חֲצַר סוּסָה
𐤇𐤑𐤓 𐤎𐤅𐤎𐤄
Chatsar Susah
H2701 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name of a specific settlement, meaning 'enclosure (or settlement) of horses.' The term denotes a location identified as a place of stabling, breeding, or keeping horses and applies to a town within the tribal territory assigned to the descendants of Ephraim in the land allocation in the Hebrew Bible.
Semantic Range
enclosure of horses, settlement for horses, place named for horse enclosures, city in Ephraim's territory, Levitical city
Root / Etymology
Compound place name consisting of two elements: חָצֵר (ḥāṣēr), meaning 'enclosure, settlement, court,' and סוּסָה (sūsâ), the feminine form of 'horse.' Thus, the name literally means 'enclosure of a horse' or 'settlement of horses.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֲצַר סוּסָה appears in the context of Israelite territorial allotments in the book of Joshua (Josh 16:9; 21:22), designating one of the cities given to the descendants of Ephraim and, as a Levitical city, to the Kohathite clan. The term likely indicates the area's association with horse husbandry, possibly serving as a center for the keeping or breeding of horses during the early Israelite settlement period. The term is constructed in a pattern common to Hebrew place names, where חָצֵר ('enclosure, settlement') is followed by a descriptive noun, in this case סוּסָה ('mare, horse'). English translations typically render the name as 'Hazar-susah' or variably as 'Hazar-susim' (masculine plural form appears as a variant reading). The translation tradition sometimes treats these toponyms as purely geographical identifiers, but the underlying etymology points to their original meaning related to horses. There is no direct evidence that the residents were cavalrymen or that the town was exclusively a military posting; the association is with horses more generally.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָצֵר and סוּסָה; village of cavalry; Chatsar-Susah, a place in Palestine; Hazar-susah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
חצר, סוס (ḥ-ṣ-r; s-w-s) — enclosure, settlement, court; horse
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2701-02 |
וַ/חֲצַ֥ר | vachatsar | HC/Np |
and Hazar | Horse-Enclosure Settlement | and Chatsar Susah | 1 |
H2701-01 |
סוּסָֽה | susah | HNp |
susah | Horse-Enclosure Settlement | Chatsar Susah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2701-02 |
Joshua 19:5 | וַ/חֲצַ֥ר | vachatsar | HC/Np |
and Hazar | Horse-Enclosure Settlement | and Chatsar Susah |
H2701-01 |
Joshua 19:5 | סוּסָֽה | susah | HNp |
susah | Horse-Enclosure Settlement | Chatsar Susah |