קַרְתָּן
𐤒𐤓𐤕𐤍
Qaretan
H7178 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Kartan: a proper noun designating a specific settlement or town in the territory allotted to the tribe of Naphtali. The term refers to a settled location with an established community, rather than to the abstract idea of 'city-plot.' In biblical usage, it is one of the allotted Levitical towns.
Semantic Range
proper noun: a town in Naphtali allocated to Levites; by derivation, a named settlement, town, or enclosed community
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root קרת (qarat), related to קִרְיָה (qiryāh, 'city') and קֶרֶת (qéret, 'town' or 'city'). The affixation likely denotes a diminutive or location – 'small town' or 'place of settlement.' Root relates to the concept of a populated, enclosed settlement.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Kartan is mentioned in Joshua 21:32 and 1 Chronicles 6:76 as a Levitical city within Naphtali's territory in the northern lands of ancient Israel. The identification of Kartan aligns with settlement patterns in the region, but its exact archaeological location remains uncertain. The name forms part of a group of place-names in the Hebrew Bible wherein the root ק־ר־ת (qrt) conveys 'town' or 'enclosure,' similar to related forms like קִרְיָה (city) or קֶרֶת (town). The term occurs exclusively as a proper noun; it does not function as a common noun for 'city-plot' or 'parcel.' No later biblical or Second Temple references suggest a wider semantic development. While some English translations interpret the name's etymology, the biblical text itself simply treats Kartan as a geographic designation, not bringing out the meaning 'plot' or 'city-plot.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
lemma קַרְתּן missing vowel, corrected to קַרְתָּן; from קֶרֶת; city-plot; Kartan, a place in Palestine; Kartan.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קרת (q-r-t) — found a settlement, enclose, make into a town
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7177 | קַרְתָּה | Kartah |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7178-01 |
קַרְתָּ֖ן | qaretan | HNp |
Kartan | Kartan Settlement | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7178-01 |
Joshua 21:32 | קַרְתָּ֖ן | qaretan | HNp |
Kartan | Kartan Settlement |