כַּרְכְּמִישׁ (H3751) — Hebrew Lexicon

כַּרְכְּמִישׁ

𐤊𐤓𐤊𐤌𐤉𐤔

Karekemish

H3751 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (foreign to Hebrew; used as a place name)

Definition

Karkemish; a prominent ancient city on the upper Euphrates, referenced as a specific geographical location. In the Hebrew Bible, כַּרְכְּמִישׁ refers to this historically significant city, which was known as a strategic and commercial center in the region. The term designates the city itself, not its inhabitants or a broader territory.

Semantic Range

Karkemish (ancient city on the Euphrates), site of major battles, place of strategic and commercial importance, specific geographical location

Root / Etymology

Foreign derivation; the name is not of Hebrew origin. Likely derived from a West Semitic or Anatolian language, reflected in matching forms in Akkadian (Karkamīšu) and other ancient Near Eastern sources. The etymology is uncertain; various proposed theories suggest connections to local words for 'fortress' or an association with the god Kamis, but these remain speculative.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Karkemish was a major city-state located on the western bank of the Euphrates River, near the modern border of Turkey and Syria. In the Hebrew Bible, it is most notably mentioned in the context of Egyptian and Babylonian military campaigns (e.g., Jeremiah 46:2), since it was the site of a decisive battle around 605 BCE between the forces of the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar and the Egyptian army. The name is always a proper noun denoting the specific city and is not used as an ethnonym or for territories beyond the immediate urban center. English translations often render כַּרְכְּמִישׁ as 'Carchemish'; however, this Latinized form derives from later Greek and Roman sources. The Hebrew text points directly to the ancient city known from Near Eastern inscriptions. There is no evidence in the biblical text for any ethnic or religious connotations beyond geographical reference, nor does the term become generalized in later periods. Its usage is consistent across biblical passages.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign derivation; Karkemish, a place in Syria; Carchemish.

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Root Family

כרכמש (k-r-k-m-y-sh) — uncertain; foreign place name (city)

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H3751-01`	בְּ/כַרְכְּמִ֑שׁ	bekharekemish	`HR/Np`	at Carchemish	in Karkemish	2
`H3751-02`	כְּ/כַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ	kekharekemish	`HR/Np`	like Carchemish	as Karkemish	1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H3751-02`	Isaiah 10:9	כְּ/כַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ	kekharekemish	`HR/Np`	like Carchemish	as Karkemish
`H3751-01`	Jeremiah 46:2	בְּ/כַרְכְּמִ֑שׁ	bekharekemish	`HR/Np`	at Carchemish	in Karkemish
`H3751-01`	2 Chronicles 35:20	בְּ/כַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ	bekharekemish	`HR/Np`	at Carchemish	in Karkemish

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