### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **Têbêts**, represented by `{{H8405}}`, is a proper name for a place in Palestine known as Thebez. Derived from a root meaning **whiteness**, the name appears **3 times** across **2 unique verses**. Its biblical significance is tied entirely to its role as the setting for a specific historical event.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, Thebez is depicted as a city subjected to military conflict. Abimelech **went** `{{H3212}}` to Thebez, laid siege to it, and successfully **took** `{{H3920}}` the city [[Judges 9:50]]. However, the location is most memorable as the site of Abimelech's death. A later account recalls how a woman **cast** `{{H7993}}` a millstone from the city **wall** `{{H2346}}`, which **smote** `{{H5221}}` Abimelech and caused him to **die** `{{H4191}}` in Thebez. The incident is used as a cautionary tale, underscored by the question, "why went ye nigh the wall?" [[2 Samuel 11:21]].
### Related Words & Concepts
The events at Thebez are described using several key action words:
* `{{H3212}}` **yâlak**: This primitive root, meaning **to walk** or **go**, establishes the beginning of the conflict as Abimelech marches toward the city [[Judges 9:50]].
* `{{H3920}}` **lâkad**: Meaning **to capture or occupy**, this word describes the result of the siege, where Abimelech's forces took the city [[Judges 9:50]].
* `{{H2346}}` **chôwmâh**: This word for **a wall of protection** is central to the story, as the wall of Thebez becomes the instrument of Abimelech's demise [[2 Samuel 11:21]].
* `{{H5221}}` **nâkâh**: A root meaning **to strike** or **smite**, it describes the fatal blow that Abimelech received from the millstone at Thebez [[2 Samuel 11:21]].
### Theological Significance
The primary significance of `{{H8405}}` is drawn from the narrative in which it appears.
* **A Site of Conflict:** Thebez is marked in scripture as a location of violent conquest, a city besieged and captured by Abimelech's forces [[Judges 9:50]].
* **The Scene of an Unexpected Downfall:** The city is the definitive backdrop for the death of Abimelech. His end, brought about by a woman on a wall, stands as a biblical example of the sudden fall of a powerful figure [[2 Samuel 11:21]].
* **A Lesson in Military Tactics:** The story of Abimelech's death at Thebez serves as a tactical reminder. The question about why his forces drew near the **wall** `{{H2346}}` highlights the location as a lesson on the perils of underestimating a city's defenses [[2 Samuel 11:21]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H8405}}` **Têbêts** is a place name whose importance is defined by its role in a single, memorable event. While the name itself has no abstract theological weight, the city of Thebez is immortalized in scripture as the stage for Abimelech's final battle and ignominious death. The narrative provides a lasting account of conflict, judgment, and the unexpected ways in which a leader can meet their end.
TRV