אֶלְתְּקֵא
𐤀𐤋𐤕𐤒𐤀
Eleteqe
H514 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place-name referring to a settlement within the territorial allotment of the Israelite tribe of Dan, probably located in the Shephelah (lowland region) west of the central Judean hills. The precise physical identification remains debated but it is usually understood as a town or fortified settlement. The name itself is of uncertain meaning due to unclear etymology and insufficient ancient evidence.
Semantic Range
proper noun—place name; possibly: settlement, town, or fortified site; refers exclusively to an ancient town in the Danite territory
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. Traditional attempts to connect אֶלְתְּקֵא to any known Hebrew root are inconclusive. There is no clear derivation from standard Hebrew verbal roots, and the name may reflect a non-Hebrew (possibly Canaanite or pre-Israelite) toponym which was later adapted into Hebrew orthography.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name אֶלְתְּקֵא appears in the context of territorial lists in Joshua 19:44 (as a Danite town) and as a Levitical city (Joshua 21:23; 1 Chronicles 6:68) assigned to the Kohathite Levites. It is most likely located in the Shephelah, between Gezer and Ekron, though the precise site is unidentified, with possible candidates including the modern Khirbet el-Muqenna‘ or Tell el-Melat. The town is notable as part of the documented allotment process following the Israelite conquest. Unlike some place-names with clear Hebrew etymologies, אֶלְתְּקֵא likely reflects a pre-Israelite origin, marking it as part of the complex tapestry of settlement and naming in ancient Canaan. Common English translations simply transliterate the name for lack of additional meaning. In later biblical and extrabiblical references, the term remained place-specific with no expansion of semantic range.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
xlit ʼEltᵉqê corrected to ʼEltᵉqêʼ; or (more properly) אֶלְתְּקֵה; of uncertain derivation; Eltekeh or Elteke, a place in Palestine; Eltekeh.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain; place-name of unknown derivation
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H514-01 |
אֶלְתְּקֵ֖א | eleteqe | HNp |
Elteke | Elteqe | 1 |
H514-02 |
וְ/אֶלְתְּקֵ֥ה | veeleteqeh | HC/Np |
and Eltekeh | and Elteqeh | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H514-02 |
Joshua 19:44 | וְ/אֶלְתְּקֵ֥ה | veeleteqeh | HC/Np |
and Eltekeh | and Elteqeh |
H514-01 |
Joshua 21:23 | אֶלְתְּקֵ֖א | eleteqe | HNp |
Elteke | Elteqe |