Original Word: עֲטָרוֹת
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: `Atarowth
Pronunciation: ah-tah-ROHT
Phonetic Spelling: (at-aw-roth')
KJV: Ataroth
NASB: Ataroth
Word Origin: [plural of H5850 (עֲטָרָה - crown)]

1. Ataroth, the name (thus simply) of two places in Israel

Ataroth

Or Ataroth {at-aw-roth'}; plural of atarah; Ataroth, the name (thus simply) of two places in Palestine -- Ataroth.

see HEBREW atarah

Word Origin
pl. of atarah
Definition
the name of several places in Isr.
NASB Translation
Ataroth (4).

עֲטָרוֺת and (Numbers 32:34) עֲטָרֹת proper name, of a location Αταρωθ, etc.:

1 East of Jordan (MI^{10, 11}); —

a. Numbers 32:3 (+ דִּיבוֺן, etc.) — modern A‰‰arûs, approximately 8 miles north-northwest from Dibon — built by Gad Numbers 32:34 (+ ׳ד, עֲרֹעֵר, and also)

b. עַטְרֹת שׁוֺפָן Numbers 32:35 (Samaritan שפים ׳ע, see Di; site unknown).

2 west of Jordan, conjectures as to sites see in Di Buhl^{Geogr. 172:}

a. on border between Ephraim and Benjamin Joshua 16:2, = עַטְרוֺת אַדָּר Joshua 16:5; Joshua 18:13.

b. on east border of Ephraim Joshua 16:7.

c. עַטְרוֺת בֵּית יוֺאָב 1 Chronicles 2:54 in Judah; a 'son' of Salma (+ Bethlehem, al.).

עטשׁ (√ of following; Late Hebrew עָטַשׁ sneeze; Aramaic in derivative noun; Arabic id., Ethiopic [], , sneezing).

Meaning of the Name

Attaroth is most commonly understood to signify “crowns,” suggesting prominence, elevation, or honor. The imagery of a crown fits well with both the elevated topography of its Transjordan site and the strategic importance of its western counterpart in central Canaan.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Numbers 32:3
2. Numbers 32:34
3. Joshua 16:2
4. Joshua 16:7

These four verses divide naturally into two geographical clusters: Transjordan (Numbers) and the hill country of Ephraim–Benjamin (Joshua).

Geographical Locations

• Transjordan Attaroth: Situated on the high plateau east of the Jordan River, near Dibon and Aroer, in territory later allotted to the tribe of Gad. Possible identification: Khirbet ʿAttārūs or Tell ʿAttārūs, an elevated site overlooking the Wadi Zerqa Maʿin.
• Cisjordan Attaroth: A border town on the southern edge of the tribe of Ephraim, bordering Benjamin and near Bethel and Naarah. The double name “Attaroth Addar” (Joshua 16:5) probably denotes its fortified status (“Attaroth of Addar,” i.e., “Crowns of Grandeur”).

Historical Background

Numbers 32 records the request of the Reubenites and Gadites for pasturelands east of the Jordan. They cite Attaroth among the fertile towns they desire: “The land the LORD subdued before the congregation of Israel … is a region for livestock, and your servants have livestock” (Numbers 32:4–5). Moses grants the request on the condition that these tribes first help conquer Canaan. After fulfilling their vow, “The sons of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, and Aroer” (Numbers 32:34), demonstrating covenant faithfulness and responsible stewardship.

In Joshua 16, Attaroth marks key boundary points for the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants. “It went out from Bethel (that is, Luz), crossed over to the border of the Arkites at Ataroth” (Joshua 16:2). The border descends again “to Ataroth and Naarah, touches Jericho, and ends at the Jordan” (Joshua 16:7). The placement signifies Attaroth’s role as a sentinel town protecting the heartland of Ephraim.

Spiritual and Theological Themes

1. Covenant Fidelity: The rebuilding of Attaroth by Gad underscores how God’s people honor agreements (Numbers 32:25–27). The town stands as a monument to keeping one’s word before the LORD.
2. Fulfillment of Promise: Attaroth on both sides of the Jordan attests that all Israel—Transjordanian and Cisjordanian alike—received precise inheritances exactly as the LORD promised Abraham (Genesis 15:18–21; Joshua 21:43–45).
3. Shared Responsibility: The Transjordan tribes’ willingness to fight for their brothers (Numbers 32:20–23) speaks to the church’s call to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).
4. Divine Order: The carefully traced borders in Joshua reveal God’s concern for structure and fairness within His people, foreshadowing the “inheritance incorruptible” reserved for believers (1 Peter 1:4).

Archaeological Insights

Khirbet ʿAttārūs shows Iron Age fortifications, cisterns, and pottery consistent with Gadite occupation. In the west, surveys near modern-day Atara and Khirbet el-ʿAṭṭārāt have uncovered stone foundations and winepresses, aligning with an Ephraimite agrarian center. While no definitive inscriptions have surfaced, the topography matches the biblical descriptions: elevated, defensible, and agriculturally viable.

Applications for Ministry

• Integrity in Commitments: As the Gadites rebuilt Attaroth only after fulfilling their martial pledge, so believers are exhorted to “let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37).
• Stewardship of Inheritance: Both sites of Attaroth remind modern readers that every blessing—spiritual or material—comes with responsibility and must be guarded for future generations.
• Unity amid Diversity: The two Attaroths illustrate different tribes living in distinct regions yet bound by one covenant community, a pattern for unity within the global church.

Thus Attaroth, though mentioned only four times, embodies faithfulness, boundary-keeping, and the crowned dignity of God’s ordered kingdom.

עֲטָר֣וֹת עֲטָר֤וֹת עֲטָרֹ֑ת עֲטָרֽוֹת׃ עטרות עטרות׃ עטרת ‘ă·ṭā·rō·wṯ ‘ă·ṭā·rōṯ ‘ăṭārōṯ ‘ăṭārōwṯ ataRotInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts