כִּתְלִישׁ
𐤊𐤕𐤋𐤉𐤔
Kitelish
H3798 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Kithlish – a proper place name referring to a town allotted to the tribe of Judah in the southern lowlands; the precise meaning of the name is uncertain, but it appears as a territorial designation within the boundary lists in the Hebrew Bible. The internal composition of the name suggests a possible meaning related to 'wall' and 'man,' but as a toponym, its original significance is obscure and likely secondary to its usage as a place name.
Semantic Range
place name, town assigned to Judah, potential compound of 'wall' and 'man'; strictly a toponym with no attested common noun use
Root / Etymology
The name כִּתְלִישׁ (Kithlish) may be a compound of כֹּתֶל (kotel, 'wall') and אִישׁ (ish, 'man'), but the actual relationship of these elements to the place name is uncertain and may reflect folk etymology rather than historical or linguistic derivation. Etymology uncertain beyond these proposed connections.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Kithlish appears only once in the Hebrew Bible (Joshua 15:40), listed among the towns allocated to the Judahite tribal territory in the Shephelah (foothill) region. Its precise location is now unknown, with no secure identification in archaeological or extrabiblical records. The construction of the name as 'wall of a man' is likely a literary or later interpretive gloss and may not reflect the ancient origin or meaning of the toponym. Unlike some other placenames, Kithlish does not appear to have evolved semantically beyond its function as a geographical designation, nor does it acquire broader theological or metaphorical significance in later biblical literature. English translations usually transliterate the name, occasionally rendering it 'Kithlish,' and thus do not convey any possible underlying meaning to modern readers.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
lemma כְּתִלִישׁ first two vowels, corrected to כִּתְלִישׁ; from כֹּתֶל and אִישׁ; wall of a man; Kithlish, a place in Palestine; Kithlish.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
כותל, איש (k-t-l; ʾ-y-sh) — wall, man
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3798-01 |
וְ/כִתְלִֽישׁ | vekhitelish | HC/Np |
Chitlish | and Kithlish | and Kitelish | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3798-01 |
Joshua 15:40 | וְ/כִתְלִֽישׁ | vekhitelish | HC/Np |
Chitlish | and Kithlish | and Kitelish |