)

Beth (115 Occurrences)

Pillar (72 Occurrences)

Ambush (39 Occurrences)

Ophrah (9 Occurrences)

Jerub-baal (8 Occurrences)

Lebonah (1 Occurrence)

Lord (59401 Occurrences)

Tirza

Tract (5 Occurrences)

Treacherously (42 Occurrences)

Rumah (2 Occurrences)

Removed (294 Occurrences)

Eleloheisrael (1 Occurrence)

Exultation (10 Occurrences)

El-elohe-Israel (1 Occurrence)

En-tappuah (1 Occurrence)

Entappuah (1 Occurrence)

Defiled (119 Occurrences)

Devoureth (27 Occurrences)

Deceitfully (22 Occurrences)

Deputy (7 Occurrences)

Mete (7 Occurrences)

Purchased (24 Occurrences)

Pitched (101 Occurrences)

Price (181 Occurrences)

Paid (86 Occurrences)

Bezek (3 Occurrences)

Tents (284 Occurrences)

Aru'mah (2 Occurrences)

Links
Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Shechaniah
Top of Page
Top of Page