Original Word: כּפר הָעַמּוֹנִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Kphar ha-`Ammowniy
Pronunciation: keh-far hah-ah-mo-nee
Phonetic Spelling: (kef-ar' haw-am-mo-nee')
KJV: Chefar-haamonai
NASB: Chephar-ammoni
Word Origin: [from H3723 (כָּפָר - villages) and H5984 (עַמּוֹנִי - Ammonite), with the article interposed]

1. village of the Ammonite
2. Kefar-ha-Ammoni, a place in Israel

Chefar-haamonai

From kaphar and Ammowniy, with the article interposed; village of the Ammonite; Kefar-ha-Ammoni, a place in Palestine -- Chefar-haamonai.

see HEBREW kaphar

see HEBREW Ammowniy

Word Origin
from kaphar and Ammoni
Definition
"a village of the Ammonites," a village in Benjamin
NASB Translation
Chephar-ammoni (1).

Name and Meaning

כּפר הָעַמּוֹנִי (Khephar-ha-Ammoni) literally means “village of the Ammonite.” The compound preserves the common Semitic idea of a small, fortified settlement (khephar) and links it to the people of Ammon, long-standing neighbors and at times adversaries of Israel east of the Jordan.

Biblical Occurrence

Joshua 18:24 lists the town among the twelve cities allotted to the tribe of Benjamin: “Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve cities with their villages”. This single mention fixes the site firmly within Benjamin’s inheritance.

Geographical Setting

1. Regional context: Benjamin’s territory formed a narrow strip between Ephraim to the north and Judah to the south, stretching from the hill country down toward the Jordan Valley.
2. Local cluster: Chephar-ha-Ammoni is named together with Ophni (modern Jifna) and Geba (Jeba‘), both in the central highlands just north of Jerusalem. The association suggests a location on the same north-south ridge route, probably a few kilometers northeast of Geba.
3. Topography: The ridge country enjoys defensible hilltops and ready access to the wadis descending toward the Jordan, suiting the meaning “village” or “hamlet” and explaining its inclusion among minor yet strategic Benjaminite settlements.

Historical Background

1. Ammonite legacy: The name implies that the place was originally settled or influenced by Ammonites before Israelite occupation. Its retention after the Conquest testifies to the mixed ethnic texture of the land in Joshua’s day.
2. Conquest and allotment: The notation in Joshua underscores God’s faithfulness in granting each tribe a defined inheritance (Numbers 34:1-12). Even a locality bearing a foreign name became a token of fulfilled promise.
3. Border dynamics: Deuteronomy 2:19 shows that Israel was forbidden to seize the core territory of Ammon east of the Jordan, yet Joshua 18 reveals that pockets of Ammonite habitation west of the Jordan did pass into Israelite hands—evidence of complex, shifting frontiers during the settlement period.

Role within the Inheritance of Benjamin

1. Military significance: Benjamin’s towns guarded the approach routes to Jerusalem and the central plateau. Chephar-ha-Ammoni, near the Benjamin-Ephraim border, would strengthen control over northbound traffic.
2. Economic contribution: The ridges hosted terrace farming, olive production, and shepherding. Incorporation of every hamlet, even the smallest, enhanced the tribe’s agricultural base and tithe income for the sanctuary at Shiloh.
3. Covenant witness: Each named city in the list functions as a boundary stone in the text, marking divine allocation and reminding every generation that “the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33).

Theological and Ministry Insights

1. Redemption of places: A location once bearing the stamp of a foreign people is brought under Israel’s covenant blessing. Land and name alike become testimonies of God’s dominion.
2. Inclusiveness of grace: While Israel remained distinct, the presence of an “Ammonite village” inside Benjamin hints at the later gospel theme of Gentiles grafted in (Romans 11:17-24).
3. Stewardship: Joshua’s geographic precision calls believers to the practical outworking of inheritance—using specific resources entrusted by God for His glory.

Lessons for Faith and Practice

• God cares about ordinary places; every village and household falls under His sovereign plan.
• Names and memories of past sin or alienation can be reclaimed for righteous purposes.
• Boundaries established by God provide security and identity; disregarding them breeds confusion (Proverbs 22:28).
• Small communities, though easily overlooked, contribute to the larger mission of God’s people—an encouragement to present-day rural or minor congregations.

Modern Identification and Archaeological Notes

The precise site remains unconfirmed. Proposals range from Khirbet Kefr ‘Ana to locations near modern Beitin (Bethel). Surface pottery surveys suggest Iron Age occupation patterns consistent with Benjaminite settlement. The uncertainty underscores the fragmentary nature of archaeology yet also demonstrates how Scripture preserves details that await further illumination.

Summary

כּפר הָעַמּוֹנִי stands as a quiet witness to Israel’s settlement, God’s fidelity, and the capacity of His covenant to absorb and sanctify what once lay outside the fold. Its solitary mention reminds readers that in the biblical narrative no place or person is too small to be recorded, claimed, and woven into the redemptive tapestry of Scripture.

הָֽעַמֹּנָ֛ה העמנה hā‘ammōnāh hā·‘am·mō·nāh haammoNahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts