Zephath is a location mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in the Book of Judges. It is associated with the early history of the Israelites as they settled in the Promised Land. The site is significant for its role in the military campaigns of the tribes of Israel during the period of the Judges.

Biblical Reference:

Zephath is mentioned in Judges 1:17. The verse in the Berean Standard Bible reads: "Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and completely destroyed the city. So it was called Hormah."

Historical and Geographical Context:

Zephath is identified as a Canaanite city that was targeted by the tribes of Judah and Simeon during their conquest of the land. The city was located in the southern part of Canaan, within the territory that would later be associated with the tribe of Simeon. The exact location of Zephath is not definitively known today, but it is generally believed to have been situated in the Negev region, south of the Dead Sea.

The name "Zephath" itself is of Canaanite origin, and the city's destruction is emblematic of the broader Israelite campaign to claim the land promised to them by God. The renaming of Zephath to Hormah, which means "destruction" or "devotion to destruction," signifies the complete annihilation of the city as an act of divine judgment and fulfillment of the Israelites' covenantal obligations.

Theological Significance:

The account of Zephath's destruction highlights several key themes in the biblical narrative. First, it underscores the cooperation between the tribes of Judah and Simeon, reflecting the unity and collective effort required to conquer the land. Second, the destruction of Zephath serves as a reminder of the Israelites' mandate to remove idolatry and pagan influences from the land, as commanded by God.

The renaming of the city to Hormah also carries theological weight, as it illustrates the concept of herem, or the ban, where certain cities and their inhabitants were devoted to destruction as an offering to God. This practice was intended to purify the land and prevent the Israelites from being led astray by the religious practices of the Canaanites.

Cultural and Archaeological Insights:

While the precise location of Zephath remains uncertain, archaeological evidence from the broader region provides insights into the Canaanite culture and the nature of the cities that the Israelites encountered. Canaanite cities were typically fortified and served as centers of political and religious activity. The destruction of such cities by the Israelites would have been a significant event, both militarily and culturally.

In summary, Zephath represents a key moment in the Israelite conquest of Canaan, reflecting themes of divine judgment, covenantal faithfulness, and the struggle to establish a society centered on the worship of Yahweh.Zephath

which beholds; that attends or that covers

Zephath

(watch-tower), the earlier name, (Judges 1:17) of a Canaanite town, which after its capture and destruction was called by the Israelites Hormah. [HORMAH]

Zephath

A Canaanitish city afterwards called Hormah, one of the "uttermost cities of Judah southwards," afterwards assigned to Simeon, Joshua 12:14 15:30 19:4. The name is supposed to be traceable in Sufah, a long and rough pass leading from the south up into the mountains of Judah. It was at Zephath that the Israelites were repulsed in attempting to ascend from Kadesh, Numbers 14:40-45 21:3 De 1:44 Jude 1:17.

Beacon; watch-tower, a Canaanite town; called also Hormah (q.v.), Judges 1:17. It has been identified with the pass of es-Sufah, but with greater probability with S'beita. ZEPHATH

ze'-fath.

See HORMAH.

6857. Tsephath -- a Canaanite city
... 6856, 6857. Tsephath. 6858 . a Canaanite city. Transliteration: Tsephath Phonetic
Spelling: (tsef-ath') Short Definition: Zephath. ... Zephath. ...
/hebrew/6857.htm - 6k

Arbel. Shezor. Tarnegola the Upper.
... So also "The Arbelite Bushel.". "Near Zephath in Upper Galilee was a town named
Shezor, whence was R. Simeon Shezori: there he was buried. ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 85 arbel shezor tarnegola.htm

In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
... In the Talmud it is mentioned by the name of Zephath, and spoken of as one of the
signal-stations, whence the proclamation of the new moon, made by the ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 3 in galilee at.htm

The Israelites
... The Israelitish forces were disastrously defeated at Zephath, the Hormah of later
days, and the invasion of the Promised Land was postponed. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... now and again to act against a common foe, for we know that the people of Judah
aided the tribe of Simeon in the reduction of the city of Zephath;** but they ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Zephath (2 Occurrences)
... beita. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ZEPHATH. ze'-fath. See HORMAH.
Multi-Version Concordance Zephath (2 Occurrences). Judges ...
/z/zephath.htm - 7k

Hormah (9 Occurrences)
... 45). This place, or perhaps the watch-tower commanding it, was originally called
Zephath (Judges 1:17), the modern Sebaiteh. Afterwards ...
/h/hormah.htm - 12k

Zephani'ah (10 Occurrences)
Zephani'ah. Zephaniah, Zephani'ah. Zephath . Multi-Version Concordance ... (See
RSV). Zephaniah, Zephani'ah. Zephath . Reference Bible.
/z/zephani'ah.htm - 9k

Zephathah (1 Occurrence)

/z/zephathah.htm - 7k

Zeph'athah (1 Occurrence)
... Zeph'athah (1 Occurrence). 2 Chronicles 14:10 Then Asa went out to meet him, and
they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephath at Mareshah. (See RSV). ...
/z/zeph'athah.htm - 6k

Inhabited (64 Occurrences)
... Judges 1:17 Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the
Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. ...
/i/inhabited.htm - 26k

Inhabiting (23 Occurrences)
... Judges 1:17 And Judah goeth with Simeon his brother, and they smite the Canaanite
inhabiting Zephath, and devote it; and 'one' calleth the name of the city ...
/i/inhabiting.htm - 13k

Totally (27 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Judges 1:17 Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the
Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. ...
/t/totally.htm - 14k

Mare'shah (8 Occurrences)
... (See RSV). 2 Chronicles 14:10 Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the
battle in array in the valley of Zephath at Mareshah. (See RSV). ...
/m/mare'shah.htm - 8k

Arad (5 Occurrences)
... in the fortieth year of the sojourn in the wilderness (Numbers 21:1-3), and Israel
vowed to "make their cities a devoted thing." In the case of Zephath, one of ...
/a/arad.htm - 10k

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