יִתְלָה
𐤉𐤕𐤋𐤄
Yitelah
H3494 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Yithlah is a proper place name referring to a settlement allotted to the tribe of Dan in the southern part of the territory of ancient Israel. Its underlying meaning may relate to 'hang' or 'be suspended/high,' but in context it functions purely as a toponym rather than carrying the verbal sense. The primary lexical meaning is as a proper noun: 'Yithlah, a locality in the Shephelah region allocated to the Danites.' The semantic range of the proper name aspect does not extend beyond the referent of the specific site in the ancient Israelite geographical setting.
Semantic Range
(proper noun) a place named Yithlah, settlement listed among towns of Dan; (verb/root sense, not applied here) to hang, suspend, be raised up
Root / Etymology
The name likely derives from the root תלה (t-l-h), meaning 'to hang' or 'to suspend,' but the precise etymology is uncertain, as many place names may have non-transparent origins or poetic folk etymologies. The form יִתְלָה (Yithlah) could represent a passive or third person future form ('it will hang'), though as a proper noun such grammatical parsing is seldom relevant for meaning.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Yithlah appears in Joshua 19:42 as one of the towns allocated to the tribe of Dan in the tribal distributions. As with many ancient Israelite place names, the meaning of the name itself is largely incidental to its function as a geographic referent, and later tradition does not preserve details about the location or significance of the site beyond scriptural mention. Attempts to associate it with known archaeological sites are speculative. English versions sometimes render the name as 'Jethlah,' reflecting transliteration conventions rather than semantic content. The root תלה ('to hang, suspend') is not overtly relevant to the contextual function of the name in Joshua, and there is no evidence the town's name referred to physical elevation or suspension. No significant semantic shift or later religious usage is attested for this toponym.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably from תָּלָה; it will hang, i.e. be high; Jithlah, a place in Palestine; Jethlah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
תלה (t-l-h) — to hang, suspend, be raised up
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3494-01 |
וְ/יִתְלָֽה | veyitelah | HC/Np |
and Ithlah | Yithlah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3494-01 |
Joshua 19:42 | וְ/יִתְלָֽה | veyitelah | HC/Np |
and Ithlah | Yithlah |