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לָכִישׁ

𐤋𐤊𐤉𐤔

Lakhish

H3923 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (proper noun, designation of a place name)

Definition

Lachish, a fortified city in the Shephelah region of southern Canaan, later within the territory of Judah. The term designates primarily the urban settlement known for its strategic military and administrative significance during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages. The semantic range encompasses references to the city itself, its inhabitants, and at times the district administered from the city. The name is used exclusively as a proper noun referring to this specific location.

Semantic Range

Lachish—a fortified city, the inhabitants or administrative district of Lachish, symbolic reference to military fortification or resistance

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain; the name is not clearly derived from an attested Hebrew root. The form לָכִישׁ does not transparently connect to other Semitic roots, and no satisfactory etymology has been established. Some have suggested possible links to words meaning 'invincible' or 'obstinate,' but these are speculative and lack supporting evidence.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Lachish (לָכִישׁ) was one of the principal fortified cities in the southern foothills (Shephelah) of Canaan, mentioned in various historical settings from the Late Bronze Age through the Iron Age II, and is frequently referenced in military accounts of the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the conquest narratives (Joshua 10) and in descriptions of the Assyrian and Babylonian campaigns (2 Kings 18–19, 2 Chronicles 32, Jeremiah 34:7). Archaeological evidence confirms its importance as a regional administrative and military center. In the Hebrew Bible, Lachish appears exclusively as a place name, never as a personal or generic noun. While English Bibles often refer to Lachish as a 'city of Judah,' this attribution is specifically relevant only from the period of the United Monarchy onward. Earlier mentions in conquest narratives refer to it as a Canaanite city-state later apportioned to the Judahite allotment. The use of 'Palestine' in older English Bibles is anachronistic and not reflective of the geographical or political realities of the biblical period. Later biblical literature (e.g., Micah 1:13) invokes Lachish symbolically, reflecting its enduring military reputation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

xlit Lâchîysh corrected to Lâkîysh; from an unused root of uncertain meaning; Lakish, a place in Palestine; Lachish.

Bantu Hebrew

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

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Root Family

לא ידוע (unknown) — proper place name, fortified city designation

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H175 אַהֲרוֹן and to Aharon
H176 אוֹ or
H1834 דַּמֶּשֶׂק Damascus
H2051 וְדָן Vedan
H2261 חֲבַצֶּלֶת splendid wildflower

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3923-01 לָכִ֛ישׁ lakhish HNp Lachish Lachish 13
H3923-02 לָכִ֑ישָׁ/ה lakhishah HNp/Sd to Lachish Lachish 6
H3923-04 מִ/לָּכִ֖ישׁ milakhish HR/Np from Lachish from Lachish 4
H3923-03 לְ/לָכִֽישׁ lelakhish HR/Np to Lachish to Lachish 1

Occurrences in Scripture

24 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3923-01 Joshua 10:3 לָכִ֛ישׁ lakhish HNp of Lachish Lachish
H3923-01 Joshua 10:5 לָכִ֣ישׁ lakhish HNp Lachish Lachish
H3923-01 Joshua 10:23 לָכִ֖ישׁ lakhish HNp of Lachish Lachish
H3923-02 Joshua 10:31 לָכִ֑ישָׁ/ה lakhishah HNp/Sd to Lachish Lachish
H3923-01 Joshua 10:32 לָכִ֜ישׁ lakhish HNp Lachish Lachish
H3923-01 Joshua 10:33 לָכִ֑ישׁ lakhish HNp Lachish Lachish
H3923-04 Joshua 10:34 מִ/לָּכִ֖ישׁ milakhish HR/Np from Lachish from Lachish
H3923-03 Joshua 10:35 לְ/לָכִֽישׁ lelakhish HR/Np to Lachish to Lachish
H3923-01 Joshua 12:11 לָכִ֖ישׁ lakhish HNp Lachish Lachish
H3923-01 Joshua 15:39 לָכִ֥ישׁ lakhish HNp Lachish Lachish
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