5854. Atroth Beth Yoab
Lexical Summary
Atroth Beth Yoab: Atroth Beth Joab

Original Word: עַטְרוֹת בֵּית יוֹאָב
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: `Atrowth beyth Yow'ab
Pronunciation: ah-tah-ROHT bayt yo-AHV
Phonetic Spelling: (at-roth' bayth yo-awb')
KJV: Ataroth the house of Joab
NASB: Atroth-beth-joab
Word Origin: [from the same as H5852 (עֲטָרוֹת עֲטָרוֹת - Ataroth) and H1004 (בַּיִת - house) and H3097 (יוֹאָב - Joab)]

1. crowns of the house of Joab
2. Atroth-beth-Joab, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Ataroth the house of Joab

From the same as Atarowth and bayith and Yow'ab; crowns of the house of Joab; Atroth-beth-Joab, a place in Palestine -- Ataroth the house of Joab.

see HEBREW Atarowth

see HEBREW bayith

see HEBREW Yow'ab

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the same as Ataroth, from bayith and Yoab
Definition
a place in Judah
NASB Translation
Atroth-beth-joab (1).

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Attaroth-beth-Joab appears once in Scripture, in the Judahite genealogy of 1 Chronicles 2:54. The verse reads: “The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-Joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites”. Though the text supplies no narrative events for the site, its solitary placement within the inspired record links it to the heritage of Judah, the royal tribe from which David and, ultimately, the Messiah came.

Geographical Setting

1. Proximity to Bethlehem: Because it is grouped with Bethlehem and Netophah—both situated only a few miles south of Jerusalem—Attaroth-beth-Joab is commonly located in the same hill-country region.
2. Archaeological proposals: Scholars propose Khirbet ‘Attara, Khirbet el-‘Ubeidiya, or sites near modern Beit Ummar as candidates. All lie on ancient routes that ran from Bethlehem toward the Shephelah, making them strategically significant for both farming and military oversight.
3. Terrain and resources: Terraced hillsides, cistern-fed agriculture, and proximity to grain routes would have supported viticulture and grain production, echoing Judah’s description as a land “with wheat and barley” (Deuteronomy 8:8).

Genealogical and Tribal Links

1. Descendants of Salma: Salma is identified as a descendant of Hur, himself a grandson of Caleb (1 Chronicles 2:50). Thus, Attaroth-beth-Joab belongs to a Calebite sub-clan rooted in Judah’s inheritance.
2. Association with Joab: The compound name indicates a connection with a prominent family bearing Joab’s name. While Scripture does not equate this Joab with David’s commander, it signals a lineage that carried influence among Judah’s early settlers, perhaps commemorating an ancestor renowned for leadership or military valor.
3. Network of fortified villages: Alongside Bethlehem, Netophah, and the half-tribe of Manahath, the settlement forms part of a chain of Calebite outposts that guarded Judah’s central plateau.

Historical Insights

1. Pre-monarchic settlement: Because the genealogies in Chronicles extend back to the early occupation of the land, Attaroth-beth-Joab likely originated in the initial allotment era (Joshua 15).
2. Davidic era significance: Bethlehem (David’s birthplace) and the Netophathites (whose sons served David as mighty men, 2 Samuel 23:28-29) point to a federation of loyal Calebite towns underpinning David’s rise. Attaroth-beth-Joab would have shared in supplying warriors, provisions, and administrative support to the emerging kingdom.
3. Post-exilic memory: By listing the site centuries later, the Chronicler reminds the returned exiles of their deep roots in the land and encourages renewed occupation of ancestral territories.

Theological and Ministry Implications

1. Faithfulness of covenant geography: Even a seemingly obscure village is preserved in God’s word, illustrating that the Lord remembers every inheritance granted to His people.
2. Value of community lineage: The Chronicles genealogies teach that ministry often springs from long-established families and localities. Modern believers may draw encouragement to steward their own communities for generational impact.
3. Hidden service: Attaroth-beth-Joab never headlines a biblical story, yet its inclusion underscores that lesser-known places and persons are integral to the larger redemptive narrative—echoing Paul’s body imagery in 1 Corinthians 12:22-24.

Connections with Joab and the Davidic Kingdom

1. Name-memorialization: Towns named after individuals often honored founding heroes (Numbers 32:41). The community’s attachment to “Joab” suggests a patron whose leadership embodied courage and covenant fidelity.
2. Calebite loyalty: Caleb’s descendants are portrayed as unwavering in faith (Joshua 14:6-14). Linking Joab’s house with Calebite heritage signals steadfast devotion to God’s promises—qualities exemplified in service to David and, by extension, to the coming Messiah.

Archaeological Correlations

• Pottery from the Iron Age II at Khirbet ‘Attara matches the period when Judah’s hill-country villages flourished under the united monarchy.
• Boundary walls and winepresses recovered in the region correspond to agricultural tasks referenced in Old Testament descriptions of Judah’s towns (2 Chronicles 26:10).

While no find bears the name Attaroth-beth-Joab explicitly, such remains illuminate the lifestyle and economy shared by the settlement.

Practical Applications

• God’s plan often unfolds through ordinary locales and families; faithfulness in “little places” matters.
• Local church ministry can draw confidence from knowing that Scripture values every congregation, however small, within the larger body of Christ.
• Genealogical study—both biblical and personal—can reinforce identity, continuity, and accountability in spiritual heritage.

Key Passages for Further Study

1 Chronicles 2:50-55

2 Samuel 23:28-29

Joshua 15:13-19

Deuteronomy 8:7-10

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

Related Topics

Ataroth, Caleb, Bethlehem, Netophah, Joab, Judah’s inheritance, Genealogies of Chronicles

Forms and Transliterations
יוֹאָ֑ב יואב yō·w·’āḇ yoAv yōw’āḇ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Chronicles 2:54
HEB: עַטְר֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית יוֹאָ֑ב וַחֲצִ֥י הַמָּנַחְתִּ֖י
NAS: and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half
KJV: Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half
INT: Bethlehem and the Netophathites Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahethites

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5854
1 Occurrence


yō·w·’āḇ — 1 Occ.

5853
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