יׇטְבָתָה
𐤉𐤈𐤁𐤕𐤄
Ytevatah
H3193 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper noun designating a geographical location—specifically, an encampment or oasis in the southern Transjordan region traversed by the Israelites during their desert journey. The primary lexical sense is that of a toponym, with the possible underlying connotation of pleasantness or goodness, based on folk etymology linking to the root יטב ('to be good, pleasing').
Semantic Range
proper name of a wilderness encampment, possibly with connotations of a pleasant place; does not occur in other senses
Root / Etymology
Root: יטב (to be good, to be pleasant, to be agreeable), though the exact formation of the toponym is morphologically atypical and may reflect archaic or non-standard place-name construction. The suffix and formation are seen in other toponyms but do not follow regular Hebrew noun patterns. Derivation is uncertain beyond the root idea of 'pleasantness' or 'goodness.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Yoṭbâthâh appears primarily in texts describing the stages of Israelite wanderings (Numbers 33:33–34; Deuteronomy 10:7). The text situates it after Hor-Haggidgad on the route taken between Mount Sinai and the edge of the Promised Land. The placement in these itineraries locates it in the southern Transjordan or northern Arabah, but its precise site remains uncertain. The naming pattern, with similarity to the root יטב, may reflect a tradition of describing physical features (such as abundance of water, fertility, or pleasantness) rather than an exact linking to the verbal root. In post-biblical usage or translation tradition, there is no evidence that the term shifted in meaning or was identified with a later historical site. English translations such as 'Jotbathah' render this as a proper name, but offer little insight into its possible descriptive force. Yoṭbâthâh is distinguished from other geographic terms of the period by its possible folk etymological association with 'pleasantness,' though this is not linguistically certain.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from יׇטְבָה; Jotbathah, a place in the Desert; Jotbath, Jotbathah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יטב (y-ṭ-b) — to be good, to be pleasant, to be agreeable
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3190 | יָטַב | in his making him good |
| H3191 | יְטַב | he will be good |
| H3192 | יׇטְבָה | Pleasant-Place |
| H4105 | מְהֵיטַבְאֵל | God-does-good |
| H4315 | מֵיטָב | in the choicest portion of |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3193-01 |
בְּ/יָטְבָֽתָה | beyatevatah | HR/Np |
at Jotbathah | in Pleasant-Place | 1 |
H3193-02 |
מִ/יָּטְבָ֑תָה | miyatevatah | HR/Np |
from Jotbathah | from Pleasant-Place | 1 |
H3193-03 |
יָטְבָ֔תָה | yatevatah | HNp |
Jotbathah | Pleasant Place | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3193-01 |
Numbers 33:33 | בְּ/יָטְבָֽתָה | beyatevatah | HR/Np |
at Jotbathah | in Pleasant-Place |
H3193-02 |
Numbers 33:34 | מִ/יָּטְבָ֑תָה | miyatevatah | HR/Np |
from Jotbathah | from Pleasant-Place |
H3193-03 |
Deuteronomy 10:7 | יָטְבָ֔תָה | yatevatah | HNp |
Jotbathah | Pleasant Place |