קְדֵמוֹת
𐤒𐤃𐤌𐤅𐤕
Qedemot
H6932 noun
SILEX Entry
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
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
קדם (Qedemah) — to precede, to be in front, to come before (in time or space)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6917 | קָדוּם | those from before |
| H6921 | קָדִים | the east |
| H6924 | קֶדֶם | the front |
| H6925 | קֳדָם | before you |
| H6926 | קִדְמָה | front/eastern region of |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6932-01 |
קְדֵמוֹת֙ | qedemot | HNp |
Kedemoth | Eastern Places | Qedemot | 3 |
H6932-02 |
וּ/קְדֵמֹ֖ת | uqedemot | HC/Np |
and Kedemoth | and Eastern-Places | and Qedemot | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6932-01 |
Deuteronomy 2:26 | קְדֵמ֔וֹת | qedemot | HNp |
of Kedemoth | Eastern Places | Qedemot |
H6932-02 |
Joshua 13:18 | וּ/קְדֵמֹ֖ת | uqedemot | HC/Np |
and Kedemoth | and Eastern-Places | and Qedemot |
H6932-01 |
Joshua 21:37 | קְדֵמוֹת֙ | qedemot | HNp |
Kedemoth | Eastern Places | Qedemot |
H6932-01 |
1 Chronicles 6:64 | קְדֵמוֹת֙ | qedemot | HNp |
Kedemoth | Eastern Places | Qedemot |