קִרְיַת יְעָרִים (H7157) — Hebrew Lexicon

קִרְיַת יְעָרִים

𐤒𐤓𐤉𐤕 𐤉𐤏𐤓𐤉𐤌

Qireyat Yearim

H7157 noun

SILEX Entry

Root קריה; יער to assemble, establish a settlement, forest, wooded area

Definition

A proper noun designating an Israelite settlement west of Jerusalem; primarily, 'Town of Forests' or 'Settlement of Woods.' In various contexts, the name refers to: (1) an established town in the hill country of Judah serving as a boundary marker for tribal territories, (2) a significant religious site where the Ark of the Covenant stayed temporarily, (3) a place of residence and administration within the extended region including Gibeonites, and (4) a landmark in administrative lists. The semantic range includes the full compound ('Qiryath-Yeʽarim'), shortened forms, and possible variant spelling 'Qiryath-ʽArim' ('Town of Towns' or 'Settlement of Towns').

Semantic Range

name of a settlement or town; figuratively, town associated with forests or wooded areas; in variant spelling, possibly 'town of towns'; boundary marker; site of cultic activity (Ark of the Covenant); administrative district

Root / Etymology

Derived from קִרְיָה (qiryah, 'town, settlement') + יְעָרִים (yeʽarim, plural of יַעַר, 'forest, wooded place'), thus 'Town/Settlement of Forests.' Variant form קִרְיַת עָרִים reflects substitution with עִיר ('city, town') in the plural, perhaps as a secondary interpretation. Root: ק-ר-י (for קִרְיָה, 'to call, proclaim, meet'—but as a noun, 'settlement or town'), י-ע-ר (for יַעַר, 'forest').

Historical & Contextual Notes

Qiryath-Yeʽarim appears as an Israelite settlement in the tribal allotments of Judah and Benjamin (Josh 15:9, 18:15, 1 Chr 2:50-52). It is notably mentioned as the site where the Ark of the Covenant resided for about 20 years after its return from Philistine captivity (1 Sam 7:1–2), making it a significant cultic locale during the pre-monarchic period. In administrative lists (Ezra, Nehemiah), its name is sometimes rendered as קִרְיַת עָרִים, likely reflecting manuscript or oral tradition variants. The city's identity is geographically distinct from Jerusalem and is not to be confused with other similarly named sites. Later Greek translations give it as 'Kiriathiareim,' sometimes translated in older English Bibles as Kirjath-jearim or Kirjath-arim. Its meaning as 'city of forests' is descriptive of the original landscape and distinguishes it from urban centers. Over time, the site declined in religious significance after the Ark's removal, and by the post-exilic and later periods, the name primarily served as an administrative or geographic designation rather than a cultic one.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (Jeremiah 26:20) with the article interposed; or (Joshua 18:28) simply the former part of the word; or קִרְיַת עָרִים; from קִרְיָה and the plural of יַעַר or עִיר; city of forests, or city of towns; Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim, a place in Palestine; Kirjath, Kirjath-jearim, Kirjath-arim.

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Root Family

קריה; יער (q-r-y; y-ʿ-r) — settlement, town, assembly; forest, wooded area

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H7151	קִרְיָה	Settlement-of
H7154	קִרְיַת בַּעַל	Settlement-of
H7158	קִרְיַת סַנָּה	Settlement of Forests

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H7157-07`	יְעָרִֽים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests	17
`H7157-05`	קִרְיַ֥ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of	14
`H7157-04`	מִ/קִּרְיַ֖ת	miqireyat	`HR/Np`	from Kiriath	from Town-of-Forests	3
`H7157-02`	בְּ/קִרְיַ֥ת	beqireyat	`HR/Np`	at Kiriath	in Town of Forests	2
`H7157-03`	הַיְּעָרִ֑ים	hayearim	`HNp`	Jearim	the Forest-settlement	1
`H7157-06`	וְ/קִרְיַ֥ת	veqireyat	`HC/Np`	and Kiriath	and Town-of-Forests	1
`H7157-01`	עָרִים֙	arim	`HNp`	Jearim	cities	1

Occurrences in Scripture

39 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H7157-06`	Joshua 9:17	וְ/קִרְיַ֥ת	veqireyat	`HC/Np`	and Kiriath	and Town-of-Forests
`H7157-07`	Joshua 9:17	יְעָרִֽים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	Joshua 15:9	קִרְיַ֥ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	Joshua 15:9	יְעָרִֽים	yearim	`HNp`	jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	Joshua 15:60	קִרְיַ֥ת	qireyat-2	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	Joshua 15:60	יְעָרִ֖ים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	Joshua 18:14	קִרְיַ֣ת	qireyat-2	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	Joshua 18:14	יְעָרִ֔ים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	Joshua 18:15	קִרְיַ֣ת	qireyat	`HNp`	of Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	Joshua 18:15	יְעָרִ֑ים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	Joshua 18:28	קִרְיַ֔ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-02`	Judges 18:12	בְּ/קִרְיַ֥ת	beqireyat	`HR/Np`	at Kiriath	in Town of Forests
`H7157-07`	Judges 18:12	יְעָרִ֖ים	yearim	`HNp`	jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	Judges 18:12	קִרְיַ֥ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	Judges 18:12	יְעָרִֽים	yearim-2	`HNp`	jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	1 Samuel 6:21	קִרְיַת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	1 Samuel 6:21	יְעָרִ֖ים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	1 Samuel 7:1	קִרְיַ֣ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	1 Samuel 7:1	יְעָרִ֗ים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-02`	1 Samuel 7:2	בְּ/קִרְיַ֣ת	beqireyat	`HR/Np`	in Kiriath	in Town of Forests
`H7157-07`	1 Samuel 7:2	יְעָרִ֔ים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-04`	Jeremiah 26:20	מִ/קִּרְיַ֖ת	miqireyat	`HR/Np`	from Kiriath	from Town-of-Forests
`H7157-03`	Jeremiah 26:20	הַיְּעָרִ֑ים	hayearim	`HNp`	Jearim	the Forest-settlement
`H7157-05`	Ezra 2:25	קִרְיַ֤ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-01`	Ezra 2:25	עָרִים֙	arim	`HNp`	Jearim	cities
`H7157-05`	Nehemiah 7:29	קִרְיַ֤ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	Nehemiah 7:29	יְעָרִים֙	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	1 Chronicles 2:50	קִרְיַ֥ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	1 Chronicles 2:50	יְעָרִֽים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	1 Chronicles 2:52	קִרְיַ֣ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	1 Chronicles 2:52	יְעָרִ֑ים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	1 Chronicles 2:53	קִרְיַ֣ת	qireyat	`HNp`	of Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	1 Chronicles 2:53	יְעָרִ֔ים	yearim	`HNp`	jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-04`	1 Chronicles 13:5	מִ/קִּרְיַ֖ת	miqireyat	`HR/Np`	from	from Town-of-Forests
`H7157-07`	1 Chronicles 13:5	יְעָרִֽים	yearim	`HNp`	Kiriath-jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-05`	1 Chronicles 13:6	קִרְיַ֥ת	qireyat	`HNp`	Kiriath	Settlement-of
`H7157-07`	1 Chronicles 13:6	יְעָרִ֖ים	yearim	`HNp`	jearim	Settlement of Forests
`H7157-04`	2 Chronicles 1:4	מִ/קִּרְיַ֣ת	miqireyat	`HR/Np`	from Kiriath	from Town-of-Forests
`H7157-07`	2 Chronicles 1:4	יְעָרִ֔ים	yearim	`HNp`	Jearim	Settlement of Forests

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