Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, villages were small settlements that played a significant role in the social and economic life of ancient Israel and the surrounding regions. Unlike cities, which were often fortified and served as administrative and religious centers, villages were typically unfortified and primarily focused on agriculture and local trade.
Old Testament ContextVillages are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as part of the tribal and familial inheritance of the Israelites. They were often associated with rural life and agriculture. For example, in the division of the Promised Land, the allotment of territories included cities with their surrounding villages (
Joshua 13:23: "The border of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the clans of the Reubenites, including the cities and their villages.").
Villages were also places where significant biblical events occurred. In the account of Gideon, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the village of Ophrah (
Judges 6:11). Villages were often the setting for the lives of prophets and judges, who were called by God to lead and deliver Israel.
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, villages continued to be important as the backdrop for many of Jesus' teachings and miracles. Jesus frequently traveled through villages, preaching the gospel and healing the sick.
Mark 6:6 notes, "And He went around from village to village, teaching the people."
The village of Bethany is particularly noteworthy as the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, where Jesus performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead (
John 11:1-44). This village, located near Jerusalem, became a significant place in Jesus' ministry.
Cultural and Social AspectsVillages in biblical times were typically composed of extended family units and were closely knit communities. They were often situated near water sources and fertile land to support agriculture, which was the primary occupation of the inhabitants. The social structure of villages was patriarchal, with elders playing a crucial role in decision-making and governance.
The communal life in villages fostered a strong sense of identity and belonging among the inhabitants. This is reflected in the biblical emphasis on family lineage and tribal affiliation, which were central to one's identity and inheritance rights.
Spiritual SignificanceVillages in the Bible often symbolize simplicity, humility, and a close-knit community life. They serve as a contrast to the bustling and sometimes corrupt life of cities. Jesus' choice to spend much of His ministry in villages underscores the value of reaching out to the humble and lowly, emphasizing the kingdom of God's accessibility to all people, regardless of their social status.
The biblical narrative frequently highlights God's concern for the inhabitants of villages, demonstrating His care for all people, whether they reside in grand cities or humble rural settings.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
VillageThis word in addition to its ordinary sense, is often used, especially in the enumeration of towns in (Joshua 13:15,19) to imply unwalled suburbs outside the walled towns. Arab villages, as found in Arabia, are often mere collections of stone huts, "long, low rude hovels, roofed only with the stalks of palm leaves," or covered for a time with tent-cloths, which are removed when the tribe change their quarters. Others are more solidly built, as are most of the of palestine, though in some the dwellings are mere mud-huts.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) A small assemblage of houses in the country, less than a town or city.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
VILLAGEvil'-aj (qaphar, chawwoth, qatserim, banoth, perazoth; kome):
(1) The general term for a village, in common with Aramaic and Arabic is qaphar (Songs 7:111 Chronicles 27:25; kopher;1 Samuel 6:18; kephir,Nehemiah 6:2). This designation is derived from the idea of its offering "cover" or shelter. It is used in combination, and place-names of this formation became prominent in post-Biblical times, probably because the villages so named had then grown into towns. A well-known Biblical instance of such names is Capernaum.
(2) Chawwoth (always "town" in English Versions of the Bible; see HAVVOTH-JAIR) means originally a group of tents (Arabic chiwa'). These in settled life soon became more permanent dwellings, or what we understand by a village. The term, however, is applied only to the villages of Jair in the tribe of Manasseh (Numbers 32:411 Kings 4:13).
(3) Chatserim likewise came from nomadic life. They were originally enclosures specially for cattle, alongside of which dwellings for the herdsmen and peasantry naturally grew up (see HAZAR-ADDAR; HAZOR). They were unwalled (Leviticus 25:31) and lay around the cities (Joshua 19:8).
(4) Banoth is literally "daughters." The word is applied to the dependent villages lying around the larger cities, and to which they looked as to a kind of metropolis (Numbers 21:25, etc.); the Revised Version (British and American) "towns" except inNumbers 32:42.
