← H2808 H2810 →

חֶשְׁבּוֹן

𐤇𐤔𐤁𐤅𐤍

Cheshebon

H2809 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חשב to reckon, to account, to think, to devise

Definition

Proper noun designating an ancient city located east of the Jordan River, serving as a significant urban center in the Transjordanian plateau. The term functions as a toponym; in some contexts, it preserves the underlying sense of planning or account, likely a play on its root meaning, but is primarily employed as a geographical name.

Semantic Range

city name (toponym), site of Amorite rule, Israelite territorial allotment, poetic wordplay on 'accounting' or 'planning'

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חשב (ḥ-š-b), which means 'to reckon, compute, think, account.' The place name חֶשְׁבּוֹן (Cheshbôn) is formed as a noun from this root, possibly signifying 'place of reckoning' or 'accounting,' but the toponym is conventional and its direct connection to accounting practices or calculation in the actual site is not clear.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֶשְׁבּוֹן refers to an Amorite city east of the Jordan, later conquered by the Israelites and allotted to the tribe of Reuben, though it was within the territory of the Gadites (Num 21:25–30, Joshua 13:17). It was the capital of King Sihon of the Amorites and features in several conquest narratives. Its name is sometimes associated in biblical poetry with wordplays on 'account' or 'calculation,' reflecting its root, but in nearly all occurrences it strictly denotes the city itself. In later periods, references to Heshbon remained as a historical or geographical marker. English translations typically retain 'Heshbon' as a proper name; in Greek and Latin tradition, the name is transliterated without translation. Distinct from the root usage of חשב in verbs and other noun forms, which relate to thinking, reckoning, or devising.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as חֶשְׁבּוֹן; Cheshbon, a place East of the Jordan; Heshbon.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

חשב (ḥ-š-b) — to reckon, to account, to think, to devise

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2803 חָשַׁב he devised
H2804 חֲשַׁב accounted ones
H2805 חֵשֶׁב with intricately woven sash of
H2807 חֲשֻׁבָה and Chashubah
H2808 חֶשְׁבּוֹן Reckoning-City

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2809-02 חֶשְׁבּ֔וֹן cheshebon HNp Heshbon Reckoning-City 23
H2809-01 בְּ/חֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן becheshebon HR/Np in Heshbon in Heshbon 11
H2809-03 מֵֽ/חֶשְׁבּ֔וֹן mecheshebon HR/Np from Heshbon from Reckoning-City 2
H2809-04 וּ/מֵ/חֶשְׁבּ֛וֹן umecheshebon HC/R/Np and from Heshbon and from Reckoning-place 1
H2809-05 וְ/חֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן vecheshebon HC/Np and Heshbon and Reckoning-City 1

Occurrences in Scripture

38 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2809-01 Numbers 21:25 בְּ/חֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן becheshebon HR/Np in Heshbon in Heshbon
H2809-02 Numbers 21:26 חֶשְׁבּ֔וֹן cheshebon HNp Heshbon Reckoning-City
H2809-02 Numbers 21:27 חֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן cheshebon HNp to Heshbon Reckoning-City
H2809-03 Numbers 21:28 מֵֽ/חֶשְׁבּ֔וֹן mecheshebon HR/Np from Heshbon from Reckoning-City
H2809-02 Numbers 21:30 חֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן cheshebon HNp Heshbon Reckoning-City
H2809-01 Numbers 21:34 בְּ/חֶשְׁבּֽוֹן becheshebon HR/Np in Heshbon in Heshbon
H2809-05 Numbers 32:3 וְ/חֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן vecheshebon HC/Np and Heshbon and Reckoning-City
H2809-02 Numbers 32:37 חֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן cheshebon HNp Heshbon Reckoning-City
H2809-01 Deuteronomy 1:4 בְּ/חֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן becheshebon HR/Np in Heshbon in Heshbon
H2809-02 Deuteronomy 2:24 חֶשְׁבּ֧וֹן cheshebon HNp of Heshbon Reckoning-City
← H2808 Hebrew Lexicon H2810 →