אֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי
𐤀𐤔𐤒𐤋𐤅𐤍𐤉
Esheqeloni
H832 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Demonym denoting an inhabitant of Ashkelon, a prominent Philistine city on the coastal plain of Canaan. Refers specifically to an individual or collective group whose origin or residence is associated with Ashkelon, regardless of ethnic identity. Used in biblical contexts to describe people from this city in opposition to Israelites or as representatives of Ashkelon's interests or population.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of Ashkelon; person from Ashkelon; Ashkelonite (individual or collective); demonym for people associated with Ashkelon
Root / Etymology
Derived from the place name אַשְׁקְלוֹן (Ashkelon) with the nisbe ending -ִי to form a demonym. The root of אַשְׁקְלוֹן itself is of uncertain origin, probably not native to Hebrew and likely of West Semitic or possibly non-Semitic (e.g., Philistine) provenance. The form אֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי directly means 'person of Ashkelon' or 'Ashkelonite.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, אֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי appears primarily in genealogical and territorial references, often setting people of Ashkelon in distinction from Israelites (e.g., 2 Samuel 1:20). The term includes both collective and individual usage and does not presume a specific ethnic identity beyond geographic association. Ashkelon was one of the key Philistine cities; as such, its inhabitants were often associated with the Philistines, but the term itself is strictly geographic. English translations historically have rendered the word as 'Ashkelonite,' and in some later periods used broader terminology such as 'Philistine' for inhabitants of Philistine cities, but this can obscure the specific local association. The term survives into later periods, but its primary biblical usage reflects the Iron Age context, not later Hellenistic or Roman Judean usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patrial from אַשְׁקְלוֹן; Ashkelonite (collectively) or inhabitant of Ashkelon; Eshkalonites.
Bantu Hebrew
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אשקלון (ʾ-š-q-l-w-n) — to be of Ashkelon, belonging to Ashkelon, inhabitant of Ashkelon
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H832-01 |
הָ/אֶשְׁקְלוֹנִ֣י | haesheqeloni | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Ashkelonite | the Ashkelonite | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H832-01 |
Joshua 13:3 | הָ/אֶשְׁקְלוֹנִ֣י | haesheqeloni | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Ashkelonite | the Ashkelonite |