חֲצַר הַתִּיכוֹן

𐤇𐤑𐤓 𐤄𐤕𐤉𐤊𐤅𐤍

Chatsar Hatikhon

H2694 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חצר, תך to surround, enclose; middle, midst

Definition

A place name in the Hebrew Bible, literally meaning 'the middle enclosure' or 'the central village.' Refers to a specific settlement whose name derives from its location, likely denoting its position amid other settlements or as lying centrally in a region. The full lexical meaning reflects a compound: 'enclosure or settlement (חֲצַר) of the middle (הַתִּיכוֹן, with the article).'

Semantic Range

proper name; central enclosure, middle settlement, village at the midpoint, settlement at a central location

Root / Etymology

Compound of חָצֵר (ḥatser, 'enclosure, settlement') and תִּיכוֹן (tikōn, 'middle'), with the definite article הַ inserted before תִּיכוֹן. Thus, the phrase חֲצַר הַתִּיכוֹן signifies 'the middle settlement.' Root meanings: חצר - to surround, enclose; תִּיכוֹן from the root תּוך, 'middle, midst.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Mentioned in Ezekiel 48:15 as one of the settlements in the post-exilic layout of the tribal territories. The formation with the article reflects grammatical emphasis on location. Unlike generic use of חָצֵר for any 'settlement,' this proper name signals a settlement characterized by its centrality, perhaps in relation to tribal boundaries or the New Jerusalem schema in Ezekiel's vision. English translations such as 'Hazar-hatticon' or 'the middle village' reflect the literal sense, but do not always convey its technical or spatial nuance. There is no direct evidence linking this name to a specific historical or archaeological site; the usage is limited and contextual to the vision of land division in Ezekiel.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָצֵר and תִּיכוֹן with the article interposed; village of the middle; Chatsar-hat-Tikon, a place in Palestine; Hazar-hatticon.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חצר (ḥ-ṣ-r) — enclose, surround, fence in, gather into a court or settlement

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1178 בַּעַל חָצוֹר Hazor Enclosed-Settlement
H2674 חָצוֹר in Hazor
H2681 חָצִיר enclosed courtyard
H2682 חָצִיר field herbage
H2689 חֲצֹצְרָה in the silver trumpets

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2694-01 חָצֵר֙ chatser HNp Hazer enclosed court 1
H2694-02 הַתִּיכ֔וֹן hatikhon HNp hatticon the middle one 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2694-01 Ezekiel 47:16 חָצֵר֙ chatser HNp Hazer enclosed court
H2694-02 Ezekiel 47:16 הַתִּיכ֔וֹן hatikhon HNp hatticon the middle one