Original Word: תַּעֲנָךְ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Ta`anak
Pronunciation: tah-NAHK
Phonetic Spelling: (tah-an-awk')
KJV: Taanach, Tanach
NASB: Taanach
Word Origin: [of uncertain derivation]

1. Taanak or Tanak, a place in Israel

Taanach, Tanach

Or Tanak {tah-nawk'}; of uncertain derivation; Taanak or Tanak, a place in Palestine -- Taanach, Tanach.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a Canaanite city assigned to Manasseh
NASB Translation
Taanach (7).

תַּעְנָךְ proper name, of a location in Great Plain, [׳ת Baer Gi; van d. H. תַּעֲנָח, except Joshua 21:25; 1 Chronicles 7:29]; usually named with Megiddo: old Can. City, Judges 5:19; Joshua 12:21 ( = Egyptian Ta-'-n-k-â, Ta-'a-na-k, WMM^{As.u.Eur.170,195}); assigned to Manasseh Joshua 17:11; Joshua 21:25; Jeremiah 1:27; 1 Chronicles 7:29 (yet within territory of Issachar Joshua 17:11; Joshua 19:18ff.); named also 1 Kings 4:12; ᵐ5 Θανααχ, Θααναχ, Ταναχ, etc.; = modern Ta'annuk, approximately 4 2-Janmiles south-southeast from Lejjun (Megiddo), Rob^{BR iii. 117} Guevrin^{Sam. ii. 226 ff.} Buhl^{G 288 f.} Wilson^{Hast. DB TAANACH}.

Location and Setting

Taanach (Strong’s Hebrew 8590, תַּעֲנָךְ) stood on the south-eastern rim of the Jezreel Valley, about five miles south of Megiddo and overlooking the Kishon River. The mound known today as Tell Ta‘annek dominates the junction where the great north–south ridge route meets the east–west valley corridor. Whoever held Taanach controlled a vital military and commercial crossroads that linked the coastal plain, the Jordan Valley, and the highlands of Ephraim.

Biblical Record

• Joshua 12:21 names the “king of Taanach” among the thirty-one kings defeated under Joshua, a testimony to the completeness of Israel’s initial conquest.
• Joshua 17:11 places the city within Issachar’s borders yet allotted to Manasseh, revealing how tribal inheritances sometimes overlapped in strategic areas.
• Joshua 21:25 assigns Taanach (with its pasturelands) to the Kohathite Levites, underscoring its ongoing spiritual importance as a priestly center.
• Judges 1:27 notes Manasseh’s failure to dispossess the Canaanites from Taanach, an act of compromise that foreshadowed the cyclical oppression of the Judges era.
• Judges 5:19 celebrates victory near the town: “The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of Canaan at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of silver.” Here the site becomes a monument to divine deliverance.
• 1 Kings 4:12 lists Taanach in the administrative district of Baana under Solomon, demonstrating its continued strategic value and incorporation into the king’s supply system.
• 1 Chronicles 7:29 again associates the city with Manasseh, confirming the persistence of tribal boundaries even after the monarchy was established.

Archaeological Corroboration

Excavations at Tell Ta‘annek have uncovered Middle Bronze ramparts, Late Bronze Egyptian scarabs, and Iron Age II domestic structures, matching the biblical sequence of Canaanite, Israelite, and monarchic occupation. Thutmose III’s conquest lists and the Amarna Letters mention the town, situating it within the larger canvas of second-millennium diplomacy and warfare exactly where Scripture places it.

Lessons in Obedience and Warfare

Taanach illustrates the tension between God’s promises and Israel’s partial obedience. The allotment to Manasseh shows divine provision; the tribe’s failure to expel the Canaanites (Judges 1:27) warns against half-hearted faith. Yet in the Song of Deborah the same location becomes the stage for God’s decisive intervention. Compromise invites bondage, but covenant faith brings victory.

Priestly and Administrative Significance

As a Levitical town (Joshua 21:25) and later a royal district center (1 Kings 4:12), Taanach exhibits the integration of worship and governance. The Levites’ presence meant a continual witness to the law of the LORD, while Solomon’s reorganization demonstrates how consecrated spaces can serve national stability when ruled in righteousness.

Foreshadowings of Final Conflict

Situated beside Megiddo, Taanach shares the terrain that Revelation 16:16 calls Armageddon. The historical clash in Judges 5 becomes a prophetic echo of the ultimate confrontation between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of our God—underscoring that every earthly stronghold will finally submit to His reign.

Ministry Applications

1. Strategic stewardship: Like Taanach’s crossroads, believers today occupy positions of influence. Faithful stewardship of such “crossroads” advances the gospel.
2. Complete obedience: The mixed results of Manasseh urge churches to finish the task of disciple-making rather than settling for partial victories.
3. Remembering deliverance: Deborah’s song invites congregations to commemorate God’s past acts, strengthening confidence for present battles.
4. Sacred and secular unity: The Levitical and administrative roles combined in Taanach encourage Christians in public service to infuse policy with biblical ethics.

Summary

Taanach stands as a geographical linchpin, a witness to Israel’s early conquest, a stage for divine deliverance, and a lens through which to view both the perils of compromise and the power of obedient faith. The city’s account encourages God’s people to claim their inheritance fully, trust His intervention in conflict, and serve Him faithfully at every strategic crossroads.

בְּתַעְנַ֖ךְ בתענך תַּעְנַ֖ךְ תַּעְנַ֣ךְ תַּעְנַךְ֙ תַעְנַךְ֙ תענך bə·ṯa‘·naḵ bəṯa‘naḵ betaNach ta‘·naḵ ṯa‘·naḵ ta‘naḵ ṯa‘naḵ tanaChInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts