כְּפַר הָעַמּוֹנִי
𐤊𐤐𐤓 𐤄𐤏𐤌𐤅𐤍𐤉
Kefar Haamoni
H3726 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Name of a locality mentioned in the book of Joshua (Joshua 18:24), most likely signifying 'the village of the Ammonite.' The term combines the toponymic designation for a small settlement ('village') with a gentilic marker indicating association with the Ammonites, a neighboring people to the east of ancient Israelite territory. The phrase thus refers to a community associated with, or perhaps originally inhabited by, Ammonites.
Semantic Range
village of the Ammonite; settlement or hamlet associated with the Ammonites; proper place name in the territory of Benjamin; locality name indicating Ammonite connection
Root / Etymology
Compound phrase from the noun כָּפָר (kəphar, 'village' or 'hamlet'), suffixed by the gentilic עַמּוֹנִי ('Ammonite'), with the article (הַ) interposed. The root for כָּפָר is כפר ('to cover, to wipe out'), though in this usage, it functions as an established term for 'village.' עַמּוֹנִי derives from עַמּוֹן (Ammon), referring to the people or land of Ammon east of the Jordan. The combination indicates possession or association, not etymological blending.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The locality כְּפַר הָעַמּוֹנִי appears only in Joshua 18:24, in the context of settling the territory allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. While the name designates a 'village of the Ammonite,' it is unclear if this means a village settled by Ammonites, a former possession of the Ammonites, or simply a border location near Ammonite territory. Later English translations often preserve the transliterated form, but earlier versions sometimes attempt to render the meaning (e.g., 'the Ammonite village'). There is no evidence this site was inhabited by Judeans in later periods, and it is unclear if its population was ethnically Ammonite, Israelite, or mixed. The term is not used elsewhere, and does not become a general category. Not to be confused with the broader term Ammonite, which refers more generally to the people of Ammon.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from כָּפָר and עַמּוֹנִי, with the article interposed; village of the Ammonite; Kefar-ha-Ammoni, a place in Palestine; Chefarhaamonai.
Bantu Hebrew
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כפר, עמון (k-p-r; ʿ-m-n) — covering, village-settlement; Ammonite, descendant of Ammon
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3726-02 |
העמני | hmny | HNp |
Ammoni | Village of the Ammonite | 1 |
H3726-01 |
הָֽעַמֹּנָ֛ה | haamonah | HNp |
Ammonah | Village of the Ammonite | 1 |
H3726-03 |
וּ/כְפַ֧ר | ukhefar | HC/Np |
and-Chephar | and Village of the Ammonite | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3726-03 |
Joshua 18:24 | וּ/כְפַ֧ר | ukhefar | HC/Np |
and-Chephar | and Village of the Ammonite |
H3726-02 |
Joshua 18:24 | העמני | hmny | HNp |
Ammoni | Village of the Ammonite |
H3726-01 |
Joshua 18:24 | הָֽעַמֹּנָ֛ה | haamonah | HNp |
Ammonah | Village of the Ammonite |