### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **Yᵉʻârîym**, represented by `{{H3297}}`, literally means **forests** and is used as the proper name for **Jearim**, a place in Palestine. It appears only **1 times** across **1 unique verses** in the Bible. Its sole function within the biblical text is to serve as a specific geographical landmark.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single appearance of `{{H3297}}` is in [[Joshua 15:10]], where it identifies a mountain that serves as a key point in defining a territorial boundary. The verse describes the course of a border as it "passed along unto the side of mount **Jearim**, which is Chesalon, on the north side." This mention is part of a larger, detailed description of the borders of the land being allotted to the tribes of Israel.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words appear alongside Jearim to establish its geographical context:
* `{{H2022}}` **har** (a mountain or range of hills): Jearim is explicitly identified as a **mount** `{{H2022}}`, establishing its physical nature as an elevated landmark used for defining territory [[Joshua 15:10]].
* `{{H1366}}` **gᵉbûwl** (a boundary; by extension the territory inclosed): The entire context for Jearim is the delineation of a **border** `{{H1366}}`, showing its importance in marking the limits of a territory [[Joshua 15:10]].
* `{{H3693}}` **Kᵉçâlôwn** (fertile; Kesalon, a place in Palestine): The biblical text provides an alternative name for this landmark, stating "mount Jearim, which is **Chesalon**" [[Joshua 15:10]], clarifying its identity.
* `{{H5674}}` **ʻâbar** (to cross over): This word describes the action of the boundary line as it **passed** `{{H5674}}` along the side of Mount Jearim, emphasizing movement along a defined course [[Joshua 15:10]].
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H3297}}` is tied directly to its role in the biblical narrative of the settlement of Canaan.
* **Geographical Marker:** Mount Jearim serves a purely geographical function, acting as a fixed point to delineate a specific **border** `{{H1366}}` alongside other features like mount Seir `{{H8165}}` and Beth-shemesh `{{H1053}}` [[Joshua 15:10]].
* **Territorial Allotment:** The mention of `{{H3297}}` is embedded within the critical process of defining the land given to the tribes. It is part of the **border** `{{H1366}}` that is **compassed** `{{H5437}}` and **passed** `{{H5674}}` along to mark out a specific inheritance.
* **Precision in Divine Record:** The naming of a specific mountain like Jearim, and even providing its alternative name Chesalon `{{H3693}}`, underscores the detailed and precise nature of the biblical record concerning God's fulfillment of His promises of land.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3297}}` is not a word with broad conceptual meaning but a precise geographical identifier. Its singular use as Mount Jearim within a detailed description of a **border** `{{H1366}}` highlights its role in the physical demarcation of the tribal allotments in the promised land. The name, meaning **forests**, points to a specific, tangible landmark essential to the biblical account of Israel's inheritance as recorded in [[Joshua 15:10]].
TRV