2 Chronicles 11:9 — Word Study
WLCוְאֶת־ אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם וְאֶת־ לָכִ֖ישׁ וְאֶת־ עֲזֵקָֽה׃
BSAAdoraimʼĂdôwrayim△ [a place of double glory] LachishLâkîysh [a city in southern Palestine] AzekahʻĂzêqâh [dug over, possibly a fortified town]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם | Adoraim | Noun proper |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| לָכִ֖ישׁ | Lachish | Noun proper |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| עֲזֵקָֽה׃ | Azekah | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, |
| KJV | And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, |
| ASV | and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, |
| YLT | and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, |
| WEB | Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, |
| BBE | And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah |
Where they part company is in additional context, but the names remain consistent.
The verse consists of a single main clause listing the cities.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 2 Chronicles 11:9
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Fortified Cities of Judahgenerated
2 Chronicles 11:9 lists cities fortified by Rehoboam to strengthen Judah's defenses. These cities played a crucial role in the protection of the territory against invaders, as seen in the context of the surrounding verses, which mention additional fortified cities such as Zorah and Hebron.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Chronicles 32:9 | Later, as Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces besieged Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem with a message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem: |
| 2 | Joshua 10:5–11 | So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it. |
| 3 | Joshua 15:35–39 | Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עֲזֵקָה, 'a.ze.Kahgenerated
The name עֲזֵקָה (Azeqah) means 'dug over', possibly referring to its fertile land or agricultural significance. It is a proper noun, indicating a specific location in the lowlands of Judah, and is mentioned in several biblical texts, including Joshua 10:10 and Jeremiah 34:7.
The parsing identifies עֲזֵקָה as a noun proper, indicating it is a specific place rather than a common noun. Its frequency of occurrence in the biblical text suggests it held importance in the historical and geographical context of Judah.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse consists of a series of noun phrases, with each city listed as a separate entity. The finite verb is absent, as the focus is on the enumeration of the cities.
The word order emphasizes the cities as significant locations, with the conjunction וְ (ve, 'and') linking them together.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the cities listed but does not maintain the same order as the Hebrew. The Greek word used for עֲזֵקָה is not specified in the provided data, indicating a potential variation in how the cities were rendered.
This difference in word order may reflect a different emphasis or interpretation by the translators.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
2 Chronicles 11:9 lists three cities in Judah: Adoraim, Lachish, and Azekah. These cities were fortified by Rehoboam to protect the territory from invaders. Each city has its significance, with Adoraim meaning 'double glory', Lachish meaning 'invincible', and Azekah meaning 'dug over'.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
These cities were fortified to strengthen Judah's defenses against enemies.
They served as strategic locations for military defense and control of the region.
Azeqah's name suggests it was a fertile area, possibly indicating agricultural importance.
Rehoboam fortified these cities to ensure the security of his kingdom during his rule.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What role do fortified cities play in the defense of a territory?
- How can the meanings of these city names provide insight into their significance?
- In what ways does the historical context of these cities enhance our understanding of Judah's history?
- What lessons can we learn from the efforts of Rehoboam to strengthen his kingdom?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 2 Chronicles 11:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Adoraim,.... Called by Josephus (d) Adora, which he mentions along with Mareshah, or Marissa: and Lachish: a royal city in the time of the Canaanites, and which fell to the lot of Judah, Joshua
Read John Gill on 2 Chronicles 11 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Chronicles 11 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(9) Adoraim.—Dϋra; a village about seven and a-half miles south west of Hebron. Called Αδωρα 1Ma 13:20, and often mentioned by Josephus in connection with Marissa (Mareshah). The name is not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. Lachish.—Um Lakis; a ruined city on a round hill, seven hours west of Beit-jibrξn, on the road from Hebron to Gaza (Joshua 10:3; Joshua 15:39). Azekah.—Uncertain; near Socoh (1 Samuel 17:1; Joshua 10:10; Joshua 15:35).
Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Chronicles 11 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges9. Adoraim] The modern Dora west of Hebron. Bädeker, p. 152. Azekah] in the Shephelah, mentioned along with Socoh in Joshua 15:35.
Read Cambridge on 2 Chronicles 11 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe site of Adoraim is uncertain. For Lachish, see Joshua 10:3; Azekah, Joshua 10:10; Zorah, Joshua 15:33; Aijalon, Joshua 10:12; Hebron, Joshua 14:15. No one of the cities was really within the limits of the tribe of Benjamin.
Read Albert Barnes on 2 Chronicles 11 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible9. Adoraim — Not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, but several times in Josephus, and once in the Apocrypha. 1Ma 13:20. Robinson considered its site identical with the modern Dura, some five miles southwest of Hebron.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 2 Chronicles 11 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
Tyndale line
And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
Strictly literal
and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
And Adorayim and Lachish, and 'Azekah,
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
From the Latin
And Aduram, and Lachis, and Azecha,
Simplified
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
And Adoraim and Lachish and Azekah
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text lists the cities as וְאֶת־ אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם וְאֶת־ לָכִ֖ישׁ וְאֶת־ עֲזֵקָֽה׃, while the Septuagint matches 4 of the 6 words. The differences in word order and articles in the Septuagint suggest a distinct translation approach.
וְאֶת־ אֲדוֹרַ֥יִם וְאֶת־ לָכִ֖ישׁ וְאֶת־ עֲזֵקָֽה׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 2 Chronicles 11:9
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
אֲדוֹרַ֫יִם (Adowrayim) refers to a location in Judah, identified as a city fortified by Rehoboam. The name suggests a meaning related to 'double glory' or 'double mound,' indicating its geographical features. It appears in 2 Chronicles 11:9, where it is mentioned as a significant site.
אֲדוֹרַ֫יִם n.pr.loc. (two hills?) city in Judah 2 Ch 11:9
ref
H115 אֲדוֹרַ֫יִם
115 'Adowrayim ad-o-rah'-yim
dual from 142 (in the sense of eminence); double mound;
Adorajim, a place in Palestine:--Adoraim.
see HEBREW for 0142
אֲדוֹרַ֫יִם (a.do.ra.yim) — Adoraim.
§ Adoraim = "double glory"
city in Judah fortified by Rehoboam about 5 miles or 8 km SW of Hebron
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
ad-o-ra'-im ('adhorayim, "a pair of knolls," perhaps): One of several cities in Judah that were fortified by Rehoboam (2Ch 11:9). The name appears in Josephus and in 1 Macc as Adora or Dora or Dor. Its location is indicated in general by that of the other cities which the record in Chronicles groups with it. Common consent identifies it with Dura, about five miles West by South of Hebron.
(double mound), a fortified city built by Rehoboam, (2 Chronicles 11:9) in Judah. Adoraim is probably the same place with Adora, 1Ma 13:20 Unless that be Dor, on the seacoast below Carmel. Robinson identifies it with Dura , a "large village" on a rising ground west of Hebron.
A town in the south of Judah, fortified by Rehoboam, 2Ch 11:9. Robinson has identified it with the modern Dura, a large village five miles west by south from Hebron.
strength of the sea
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
לָכִישׁ (Lachish) refers to a city in ancient Palestine, specifically a Canaanitish city associated with the Amorites. The name is thought to mean 'invincible.' It is located south of Jerusalem and was conquered by Joshua, later being allotted to the tribe of Judah.
לָכִישׁ n.pr.loc. Canaanitish (Amorit.) city
base
H3923 לָכִישׁ Canaanitish (Amorit.) city
3923 Lachiysh law-keesh'
from an unused root of uncertain meaning; Lakish, a place in
Palestine:--Lachish.
לָכִישׁ (la.khish) — Lachish.
