from קָדַר; dusky place; Kidron, a brook near Jerusalem; Kidron.
Transliteration:Qidrôwn
Pronunciation:kid-rone'
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew term `{{H6939}}` (Qidrôwn) is derived from the root `{{H6937}}` (qadar), which signifies "to be dark," "to be dusky," or "to be gloomy." Thus, the literal meaning of Qidrôwn is "dusky place" or "dark place." This etymological root aptly describes the Kidron Valley (also known as the Kidron Brook), a deep, often dry wadi that runs along the eastern side of Jerusalem, separating the city from the Mount of Olives. Its steep, shadowed banks and the often parched streambed would have given it a perpetually dark or gloomy appearance, especially in contrast to the sun-drenched hills surrounding it. The name is therefore a descriptive geographical designation.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The Kidron Valley plays a significant, albeit often somber, role in the biblical narrative, primarily associated with events of purification, judgment, and flight.
1. **David's Flight:** The valley first appears prominently during David's flight from Absalom. As David fled Jerusalem, he and his loyal followers "crossed the Kidron Valley toward the wilderness" [[2 Samuel 15:23]]. This moment marks a low point for David, a king in exile, crossing a dark valley of sorrow and uncertainty, symbolic of his temporary dethronement and humiliation.
2. **Royal Reforms and Idolatry:** The Kidron Valley became a designated site for the disposal of idolatrous objects and cultic impurities during periods of religious reform by the kings of Judah.
* King Asa, in his zeal to remove idolatry, "cut down her [Maacah's] abominable image and burned it by the Kidron Valley" [[1 Kings 15:13]], also [[2 Chronicles 15:16]].
* King Hezekiah's priests, during their extensive cleansing of the Temple, brought out all the defiled objects to the Kidron Valley [[2 Chronicles 29:16]]. This act underscored the valley's role as a receptacle for ritual impurity, a place where the defilement of the sanctuary was purged from the holy city.
* King Josiah, known for his sweeping religious reforms, intensified this practice. He had the Asherah pole "brought out of the house of the Lord to the Kidron Valley, outside Jerusalem, and burned it at the Kidron Valley and ground it to dust and threw its dust on the graves of the common people" [[2 Kings 23:6]]. He also removed the altars from the roof and those Manasseh had built, breaking them up and throwing their dust into the Kidron Valley [[2 Kings 23:12]]. Furthermore, the cultic objects for Baal, Asherah, and the host of heaven were brought out of the Temple and burned in the Kidron Valley [[2 Kings 23:4]]. These actions firmly establish the Kidron as the primary location for the symbolic and literal removal of spiritual defilement from the city and the Temple.
3. **Prophetic Boundary:** The prophet Jeremiah mentions the Kidron Valley as a significant geographical marker for the future restoration of Jerusalem. In a vision of the city's expansion, it is prophesied that "the whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord; it shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever" [[Jeremiah 31:40]]. This indicates its future role as a boundary for a sanctified, eternally secure Jerusalem, contrasting its past use as a place for defilement.
### Related Words & Concepts
The primary linguistic connection for `{{H6939}}` is its root, `{{H6937}}` (qadar), meaning "to be dark, gloomy, mournful." This root often describes physical darkness (e.g., of the sky or a face) or metaphorical gloom and sorrow. The name "Kidron" thus embeds this sense of darkness directly into the landscape.
Conceptually, the Kidron Valley is closely associated with:
* **Impurity and Cleansing:** Its repeated use as a dumping ground for idolatrous objects and defiled materials from the Temple highlights its role in the process of ritual purification for the city and its sanctuary. It served as the antithesis of holiness, absorbing that which was anathema to God.
* **Judgment and Exile:** For David, crossing the Kidron signified a moment of vulnerability and temporary exile from his throne. For the idols, it was a place of judgment and destruction.
* **Death and Burial:** The valley's proximity to ancient burial sites and its description in [[Jeremiah 31:40]] as "the valley of the dead bodies and the ashes" further reinforces its association with death, decay, and the disposal of that which is discarded.
* **Boundary:** Geographically, it serves as a natural boundary for Jerusalem, particularly on its eastern side, separating the city from the Mount of Olives and the wilderness beyond.
### Theological Significance
The Kidron Valley, though often a place of physical and symbolic darkness, carries profound theological weight.
1. **The Receptacle of Sin and Idolatry:** Its most prominent theological role is as the designated place for the disposal of Israel's spiritual impurities. The burning and scattering of idols and defiled objects in the Kidron symbolically represented the nation's rejection of false gods and the cleansing of its covenant relationship with Yahweh. This act of purification was essential for the restoration of divine favor and the sanctity of Jerusalem. It underscores God's absolute intolerance for idolatry and the necessity of its complete removal.
2. **A Valley of Humiliation and Suffering:** David's passage through the Kidron in flight ([[2 Samuel 15:23]]) prefigures the path of a suffering king. This finds a powerful echo in the New Testament, where Jesus, the true King, also crossed the Kidron Valley on His way to Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, just before His arrest and crucifixion ([[John 18:1]]). This connection imbues the "dusky place" with an even deeper significance, linking it to the ultimate act of suffering and self-humiliation by the Messiah for the purification of humanity. The valley thus becomes a silent witness to both human failure (idolatry) and divine redemptive suffering.
3. **Boundary of Holiness and Future Hope:** Jeremiah's prophecy ([[Jeremiah 31:40]]) transforms the Kidron from a place of defilement into a boundary marker for a future, expanded, and eternally holy Jerusalem. This suggests that even the places associated with sin and judgment can be incorporated into God's redemptive plan, ultimately becoming part of His sanctified domain. It points to a future where the cleansing is complete, and the city of God knows no more defilement.
### Summary
`{{H6939}}` (Qidrôwn) denotes the "dusky place" or Kidron Valley, a prominent geographical feature east of Jerusalem. Its name is derived from the root `{{H6937}}` (qadar), meaning "to be dark or gloomy." Biblically, the Kidron Valley served as a crucial site for the disposal of idolatrous objects and ritual impurities during periods of royal reform by kings like Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah, symbolizing the nation's purification from sin. It was also the path of David's sorrowful flight from Absalom and, prophetically, a boundary marker for a future, holy Jerusalem. Theologically, the Kidron represents both the necessary removal of sin and idolatry from God's people and the ultimate path of suffering taken by the King (David and, supremely, Christ) for redemptive purposes. From a place of defilement and sorrow, it is ultimately envisioned as part of the eternally sanctified city of God.
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