קְדֵמוֹת

𐤒𐤃𐤌𐤅𐤕

Qedemot

H6932 noun

SILEX Entry

Root קדם to precede, to go before, to be east, to be ancient

Definition

A toponym referring to a settlement or region known as Kedemoth, likely situated in the eastern Transjordan territory. The name is based on the root meaning 'east' or 'ancient,' suggesting either geographic position toward the rising sun or figurative association with antiquity. In biblical context, it specifically denotes a Levitical city assigned from the territory of Reuben.

Semantic Range

Kedemoth (a place in Transjordan), eastern places, beginnings; by extension, points of origin or regions toward the sunrise (in non-toponymic constructions)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root קדם (q-d-m), meaning 'to precede, to be east, to be ancient.' The morphological formation קְדֵמוֹת (Qedemoth) is a plural or abstract noun form, possibly conveying 'eastern places' or 'ancient places.' It is used as a proper noun (place name) in the biblical text.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Kedemoth appears as a place name primarily in Deuteronomy 2:26 and Joshua 13:18. In Deuteronomy, it is the starting point for Mosheh's (Moses) message to Sihon, king of the Amorites, signaling a location on the outskirts of the territory Israel approached before crossing the Jordan. In Joshua, Kedemoth is listed among the Levitical cities allocated to the Merarite clan of Levites within the territory of Reuben. Its precise location is not certain but is generally assumed to be in the eastern Transjordan, near the desert margins. The name may reflect the idea of 'oriental' or 'ancient' origin due to its root but is preserved in the biblical text as a fixed toponym. Later English translations render the name unaltered ('Kedemoth'), and do not always capture the connotations of the root. The term is strictly geographical and does not bear religious or ethnic connotations in its biblical use.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from קָדַם; beginnings; Kedemoth, a place in eastern Palestine; Kedemoth.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קדם (q-d-m) — to precede, to go before, to be east, to be ancient

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6917 קָדוּם those from before
H6921 קָדִים the east
H6923 קָדַם I will go ahead to meet
H6924 קֶדֶם the front
H6925 קֳדָם before you

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6932-01 קְדֵמ֔וֹת qedemot HNp Kedemoth Eastern Places 3
H6932-02 וּ/קְדֵמֹ֖ת uqedemot HC/Np and Kedemoth and Eastern-Places 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6932-01 Deuteronomy 2:26 קְדֵמ֔וֹת qedemot HNp of Kedemoth Eastern Places
H6932-02 Joshua 13:18 וּ/קְדֵמֹ֖ת uqedemot HC/Np and Kedemoth and Eastern-Places
H6932-01 Joshua 21:37 קְדֵמוֹת֙ qedemot HNp Kedemoth Eastern Places
H6932-01 1 Chronicles 6:64 קְדֵמוֹת֙ qedemot HNp Kedemoth Eastern Places