Lexical Summary
Pirathon: Pirathon
Original Word:פִרְעָתוֹן
Part of Speech:Proper Name Location
Transliteration:Pir`athown
Pronunciation:peer-ah-TONE
Phonetic Spelling:(pir-aw-thone')
KJV: Pirathon
NASB:Pirathon
Word Origin:[fromH6546 (פַּרעָה - leaders)]
1. chieftaincy
2. Pirathon, a place in Israel
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Pirathon
Frompar'ah; chieftaincy; Pirathon, a place in Palestine -- Pirathon.
see HEBREWpar'ah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
peraDefinitionperhaps "height," a place in Ephraim
NASB TranslationPirathon (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(? =
height; compare Sabean proper name
he makes lofty Os
l.c.); —
Judges 12:15, , A
L ; perhaps modern
Far±atâ, approximately 6 miles WSM. from Nablus, compare Buhl
Geogr. 206 (GASm
Geogr.353 proposes top of
Wady Farah northeast from Nablus).
Topical Lexicon
Geographical SettingPirathon lay within the hill country allotted to the tribe of Ephraim, yet close enough to the northern watershed that men from Manasseh also claimed affiliation with it (2 Samuel 23:30;1 Chronicles 27:14). Modern explorers usually identify the site with Far‘ata, a village about seven miles south-west of Shechem and three miles west of the Wadi Far‘ah. The surrounding topography—steep limestone ridges, fertile valleys, and natural cave systems—made it an easily defensible enclave and a strategic observation point over the approaches to the central highlands.
Biblical Occurrence
The place name itself appears once, inJudges 12:15, recording the burial of Abdon:
“Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.” (Berean Standard Bible)
Although Strong’s 6552 marks only this noun form, the related gentilic פַּרְעָתוֹנִי (“Pirathonite”) surfaces three additional times (2 Samuel 23:30;1 Chronicles 11:31;1 Chronicles 27:14), linking the town to two of David’s elite warriors, thus extending its narrative footprint from the period of the Judges into the United Monarchy.
Historical Context
Abdon served as the twelfth judge over Israel (Judges 12:13-15). His tenure follows the tumultuous judgeship of Jephthah and the Ephraimite civil strife. The mention of Pirathon in connection with Abdon’s burial suggests that the town had become a respected center of local administration and influence within Ephraim. The added note “in the hill country of the Amalekites” preserves the memory of earlier conflicts (Exodus 17:8-16;Judges 3:13) and testifies that even in the heartland of Ephraim the shadow of Amalekite incursions lingered.
By David’s reign, two Pirathonites—Benaiah and Hurai—held positions among the “thirty” mighty men, one commanding a monthly rotation of twenty-four thousand troops (1 Chronicles 27:14). Their presence indicates that Pirathon continued to supply leadership and military prowess for the united tribes.
Theological Significance
1. Covenant Fidelity in Marginal Places: Pirathon’s single explicit appearance underscores how Yahweh’s redemptive activity touches even small, out-of-the-way settlements. The burial of a judge there sanctifies local ground, illustrating that divine purposes are not limited to major urban centers such as Shiloh, Bethel, or Jerusalem.
2. Generational Continuity of Service: From Abdon (Judges) to Benaiah and Hurai (Samuel–Chronicles), Pirathon produced leaders in successive eras, reinforcing the biblical motif of households and towns passing along covenantal faithfulness (Deuteronomy 6:6-9;Psalm 78:5-7).
3. Victory over Amalek: The lingering descriptor “hill country of the Amalekites” reminds readers that God’s word concerning the eventual blotting out of Amalek (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) was moving toward fulfillment. Abdon’s peaceful leadership and later David’s military triumphs both mark stages in that process.
Archaeological and Cultural Notes
Pottery scatters and cisterns at Far‘ata align with Iron Age occupation, though no extensive digs have yet taken place. Local Arabic toponyms preserve the ancient consonants P-R-T, lending circumstantial support to the identification. The caves in the surrounding hills, still used for seasonal herding, mirror the defensive shelters Israelite clans would have known during Philistine and Amalekite pressures (Judges 6:2).
Lessons for Ministry
• Faithful Service in Obscurity: Abdon administered justice for eight years (Judges 12:14). Scripture records no spectacular battles, only stability—a reminder that godly leadership often looks like quiet stewardship rather than public spectacle.
• Legacy Building: Like Pirathon, any congregation can become a sending base for future leaders if it nurtures Scriptural truth and covenant loyalty.
• Remembered Terrain: Physical locations carry theological memory. Teaching on places like Pirathon helps modern disciples grasp how geography and salvation history intertwine, rooting faith in real soil and time.
Related Themes and Passages
• Minor Judges and Regional Governance: Compare Tola of Issachar (Judges 10:1-2) and Ibzan of Bethlehem (Judges 12:8-10).
• Tribal Boundaries and Cooperation:Joshua 16;Joshua 17 demonstrate Ephraim–Manasseh interdependence, exemplified later through Pirathon’s warriors serving David.
• Ongoing Conflict with Amalek:Exodus 17:8-16;1 Samuel 15;2 Samuel 8:12.
• Small Towns in Redemptive History: Bethlehem (Micah 5:2;Luke 2:4-7), Tekoa (2 Samuel 14:2;Amos 1:1), and Nazareth (Matthew 2:23).
Summary
Pirathon stands as a modest but meaningful waypoint in Israel’s story—home to a judge who provided stability, an outpost long contested by Amalekite opposition, and a cradle for soldiers who would serve the kingdom under David. Its single explicit citation invites readers to appreciate how even one verse can open a window onto God’s faithful weaving of local accounts into the larger tapestry of redemption.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּפִרְעָתוֹן֙ בפרעתון bə·p̄ir·‘ā·ṯō·wn befiratOn bəp̄ir‘āṯōwn
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