עָשָׁן
𐤏𐤔𐤍
Ashan
H6228 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Ashan is the name of a town or settlement identified in biblical texts, primarily as an allotted city in the tribal territory of Judah, later associated with the Simeonites. The term itself is a toponym and does not carry a descriptive meaning beyond its function as a proper name. The semantic range is thus that of a geographic place designation, without wider lexical significance in terms of description or metaphor.
Semantic Range
proper name of a place (Ashan); possibly meaning 'smoky' or 'place of smoke' if interpreted etymologically, but no direct descriptive use in biblical contexts
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root עָשָׁן (ʻāšān), which means 'smoke.' The toponym may reflect a geographic or symbolic association, possibly 'smoky' or 'place of smoke,' but in context functions as a proper name, not a descriptive noun or adjective.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ashan is mentioned in Joshua 15:42, 19:7, 1 Chronicles 4:32, and 6:59, listed among cities in the Negeb of Judah and subsequently in records relating to the tribe of Simeon (after territorial shifts or internal Israelite reorganization). Its potential descriptive meaning ('smoky') is secondary to its function as a place-name; there is no evidence of the term being used in its standard sense of 'smoke' when used as a toponym. Later English translations have sometimes interpreted or transliterated Ashan without recognizing the root connection to 'smoke.' Archaeological identification remains debated; the term does not carry ethnic, cultic, or symbolic meaning beyond its toponymical function.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as עָשָׁן; Ashan, a place in Palestine; Ashan.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עשן (ʿ-š-n) — to smoke, to emit vapor, to produce smoke
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3565 | כּוֹר עָשָׁן | smoke |
| H6225 | עָשַׁן | smoke |
| H6226 | עָשֵׁן | smoke-filled |
| H6227 | עָשָׁן | smoke |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6228-02 |
וְ/עָשָֽׁן | veashan | HC/Np |
and Ashan | Ashan | and Ashan | 3 |
H6228-01 |
עָשָׁן֙ | ashan | HNp |
Ashan | smoke | Ashan | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6228-02 |
Joshua 15:42 | וְ/עָשָֽׁן | veashan | HC/Np |
and Ashan | Ashan | and Ashan |
H6228-02 |
Joshua 19:7 | וְ/עָשָׁ֑ן | veashan | HC/Np |
and Ashan | Ashan | and Ashan |
H6228-02 |
1 Chronicles 4:32 | וְ/עָשָׁ֑ן | veashan | HC/Np |
and Ashan | Ashan | and Ashan |
H6228-01 |
1 Chronicles 6:44 | עָשָׁן֙ | ashan | HNp |
Ashan | smoke | Ashan |