חֲצַר שׁוּעָל
𐤇𐤑𐤓 𐤔𐤅𐤏𐤋
Chatsar Shual
H2705 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A settlement in the Negev region named 'Enclosure of the Fox' or 'Settlement of the Fox', denoting an inhabited site, likely characterized by or named after foxes in the area. In biblical contexts, it refers specifically to a locality mentioned as a boundary or district within the territory allotted to the tribe of Simeon and later associated with the post-exilic resettlement. The term does not denote a specific type of city or village but an identified location, potentially a semi-nomadic camp or small settlement’s enclosure.
Semantic Range
enclosure or settlement associated with foxes, place name, rural habitations, quarter or hamlet designated by proximity or characteristic, specific site in Israelite territory
Root / Etymology
Compound place name derived from the noun חָצֵר (ḥāṣêr – 'settlement, enclosure, homestead') and שׁוּעָל (šû‘āl – 'fox'). Both elements come from well-established roots: חצר ('to surround, enclose') and שועל (possibly related to the Akkadian 'šuʾālu', fox). Thus, חֲצַר שׁוּעָל marks a place named for its association with foxes, whether through local fauna or metaphorical implication.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֲצַר שׁוּעָל appears in the allotment of Simeonite and Judahite territory in Joshua 15:28; 19:3; 1 Chronicles 4:28; post-exilic references as a resettlement site in Nehemiah 11:27. It is most likely located in the northern Negev, south or southwest of Beersheba. The use of חָצֵר in place names generally denotes a rural or minimally urbanized settlement (contrasting with עִיר, 'city'). The inclusion of 'fox' may reflect a distinguishing environmental feature, a metaphor for cunning, or a toponymic tradition. English translations often anglicize the name as 'Hazar-shual,' which obscures the original imagery and etymological context. The term does not denote a Judean or Jewish settlement in the historical sense, given its initial Israelite association and the territory's shifting demographic over time.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָצֵר and שׁוּעָל; village of (the) fox; Chatsar-Shual, a place in Palestine; Hazar-shual.
Bantu Hebrew
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חצר, שועל (ḥ-ṣ-r; š-ʿ-l) — enclosure, settlement, homestead; fox
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2705-01 |
שׁוּעָ֛ל | shual | HNp |
Shual | Fox-Enclosure Settlement | Chatsar Shual | 4 |
H2705-03 |
וַ/חֲצַ֥ר | vachatsar | HC/Np |
and Hazar | and Fox-Enclosure | and Chatsar Shual | 3 |
H2705-02 |
וּ/בַ/חֲצַ֥ר | uvachatsar | HC/R/Np |
and in Hazar | and in Fox-Enclosure | and in Chatsar Shual | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2705-03 |
Joshua 15:28 | וַ/חֲצַ֥ר | vachatsar | HC/Np |
and Hazar | and Fox-Enclosure | and Chatsar Shual |
H2705-01 |
Joshua 15:28 | שׁוּעָ֛ל | shual | HNp |
Shual | Fox-Enclosure Settlement | Chatsar Shual |
H2705-03 |
Joshua 19:3 | וַ/חֲצַ֥ר | vachatsar | HC/Np |
and Hazar | and Fox-Enclosure | and Chatsar Shual |
H2705-01 |
Joshua 19:3 | שׁוּעָ֛ל | shual | HNp |
Shual | Fox-Enclosure Settlement | Chatsar Shual |
H2705-02 |
Nehemiah 11:27 | וּ/בַ/חֲצַ֥ר | uvachatsar | HC/R/Np |
and in Hazar | and in Fox-Enclosure | and in Chatsar Shual |
H2705-01 |
Nehemiah 11:27 | שׁוּעָ֛ל | shual | HNp |
Shual | Fox-Enclosure Settlement | Chatsar Shual |
H2705-03 |
1 Chronicles 4:28 | וַ/חֲצַ֥ר | vachatsar | HC/Np |
and Hazar | and Fox-Enclosure | and Chatsar Shual |
H2705-01 |
1 Chronicles 4:28 | שׁוּעָֽל | shual | HNp |
shual | Fox-Enclosure Settlement | Chatsar Shual |