HORMAH
HORMAH
Destruction, Num 21:1-3 ; also called Zephath; a city in the extreme south of Canaan, near which the rebellious Hebrews were defeated, in the second year after leaving Egypt, Num 14:45 ; it was afterwards laid waste, Jdg 1:16,17 . The Simeonites repeopled it, Jos 19:4, and David sent them some of his spoils taken from the Amalekites, 1Sa 30:30 .
Fuente: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Hormah
(Heb. Chormah’, , devoted city, otherwise peak of a hill; Sept. 5. r. occasionally and ), a royal city of the Canaanites in the south of Palestine (Jos 12:14; 1Sa 30:30), near which the Israelites experienced a discomfiture from the Amalekites resident there, as they perversely attempted to enter Canaan by that route after the divine sentence of wandering (Num 14:45; Num 21:1-3; Deuteronomy 1, 44). Joshua afterwards besieged its king (Jos 15:30), and on its capture assigned the city to the tribe of Judah, but finally it was included in the territory given to Simeon (Jos 19:4; Jdg 1:17; 1Ch 4:30). It is elsewhere mentioned only in 1Ch 4:30. It was originally called ZEPHATH (Jdg 1:17), under which name it appears to have been again rebuilt and occupied by the Canaanites (see Bertheau, ad loc.; Hengstenberg, Pentat. 2, 220); whereas the name Hormah was probably given to the site by the Israelites in token of its demolition (see Num 21:3). Hence traces of the older name alone remain. SEE ZEPHATH.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Hormah
banning; i.e., placing under a “ban,” or devoting to utter destruction. After the manifestation of God’s anger against the Israelites, on account of their rebellion and their murmurings when the spies returned to the camp at Kadesh, in the wilderness of Paran, with an evil report of the land, they quickly repented of their conduct, and presumed to go up “to the head of the mountain,” See king to enter the Promised Land, but without the presence of the Lord, without the ark of the convenant, and without Moses. The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down and “smote and discomfited them even unto Hormah” (Num. 14:45). This place, or perhaps the watch-tower commanding it, was originally called Zephath (Judg. 1:17), the modern Sebaiteh. Afterwards (Num. 21:1-3) Arad, the king of the Canaanites, at the close of the wanderings, when the Israelites were a second time encamped at Kadesh, “fought against them, and took some of them prisoners.” But Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord utterly to destroy the cities of the Canaanites; they “banned” them, and hence the place was now called Hormah. But this “ban” was not fully executed till the time of Joshua, who finally conquered the king of this district, so that the ancient name Zephath became “Hormah” (Josh. 12:14; Judg. 1:17).
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Hormah
Joshua (Jos 12:14) struck its king. In ancient times, Zephath (Jdg 1:17). Capital of a Canaanite tribe in S. Palestine. Taken by Judah and Simeon (Jdg 1:17). Judah appropriated it (Jos 15:30; 1Sa 26:30). But Simeon’s territory was so blended with that of Judah that elsewhere it is enumerated among Simeon’s towns (1Ch 4:30). In Num 14:45 it is called Hormah by anticipation. After Israel’s unbelief, consequent on the spies’ report, and subsequent presumptuous advance toward Canaan, in defiance of the Lord who no longer would go with them since they had refused to go when He invited them, the Amalekites from the hill “smote them and discomfited them even unto Hormah” Then followed the wandering in the wilderness for 38 years.
Then they came again to Hormah (Num 21:3), i.e. the place under the ban (Lev 27:28-29), devoted to destruction. “Zephath” is compared with es Safah on the S.E. frontier of Canaan, the pass by which Israel probably ascended from the Et Tih desert and the Arabah. Rowlands however identifies it with Sebatah where are extensive ruins, and near is a ruined fortress El Meshrifeh, the presumed site of the “watchtower.” The site suggested in the Speaker’s Commentary is some miles E. of Sebatah, namely, Rakhmah, an anagram of Hormah, the more permanent name. Israel marching N.N.W. from the Arabah, past Rakhmah or Hormah, would come to the wide plain, es Sir, the “Seir” of Deu 1:44.
Twenty miles’ further march would have brought them to Arad royal city (Num 21:1); but before they could reach it the king drove them back to Hormah Numbers 15-19 belong to the dreary period of the 38 years’ wandering after a year spent at Sinai; Numbers 20 presents them at the same point they started from 38 years before, Kadesh, in the 40th year; Numbers 21 introduces Arad assailing Israel and taking prisoners, then defeated by Israel in answer to prayer, and Hormah utterly destroyed. Israel not wishing to remain there marched S.E.
The Canaanites reoccupied the place and restored it under the old name Zephath. Not until northern Canaan was subdued did Israel reach it again in the extreme S., and Joshua conquered the king. Finally under the judges Judah and Simeon consummated the ban of Moses and his contemporaries on it, so that henceforth its name was permanently Hormah. This sets aside the objection to Num 14:45 and Num 21:3 as if these passages were post-Mosaic because of Jdg 1:17.
Fuente: Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
Hormah
HORMAH (devoted or accursed) was a city, apparently not far from Kadesh, where the Israelites were overthrown, when, after the death of the ten spies, they insisted on going forward (Num 14:45, Deu 1:44). At a later time it was taken and destroyed by Israel (Num 21:3, Jos 12:19), this feat being attributed in Jdg 1:17 to Judah and Simeon. There we learn that the former name was Zephath. Possibly the memory of the previous disaster here led to its being called Accursed. It was one of the uttermost cities of Judah, towards the borders of Edom in the south, and is named between Chesll and Ziklag (Jos 15:30), also between Bethul (or Bethuel) and Ziklag (Jos 19:4, 1Ch 4:30), in the territory occupied by Simeon. It was one of the towns to which David sent a share of the booty taken from the Amalekites who had raided Ziklag in his absence (1Sa 30:30). There is no need to assume with Guthe (Bibelwrterbuch, s.v.) that two cities are so named. Probably, as in so many other cases, the old name persisted, and may be represented by the modern es-Sebait, 23 miles north of Ain Kads, and 26 miles south of Beersheba. The probability is increased if Ziklag is correctly identified with Aslj, 14 miles north of es-Sebait. On the other hand, Naqb es-Saf agrees better with the position of Arad; but it seems too far from Kadesh, being more than 40 miles to the north-east (Robinson, BRP [Note: RP Biblical Researches in Palestine.] 9 ii. 181).
W. Ewing.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Hormah
horma (, hormah): A city first mentioned in connection with the defeat of the Israelites by the Amalekites and the Canaanites, when, after the ten spies who brought an evil report of the land had died of plague, the people persisted, against the will of Moses, in going up unto the place which Yahweh hath promised (Num 14:45; Deu 1:44). after the injury done them by the king of Arad, Israel took the city, utterly destroyed it, and called it Hormah, i,e. accursed (Num 21:3). To this event probably the reference is in Jdg 1:17; where Judah and Simeon are credited with the work. In Jos 12:14 it is named between Geder and Arad; in Jos 15:30 between Chesil and Ziklag, among the uttermost cities toward the border of Edom in the South; and in Jos 19:4 between Bethul and Ziklag (compare 1Ch 4:30). To it David sent a share of the spoil taken from the Amalekites who had raided Ziklag (1Sa 30:30). The city must have lain not far from Kadesh, probably to the Northeast. No name resembling Hormah has been recovered in that district. The ancient name was Zephath (Jdg 1:17). It is not unlikely that in popular use this name outlived Hormah: and in some form it may survive to this day. In that case it may be represented by the modern es-Sabaita between el-Khalasa in the North and Ain Kads in the South, about 23 miles from the latter. If we may identify Ziklag with Asluj, about 14 miles North of es-Sabaita, the probability is heightened. Robinson (BR, III, 150) compares the name Zephath with that of Nakb es-Safa, to the North of Wady el-Fikrah; but this appears to be too far – about 40 miles – from Kadesh.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Hormah
[Hor’mah]
The name signifying ‘utter destruction’ given to ZEPHATH in the far south when conquered by Judah and Simeon. Num 14:45; Num 21:3; Deu 1:44; Jos 12:14; Jdg 1:17;
1Sa 30:30; 1Ch 4:30. Identified by some with ruins at S’baita, 30 52′ N, 34 42′ E.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Hormah
H2767
A city southwest of the Dead Sea
Num 14:45; Num 21:1-3; Deu 1:44
Taken by Judah and Simeon
Jdg 1:17; Jos 12:14
Allotted to Simeon
Jos 19:4; 1Ch 4:30
Within the territory allotted to Judah
Jos 15:30; 1Sa 30:30
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
Hormah
Hor’mah. (a place laid waste), or Zephath, Jdg 1:17, was the chief town of a king of a Canaanitish tribe, on the south of Palestine, which was reduced by Joshua, and became a city of the territory of Judah, Jos 15:30; 1Sa 30:30, but apparently belonged to Simeon. 1Ch 4:30. See Zephath.
Fuente: Smith’s Bible Dictionary
HORMAH
a town in the south of Judah
Num 14:45; Deu 1:44; Jos 12:14; Jdg 1:17; 1Sa 30:30