Word Study for H824 (אֶשְׁעָן)

ʼEshʻân /esh-awn'/ Ask about this word

Meaningsupport; Eshan, a place in Palestine

KJV usageEshean.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼEshʻân — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼEshʻân, represented by H824, is derived from a root meaning support. It appears 1 time in 1 unique verse in the Bible, where it is used as a proper name for Eshan, a place in Palestine.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The single biblical reference to H824 is found in a list of cities within the territory of Judah. In the book of Joshua, Eshean is mentioned alongside other locations as part of the inheritance allocated to the tribe. The verse explicitly names it in a sequence: "Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean" Joshua 15:52. This places it firmly within the geographical and historical context of Israel's settlement in the promised land.

Related Words & Concepts

The words listed directly with Eshean provide immediate geographical context:

H694 ʼĂrâb (Arab): This is the name of a place in Palestine, mentioned in the same list as Eshean, helping to define a specific cluster of cities in the region Joshua 15:52.
H1746 Dûwmâh (Dumah): Identified as both a tribe and region of Arabia as well as a location listed with Arab and Eshean, connecting the territory to known places Joshua 15:52.

Theological Significance

While primarily a geographical marker, the significance of H824 can be understood through its context and etymology.

Historical Record: The inclusion of Eshean in the detailed land allotments of Joshua underscores the biblical text's emphasis on historical and geographical specificity. It functions as a precise marker in the division of the land.
Etymological Root: The name is defined as meaning support. This underlying meaning, while not explicitly discussed in the text, can be seen as symbolic of the stability and foundation the Israelites were establishing in their new territory.
Territorial Demarcation: Its sole appearance in Joshua 15:52 serves the practical purpose of delineating tribal boundaries, reinforcing the fulfillment of God's promise to give Israel a specific land.

Summary

In summary, H824 is a specific place name, ʼEshʻân, whose importance lies in its role within the biblical narrative of the conquest and settlement of Canaan. Its single mention in Joshua 15:52 provides a concrete detail in the historical record of tribal inheritance, and its root meaning of "support" subtly aligns with the theme of establishing a firm foundation in the promised land.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

אֶשְׁעָן

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

1 verse, all in Joshua — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.