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שָׁרוּחֶן

𐤔𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤍

Sharuchen

H8287 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain; proposed: to dwell, to remain, favor

Definition

Sharuhen: a geographically designated town or settlement, specifically noted as a fortified city in southern Canaan during the Late Bronze Age. It appears in the Hebrew Bible as a location allotted to the Simeonite tribe within the larger territory of Judah. The meaning of the name itself is unclear, but it is generally regarded as a proper place name rather than a term with a directly lexical sense.

Semantic Range

proper place name (Sharuhen), fortified city, settlement name, no non-toponymic uses

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain. The traditional proposal connects it to the possible root שָׁרָה (to remain, dwell), and חֵן (favor, grace), potentially conveying 'resting-place of favor' or 'pleasant dwelling,' but such combinations are not clearly attested in Hebrew word formation and the precise origin is debated. Proper place names in Canaanite/Hebrew often include -en/-hen endings, but they are frequently opaque in meaning.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Sharuhen (שָׁרוּחֶן) is mentioned in Joshua 19:6 as a city within the allotment to the tribe of Simeon, itself located within the territory of Judah. In extrabiblical sources, Sharuhen appears in Egyptian records (notably in the Annals of Thutmose III) as a prominent, fortified Canaanite city besieged after the expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt, suggesting its significance during the Late Bronze Age. The site is sometimes identified with Tell el-Far'ah (South), though this remains debated. In biblical use, it functions only as a geographic name; proposals for a lexical meaning remain speculative. English Bible translations routinely retain the name in transliteration, preserving the location without attributing a meaning. The term is not used for people or in non-geographic senses, and it carries no wider connotations of group identity or religious function. As is typical for ancient Semitic place names, the underlying etymology is uncertain, and the meaning may have been obscure even to later Israelites and Judahites.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from שָׁרָה (in the sense of dwelling (compare שְׁרֵא) and חֵן; abode of pleasure; Sharuchen, a place in Palestine; Sharuhen.

Bantu Hebrew

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

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain; proposed: dwelling, remaining, favor

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8287-01 וְ/שָֽׁרוּחֶ֑ן vesharuchen HC/Np and Sharuhen and Sharuhen 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8287-01 Joshua 19:6 וְ/שָֽׁרוּחֶ֑ן vesharuchen HC/Np and Sharuhen and Sharuhen
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