(5) Perazoth means "the open country," but it soon came to mean the villages scattered in the open (Ezekiel 38:11Zechariah 2:4Esther 9:19). Some have sought to connect the Perizzites with this word and to regard them, not as a distinct people, but as the peasant class. Attempts have also been m
ade to connect perazon inJudges 5:7, 11 with the same root, and the King James Version rendered it "inhabitants of the villages." the Revised Version (British and American), on the contrary, gives it the meaning of "rulers." The versions indicate a word meaning authority, and probably the text should be emended to read rozenim, "rulers." A similar emendation is required inHabakkuk 3:14. "Village" in the Revised Version (British and American) of the New Testament invariably represents the Greek kome, but in 2 Maccabees 8:6 the Revised Version (British and American) Apocrypha has "village" for chora, lit. "country."
SeeCITY;TOWN.
W. M. Christie
Greek
2968. kome -- avillage... a
village. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: kome Phonetic Spelling:
(ko'-may) Short Definition: a
village Definition: a
village, country town.
...2970. komos -- avillage festival, revel
... avillage festival, revel. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: komos
Phonetic Spelling: (ko'-mos) Short Definition: a feasting, reveling Definition...
967. Bethphage -- "house of unripe figs," Bethphage, avillage on...
... "house of unripe figs," Bethphage, avillage on the Mt.... Word Origin of Aramaic origin
Definition "house of unripe figs," Bethphage, avillage on the Mt....
3484. Nain -- Nain, avillage of Galilee
... Nain, avillage of Galilee. Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration:
Nain Phonetic Spelling: (nah-in') Short Definition: Nain Definition: Nain...
2969. komopolis -- a country town
... a country town. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: komopolis Phonetic
Spelling: (ko-mop'-ol-is) Short Definition: a largevillage Definition: a...
1695. Emmaous -- Emmaus, a place 60 stadia (7.5 miles) west of Jer...
... of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration: Emmaous Phonetic Spelling:
(em-mah-ooce') Short Definition: Emmaus Definition: Emmaus, avillage not far...
296. amphodon -- a road around
... amphodon Phonetic Spelling: (am'-fod-on) Short Definition: a street, quarter, block
Definition: prop: a road around anything; the street of avillage....
4999. taberne -- "hut," a tavern, spec. Treis Tabernai, "Three...
... Transliteration: taberne Phonetic Spelling: (tab-er'-nahee) Short Definition: taverns
Definition: taverns; Three Taverns, the name of avillage or town on the...
993. Boanerges -- Boanerges, an epithet applied to the two sons of...
... zeal which characterized both the brothers, which prompted them to suggest the calling
of fire from heaven to consume the inhospitable Samaritanvillage (Lk 9...
1148. Dalmanoutha -- Dalmanutha, an unidentified place near the...
... Transliteration: Dalmanoutha Phonetic Spelling: (dal-man-oo-thah') Short Definition:
Dalmanutha Definition: Dalmanutha, a town orvillage near Magdala....
Strong's Hebrew
3726. Kephar Haammoni -- "avillage of the Ammonites," avillage...... "a
village of the
... Word Origin from kaphar and Ammoni Definition "a
village of the
Ammonites," a
village in Benjamin NASB Word Usage Chephar-ammoni (1).
...3723. kaphar -- avillage
... 3722b, 3723. kaphar. 3724 . avillage. Transliteration: kaphar Phonetic
Spelling: (kaw-fawr') Short Definition: villages....village....
2701. Chatsar Susah -- "village of cavalry," a place in Simeon
... "village of cavalry," a place in Simeon. Transliteration: Chatsar Susah Phonetic
Spelling: (khats-ar'soo-saw') Short Definition: Hazar-susah....
2705. Chatsar Shual -- "village of the fox," a place in S. Judah
... "village of the fox," a place in S. Judah. Transliteration: Chatsar Shual Phonetic
Spelling: (khats-ar' shoo-awl') Short Definition: Hazar-shual....
2702. Chatsar Susim -- "village of horses," a place in Simeon
... "village of horses," a place in Simeon. Transliteration: Chatsar Susim Phonetic
Spelling: (khats-ar' soo-seem') Short Definition: Hazar-susim....
2333. chavvah -- a tentvillage
... 2332, 2333. chavvah. 2334 . a tentvillage. Transliteration: chavvah
Phonetic Spelling: (khav-vaw') Short Definition: towns. Word...
8556b. Timnath Serech -- "territory of the sun," avillage in the...
... Timnath Serech. 8557 . "territory of the sun," avillage in the hill country of
Ephraim. Transliteration: Timnath Serech Short Definition: Timnath-serah....
