Original Word: עֶקְרוֹנִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: `Eqrowniy
Pronunciation: ek-ro-nee
Phonetic Spelling: (ek-ro-nee')
KJV: Ekronite
NASB: Ekronite, Ekronites
Word Origin: [patrial from H6138 (עֶקרוֹן - Ekron)]

1. an Ekronite or inhabitant of Ekron

Ekronite

Or meqroniy {ek-ro-nee'; patrial from Eqrown; an Ekronite or inhabitant of Ekron -- Ekronite.

see HEBREW Eqrown

Word Origin
from Eqron
Definition
inhab. of Ekron
NASB Translation
Ekronite (1), Ekronites (1).

עֶקְרוֺנּי adjective, of a people of foregoing, with article = substantive the Ekrônite Joshua 13:3 (D); plural הָעֶקְרֹנִים 1 Samuel 5:10.

Definition and Identity

“Ekronite” designates an inhabitant or native of Ekron, one of the five principal Philistine city-states (Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron). The term appears twice in Scripture and always in relation to Philistine resistance to Israel’s occupation of the Promised Land.

Geographical Setting

Ekron lay on the western edge of the Shephelah, roughly twenty-five miles west of Jerusalem and ten miles inland from the Mediterranean. Its strategic position on the Via Maris corridor gave the Ekronites commercial influence and military importance. Modern archaeology identifies the site with Tel Miqne, where extensive olive-oil installations and a royal dedicatory inscription confirm a flourishing economy in the Iron Age.

Biblical Occurrences

• Joshua 13:3 places the Ekronites within the “land that remains” to be subdued after Joshua’s initial conquests: “the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron—the Gazites, Ashdodites, Ashkelonites, Gittites, and Ekronites”. Their inclusion underscores Israel’s incomplete obedience and the lingering threat posed by Philistine power.
• 1 Samuel 5:10 records the arrival of the captured ark of God at Ekron: “But as the ark of God entered Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, ‘Why have you brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people?’”. Their panic highlights Yahweh’s supremacy over Philistine deities and the futility of resistance.

Historical Context

Throughout the Judges and early monarchy, the Ekronites formed part of a pentapolis that checked Israelite expansion. Assyrian records later list Ekron’s kings (e.g., Ikausu, Padi) as vassals, confirming the city’s durability until Babylonian conquest in the sixth century B.C. Prophetic oracles (Amos 1:8; Zephaniah 2:4; Zechariah 9:5) predict the downfall of Ekron, all fulfilled as imperial powers rolled over Philistia.

Theological Significance

1. God’s Sovereignty over Nations. The Ekronites’ dread of the ark (1 Samuel 5–6) reveals that even pagan peoples instinctively recognized Yahweh’s power.
2. Holiness and Judgment. Tumors and devastation followed the ark into Philistine territory, a tangible testimony that proximity to God without reverence brings judgment (1 Samuel 5:6,9).
3. Call to Obedience. Israel’s failure to dislodge the Ekronites in Joshua’s day foreshadows later compromises that led to cyclical oppression (Judges 3:1–4).

Ministerial Applications

• Evangelistic Urgency: Like the Ekronites, modern unbelievers may acknowledge God’s power yet attempt to send Him away; the church must proclaim repentance and reconciliation rather than allow such flight.
• Spiritual Warfare: The Ekron narrative affirms that cultural strongholds collapse before God’s presence; believers engage confidently, “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10).
• Integrity in Obedience: Partial conquest breeds future difficulty. Leaders are exhorted to “drive out” lingering sin patterns with the same decisiveness Israel was called to exercise against the Ekronites.

Related Prophetic References

Amos 1:8; Jeremiah 25:20; Zephaniah 2:4–7; Zechariah 9:5 all mention Ekron in broader judgments on Philistia, reinforcing the consistency of divine justice from Joshua through the post-exilic prophets.

Summary

The Ekronites embody Philistine opposition, the inevitable triumph of Yahweh, and the dangers of half-hearted obedience. Their short cameo in Scripture leaves a lasting call to honor God’s holiness, trust His sovereignty over nations, and pursue complete faithfulness in every sphere of ministry.

הָֽעֶקְרֹנִ֜ים העקרנים וְהָעֶקְרוֹנִ֖י והעקרוני hā‘eqrōnîm hā·‘eq·rō·nîm haekroNim vehaekroNi wə·hā·‘eq·rō·w·nî wəhā‘eqrōwnîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts