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עִיר נָחָשׁ

𐤏𐤉𐤓 𐤍𐤇𐤔

Ir Nachash

H5904 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עיר, נחש to awake, stir up, be alert (עיר); to hiss, to divine, serpent (נחש)

Definition

Proper name designating a specific locality in ancient Israel: 'Ir Nachash' literally means 'city of the serpent.' Primarily used as a place name, it identifies a particular settlement associated with either the word 'serpent' or possibly a personal name 'Nachash.' The term does not appear as a generic noun, but only as this specific toponym.

Semantic Range

Ir Nachash as a toponym; literally 'city of the serpent;' possibly 'city of Nachash' as an eponymous founder; designation of unique locality in the genealogies of Judah

Root / Etymology

The name is a compound of two Hebrew words: עִיר (ʿîr), meaning 'city' or 'town,' derived from the root ע-ו-ר (עיר—'to awake, excite, stir up'), but in this context as the standard noun meaning 'city'; and נָחָשׁ (naḥāsh), meaning 'serpent,' from the root נ-ח-שׁ (נחש—'to hiss, whisper, divine'). The place name is thus simply a combination of 'city' + 'serpent' or 'city of Nachash.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

עִיר נָחָשׁ occurs as a proper noun only in 1 Chronicles 4:12, in a genealogical context listing descendants of Judah. The use of 'serpent' (נָחָשׁ) in place names is paralleled by other biblical localities (e.g., Nehushtan), possibly indicating either totemic, symbolic, or genealogical significance, or simply using an ancestral or founder name (Nachash). Some traditions attempt to link the name to later notions of 'serpent' symbolism, but the text gives no direct indication of cultic or mythological associations—this is speculative. English translations typically transliterate the name, but in earlier translations, there can be misleading renderings such as 'city of the serpent.' Later Jewish and Christian traditions sometimes relate such place names to legendary associations, though there is no direct evidence this locale carried theological weight in ancient Israelite usage. The precise location is uncertain, and it is mentioned only in genealogical records. There is no evidence to suggest this name refers to a population with particular 'serpent-worship' tendencies, nor does it reflect later religious concepts associated with the term 'serpent.' The construction is paralleled (city + PN/animal/feature) elsewhere in Israelite toponymy.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עִיר and נָחָשׁ; city of a serpent; Ir-Nachash, a place in Palestine; Irnahash.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עור (ʿ-w-r) — to awake, be alert, arouse

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H216 אוֹר in the skin
H219 אוֹרָה skins of
H4589 מָעוֹר their exposed genitals
H5782 עוּר Let me rouse up
H5783 עוּר she will be roused

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5904-02 נָחָ֑שׁ nachash HNp Nahash serpent 1
H5904-01 עִ֣יר ir HNp city of guarded city 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5904-01 1 Chronicles 4:12 עִ֣יר ir HNp city of guarded city
H5904-02 1 Chronicles 4:12 נָחָ֑שׁ nachash HNp Nahash serpent
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