3724d. kopher --village
... kopher. 3725 .village. Transliteration: kopher Short Definition: villages. Word
Origin from the same as kephir Definitionvillage NASB Word Usage villages (2...
980. Bachurim -- "young men'svillage," a city in Benjamin
... 979, 980. Bachurim. 981 . "young men'svillage," a city in Benjamin.
Transliteration: Bachurim Phonetic Spelling: (bakh-oo-reem') Short Definition: Bahurim...
2691b. chatser -- settled abode, settlement,village
... 2691a, 2691b. chatser. 2692 . settled abode, settlement,village.
Transliteration: chatser Short Definition: villages. Word Origin...
Library
Twenty-FiveVillage Sermons
Twenty-FiveVillage Sermons. <. Twenty-FiveVillage Sermons Charles
Kingsley. Transcribed by David Price, email ccx074...
TheVillage Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent
TheVillage Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent. <. TheVillage
Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent S. Baring-Gould....
Daniel and theVillage Priest.
... CHAPTER NINETEEN. DANIEL AND THEVILLAGE PRIEST. After his baptism Daniel
was very consistent in his conduct as a Christian, and...
Village Washerman.
... CHAPTER FOURTEEN.VILLAGE WASHERMAN. Daniel was by this time regularly
installed as Mission Washerman. There is no such person as...
"There was a CertainVillage in the Country of the Senones which...
... Dialogues of Sulpitius Severus. Chapter VII. "There was a certainvillage
in the country of the Senones which was every year?...
To Miss Mitford: Authoress of 'OurVillage'
... TO MISS MITFORD: AUTHORESS OF 'OURVILLAGE'. The single eye, the daughter
of the light; Well pleased to recognise in lowliest shade...
A ConvertedVillage Blacksmith.
... CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. A CONVERTEDVILLAGE BLACKSMITH. We have already seen
how Daniel tried to bring his heathen neighbours into...
NewVillage Chapel.
... CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. NEWVILLAGE CHAPEL. Up to the year 1864, one building in
Singonahully, had served the double purpose of chapel and school-room....
Sharon. Caphar Lodim. TheVillage of those of Lydda.
... A Chorographical Century. Chapters 11-20 Chapter 17 Sharon. Caphar Lodim.
TheVillage of those of Lydda. Between Lydda and the sea...
TheVillage Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent
TheVillage Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent. <.... Title Page.
THEVILLAGE PULPIT A Complete Course of 66 Short Sermons...
Thesaurus
Village (21 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
VILLAGE.
... These in settled life soon became
more permanent dwellings, or what we understand by a
village.
...Bethany (13 Occurrences)
... (2.) Avillage on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives (Mark
11:1), about 2 miles east of Jerusalem, on the road to Jericho....
Emmaus (1 Occurrence)
... Hot baths, avillage "three-score furlongs" from jerusalem, where our Lord had an
interview with two of his disciples on the day of his resurrection (Luke 24:13...
Ramah (38 Occurrences)
... It is probably identical with the modern er-Rameh, a large Christianvillage on
the highway from Cafed to the coast, about 8 miles West-Southwest of that city....
Nain (1 Occurrence)
... It is identified with thevillage called Nein, standing on the north-western slope
of Jebel ed-Duhy (=the "hill Moreh" = "Little hermon"), about 4 miles from...
Fountain (57 Occurrences)
... Others are situated along the courses of the few perennial streams. But wherever
a spring exists it is very apt to be the nucleus of avillage....
Cana (4 Occurrences)
... Kefr Kennah, a thrivingvillage about 3 3/4 miles from Nazareth, on the southern
edge of Sahl Tor`an, the plain South of the range of that name, through which...
Siloam (4 Occurrences)
... Mentioned only Luke 13:4. The place here spoken of is thevillage now called Silwan,
or Kefr Silwan, on the east of the valley of Kidron, and to the north-east...
Visited (40 Occurrences)
... Luke 8:1 Shortly after this He visited town after town, andvillage aftervillage,
proclaiming His Message and telling the Good News of the Kingdom of God....
Zoheleth (1 Occurrence)
... The serpent-stone, a rocky plateau near the centre of thevillage of Siloam, and
near the fountain of En-rogel, to which the women of thevillage resort for...
Resources
Who was the real historical Jesus? | GotQuestions.orgWhat can we learn from what the Bible says about James the apostle? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of Bethel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgVillage: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
