← H8411 H8413 →

תַּדְמֹר

𐤕𐤃𐤌𐤓

Tademor

H8412 noun

SILEX Entry

Root תמר palm tree, date palm

Definition

Tadmor—a toponym referring to an important city or oasis situated in the Syrian Desert; commonly identified with the later Greco-Roman city of Palmyra. In the Hebrew Bible, 'Tadmor' designates a settlement associated with Solomon's realm, specifically noted as a site built or fortified by Solomon. The term refers to the location itself, not an ethnic or political affiliation. The semantic range is restricted to the place name as used in biblical texts.

Semantic Range

name of a city (Tadmor/Palmyra), site associated with palm trees, possibly a fortified settlement or oasis

Root / Etymology

The form תַּדְמֹר (Tadmor) is traditionally connected with the root תָּמָר (tamar, 'palm tree'), suggesting 'palm city' or 'place of palms.' Some textual witnesses, including 2 Chronicles 8:4, show the variant תַּמֹּר (Tammor); the relationship between the two forms may reflect dialectal, orthographic, or textual variation rather than a distinct etymological origin. The actual derivation, however, is uncertain, and may reflect a local (non-Hebrew) toponym, later assimilated to the Hebrew term for 'palm.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In 1 Kings 9:18, Tadmor is mentioned among the cities that Solomon either built or fortified, listed alongside other sites in strategic northern territories. In 2 Chronicles 8:4, the MT uses the reading 'Tadmor,' while some textual traditions and translations (notably the LXX) read 'Tamar,' possibly reflecting a location further south. The identification of biblical Tadmor with later Palmyra is widely accepted due to geographic and historical considerations, yet the textual variants have led to some debate regarding the exact site referenced in the earliest biblical context. In historical terms, Tadmor was later renowned as Palmyra—a significant oasis and trading hub linking the Levant with Mesopotamia—though in the biblical period, it is referenced only as a site under Israelite influence or construction. The name entered Greek and Latin as Palmyra, explicitly carrying the meaning of 'palm city.' English translations almost always render the name as 'Tadmor,' sometimes with a margin note about its later identity as Palmyra. The possibility of a southern site (Tamar) remains a minority scholarly view but is generally discounted for the context of 1 Kings 9:18 and 2 Chronicles 8:4. This toponym occurs only in these build lists and does not function as an ethnonym or political designation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or תַּמֹּר; (1 Kings 9:18), apparently from תָּמָר; palm-city; Tadmor, a place near Palestine; Tadmor.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

תמר (t-m-r) — palm tree, date palm

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H559 אָמַר palm-tree of
H8490 תִּימָרָה like upright columns of
H8558 תָּמָר the date palms
H8559 תָּמָר to Palm-tree
H8560 תֹּמֶר palm-trunk

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8412-01 תַּדְמֹ֥ר tademor HNp Tadmor Palm-City Tadmor 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8412-01 1 Kings 9:18 תַּדְמֹ֥ר tademor HNp Tadmor Palm-City Tadmor
H8412-01 2 Chronicles 8:4 תַּדְמֹ֖ר tademor HNp Tadmor Palm-City Tadmor
← H8411 Hebrew Lexicon H8413 →