Lexical Summary Tsephath: Tsephath Original Word: צְפַת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Zephath From tsaphah; watch-tower; Tsephath, a place in Palestine -- Zephath. see HEBREW tsaphah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a Canaanite city NASB Translation Zephath (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs צְפַ֑ת proper name, of a location Σεφεκ[π]: Canaanite city Judges 1:17 = חָרְמָה q. v.; identification by many (see especially PalmerDesert of Exod. 374 ff.) with Sebaita (approximately Latitude 30° 54' north, Longitude 34° 40' east). by RobBR ii. 181 with pass eƒ-‚ªfâh further east; against both see GFM. Topical Lexicon Geographical SettingZephath lay in the arid southern reaches of the land later allotted to Judah, somewhere between the Wilderness of Zin and the western approaches to Edom. Its strategic position guarded routes from Kadesh-barnea northward into the Negev highlands. The site is often linked with Tell es-Sebaʿ or a nearby ruin, though absolute identification remains tentative. Its later name, Hormah, marks it as part of a defensive chain shielding Israel’s heartland from nomadic incursions. Biblical Occurrence Judges 1:17 records the sole mention of Zephath under that name: “Then the men of Judah went with their fellow Simeonites, struck the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. Therefore it was called Hormah.” Although the Hebrew text uses צְפַת only here, the renamed city, Hormah, surfaces in Numbers 14:45; Numbers 21:3; Joshua 12:14; 1 Samuel 30:30, showing that the site bore continuing military and spiritual weight in Israel’s early history. Historical Background 1. Earlier Defeat (Numbers 14:45) After Israel’s unbelief at Kadesh-barnea, the Amalekites and Canaanites “beat them down all the way to Hormah.” The place name anticipates later victory, turning a memory of chastening into a testimony of grace. 2. Vowed Destruction (Numbers 21:2-3) Israel pledged to put Canaanite towns “under the ban” (herem). The accomplishment of that vow at Hormah sets the stage for the conquest ledger in Judges, where Zephath is finally subdued. 3. Tribal Cooperation Judges 1:17 highlights Judah and Simeon acting together. The shared inheritance (Joshua 19:1-9) finds practical expression in united warfare, foreshadowing the ideal inter-tribal solidarity envisioned for the covenant nation. Theological Themes • Devotion to Destruction (Herem) Zephath’s transformation into Hormah underscores the seriousness with which Israel was to deal with entrenched idolatry. The ban was not indiscriminate violence but a judicial act under divine command, protecting covenant purity (Deuteronomy 7:1-6). • Reversal of Failure What had once been a place of defeat became a monument to obedience. God’s covenant faithfulness turned past shame into future security, illustrating Romans 8:37, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” • Unity and Mutual Support The joint campaign of Judah and Simeon models the New Testament exhortation that believers “strive together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). Victory at Zephath depended on corporate obedience. Prophetic and Redemptive Echoes The Zephath-Hormah narrative prefigures the ultimate conquest of sin accomplished by Christ. Just as a devoted ban eradicated Canaanite fortresses, so the cross decisively judged sin (Colossians 2:15). The renaming of the city parallels the believer’s new identity in Christ (Revelation 2:17). Practical Ministry Applications 1. Address Past Defeats Congregations may revisit areas of former spiritual failure, trusting God to turn them into testimonies of victory. 2. Pursue Corporate Engagement Zephath reminds ministry leaders to foster cooperation across church fellowships, avoiding tribalism within the body of Christ. 3. Guard Covenant Purity The principle of herem warns against accommodating idolatry—whether doctrinal, moral, or cultural—within the community of faith. Archaeological and Later Traditions While Zephath of Judges is near the Negev, later Jewish tradition identified a northern Galilean city, Safed (modern Tzfat), with the name. The chronological and geographic gap cautions against equating the two, yet the persistence of the root word hints at a remembered legacy. Excavations in the southern hill country continue to seek a fortified Late Bronze–Early Iron Age site exhibiting destruction layers befitting the Judges account. Key Cross-References Numbers 14:45; Numbers 21:2-3; Joshua 12:14; Judges 1:17; 1 Samuel 30:30. Summary Zephath stands as a pivotal southern stronghold whose fall to Judah and Simeon completed a cycle: defeat, vow, and eventual victory. Its account weaves together themes of covenant obedience, shared labor, and God’s power to redeem past losses, offering enduring counsel to individuals and churches contending for holiness and unity today. Forms and Transliterations צְפַ֑ת צפת ṣə·p̄aṯ ṣəp̄aṯ tzeFatLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 1:17 HEB: הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֣ב צְפַ֑ת וַיַּחֲרִ֣ימוּ אוֹתָ֔הּ NAS: living in Zephath, and utterly destroyed KJV: that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed INT: the Canaanites living Zephath and utterly was called 1 Occurrence |
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