יׇרְקְעָם
𐤉𐤓𐤒𐤏𐤌
Yreqeam
H3421 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Yorqe‘am, a toponym referring to a location within the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah in the Shephelah (lowlands) of ancient Israel; the name likely means 'the people are poured out' or 'the people are spread out,' but the exact nuance is debated due to the descriptive nature of biblical place names. The term functions exclusively as a proper noun, designating a specific town.
Semantic Range
proper noun (place-name); the idea of 'people poured forth' or 'people spread out' (in naming); exclusively used as a geographic designation in the Hebrew Bible
Root / Etymology
Derived from the composite of the root רוק ('to pour out, to empty') and עם ('people, nation'), forming a theophoric or descriptive place-name meaning 'people are poured out/spread out.' Root-level meanings are: רוק, 'to pour out, spread, scatter'; עם, 'people, nation.' The final form is יָרְקְעָם, combining these elements.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Yorqe‘am appears in Joshua 15:56 as a town in the southern hill country allotted to the Judahites, among a list of settlements. It does not appear elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, and its precise location has not been conclusively identified. The name is typical of biblical toponyms constructed with descriptive or commemorative meaning, reflecting either historical events, settlement patterns, or symbolic themes. English translations sometimes treat it merely as a name, sometimes with an interpretive gloss. In later periods or translations, the town does not appear prominently, and there is no evidence it remained inhabited into the Judean or post-exilic periods. The construction of the name parallels other examples where a verbal idea and 'people' are joined to express a circumstance or characteristic of the location. The rendering of 'a place in Palestine' in earlier sources reflects older terminology; a more historically accurate description is 'a Judahite settlement in the Shephelah during the monarchic period.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רוּק and עַם; people will be poured forth; Jorkeam, a place in Palestine; Jorkeam.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רוק עם (r-w-q, ʿ-m) — to pour out, to empty, people, nation
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3421-01 |
יָרְקֳעָ֑ם | yareqoam | HNp |
Jorkeam | People-Poured-Out | Yreqeam | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3421-01 |
1 Chronicles 2:44 | יָרְקֳעָ֑ם | yareqoam | HNp |
Jorkeam | People-Poured-Out | Yreqeam |