§ Lachish = "invincible"
a city lying south of Jerusalem on the borders of Simeon and which belonged to the Amorites until conquered by Joshua and allotted to Judah
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
la'-kish (lakhish; Septuagint Lachis (Jos 15:39), Maches):
1. Location:
A town in the foothills of the Shephelah on the border of the Philistine plain, belonging to Judah, and, from the mention of Eglon in connection with it, evidently in the southwestern portion of Judah's territory. Eusebius, Onomasticon locates it 7 miles from Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin) toward Daroma, but as the latter place is uncertain, the indication does not help in fixing the site of Lachish. The city seems to have been abandoned about 400 BC, and this circumstance has rendered the identification of the site difficult. It was formerly fixed at Umm Lakis, from the similarity of the name and because it was in the region that the Biblical references to Lachish seem to indicate, but the mound called Tell el-Hesy is now generally accepted as the site. This was…
Lachish
Impregnable, a royal Canaanitish city in the Shephelah, or maritime plain of Palestine (Josh. 10:3, 5; 12:11). It was taken and destroyed by the Israelites (Josh. 10:31-33). It afterwards became, under Rehoboam, one of the strongest fortresses of Judah (2 Chr. 10:9). It was assaulted and probably taken by Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:14, 17; 19:8; Isa. 36:2). An account of this siege is given on some slabs found in the chambers of the palace of Koyunjik, and now in the British Museum. The inscription has been deciphered as follows:, “Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on the throne…
(invincible), a city lying south of Jerusalem, on the borders of Simeon, and belonging to the Amorites, the king of which joined with four others, at the invitation of Adonizedek king of Jerusalem, to chastise the Gibeonites for their league with Israel. (Joshua 10:3,5) They were routed by Joshua at Beth-horon, and the king of Lachish fell a victim with the others under the trees at Makkedah. ver. (Joshua 10:26) The destruction of the town shortly followed the death of the king. vs. (Joshua 10:31-33) In the special statement that the attack lasted two days, in contradistinction to the other cities which were taken in one (see ver. 35), we gain our first glimpse of that strength of position for which Lachish was afterward…
A city in the southwest part of Judah, Jos 10:3,5,31; fortified by Rehoboam, 2Ch 11:9, and strong enough to resist for a time the whole army of Sennacherib, 2Ki 18:17 19:8 2Ch 32:1,9,21 Mic 1:13. It was here that king Amaziah was slain, 2Ki 14:19. For a wonderful confirmation of the truth of Scripture, see SENNACHERIB.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
עֲזֵקָה (Azeqah) refers to a specific location in the lowlands of Judah, described as 'tilled' or 'dug over.' The entries indicate it is a proper noun and a town in the Shephelah region, with no significant disagreement among the sources.
עֲזֵקָה n.pr.loc. in the Shephelah of Judah
base
H5825 עֲזֵקָה
5825 `Azeqah az-ay-kaw'
from 5823; tilled; Azekah, a place in Palestine:--Azekah.
see HEBREW for 05823
עֲזֵקָה (a.ze.qah) — Azekah.
§ Azekah = "dug over"
a town in the lowlands of Judah
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
a-ze'-ka `azekah: A town of some importance in the Shephelah of Judah mentioned (Jos 15:35) next to Socoh. In Jos 10:10 the defeated kings of the Arnorites are described as flying before Joshua "by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon .... to Azekah, and unto Makkedah" and (Jos 10:11) as the host fled "Yahweh cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died." In 1Sa 17:1 it is recorded that before David's combat with Goliath, the Philistines "gathered together at Socoh, which belongeth to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammin." In 2Ch 11:9 it is mentioned as one of the…
Azekah
Dug over, a town in the Shephelah or low hills of Judah (Josh. 15:35), where the five confederated Amoritish kings were defeated by Joshua and their army destroyed by a hailstrom (10:10, 11). It was one of the places re-occupied by the Jews on their return from the Captivity (Neh. 11:30).
(dugover), a town of Judah, with dependent villages, lying in the Shefelah or rich agricultural plain. It is most clearly defined as being near Shochoh, (1 Samuel 17:1) but its position has not yet been recognized.