שָׁוֵה קִרְיָתַיִם
𐤔𐤅𐤄 𐤒𐤓𐤉𐤕𐤉𐤌
Shâvêh Qiryâthayim
H7741
SILEX Entry
Definition
Shaveh Kiryatayim refers to a plain or broad region associated with the locality of Kiryatayim, a settlement east of the Jordan River. The term designates a geographical area, specifically the 'plain (valley/level region) of Kiryatayim,' likely situated in the territory historically associated with Moab. The phrase combines a topographical descriptor ('plain', 'level place') with a dual form of the city name Kiryatayim ('two towns/cities'), indicating perhaps a compound settlement or twin towns in that region.
Semantic Range
level place, plain, valley; compound or dual city/town; geographic location east of the Jordan; plain associated with Kiryatayim
Root / Etymology
From the root שָׁוֶה (sh-v-h), meaning 'to be level, even, plain', forming the noun 'plain' or 'level place'. Qiryatayim is a dual form of קִרְיָה (qiryah, 'town, city'), meaning 'two towns' or 'double town', likely referencing a location composed of or near two adjacent settlements. The phrase simply means 'plain of the two towns'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁוֵה קִרְיָתַיִם (Shaveh Qiryatayim) appears only in Genesis 14:5, in the context of a description of military campaigns during the time of Abraham. It serves as a geographical reference in the Transjordan area, likely within Moabite territory, near Kiryatayim, a locale also mentioned elsewhere (e.g., Numbers 32:37; Jeremiah 48:1, 23) as a Moabite town. The use of the dual in 'Kiryatayim' hints at a paired or closely linked settlement. English translations often render the name simply as 'Shaveh Kiriathaim' or 'plain of Kiriathaim', but may obscure the topographical nuance and the sense of 'two towns'. Later usage of the toponym does not appear in the biblical record; the name is distinct from other more general Hebrew words for plains (such as עֵמֶק, 'valley') in that it marks a particular named locality. There is no direct religious or national identity attached to the place in the biblical texts; its significance is geographical and historical.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as שָׁוֵה and the dual of קִרְיָה; plain of a double city; Shaveh-Kirjathajim, a place East of the Jordan; Shaveh Kiriathaim.
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Occurrences in Scripture
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