Lexical Summary
Sukkoth: Sukkoth
Original Word:סֻכּוֹת
Part of Speech:Noun
Transliteration:Cukkowth
Pronunciation:Sook-koth
Phonetic Spelling:(sook-kohth')
KJV: Succoth
NASB:Succoth
Word Origin:[plural ofH5521 (סוּכָּה - Booths)]
1. booths
2. Succoth, the name of a place in Egypt and of three in Israel
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Succoth
Or Cukkoth {sook-kohth'}; plural ofcukkah; booths; Succoth, the name of a place in Egypt and of three in Palestine -- Succoth.
see HEBREWcukkah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
sakakDefinitiona city E. of the Jordan, also a place in Eg.
NASB TranslationSuccoth (18).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
18 ( locative)
Genesis 33:17 (twice in verse) (J; explanation from Jacob's making
booths), elsewhere ; — city east of Jordan
Judges 8:5 6t.
Judges 8;
Joshua 13:27 (P); probably also
1 Kings 7:46 2Chronicles 4:17 (reading
ford of Adamah GFM
Judges 7:22 compare Buhl
Geogr. 206 Benz
1Kings 7:46);
Psalm 60:8 =
Psalm 108:8 is Jordan-valley near
succôth; on identify. compare GFM
Judges 8:5 Buhl
Geogr. 260 GASm
Geogr. 585, and references; according to Talmud
Dêr `alla, 1 mile north of Jabbok Nbr
Geogr. du Talm. 248, so S. Merrill
East of Jordan 385 ff.; (
Genesis 33 compare Psalms).
( locative)Exodus 12:37, elsewhere ; — first station of Israel at Exodus,Exodus 12:37;Exodus 13:20;Numbers 33:5,6 (all P); = EgyptianThku(t) WMMAs.u.Eur.70,Thkw SteindBAS i. 603; on site see NavillePithom (1885), especially pp. 6. 23 f. GutheZPV viii (1885), 219 f.; .
Topical Lexicon
Etymology and Idea of ShelterWhile the lexical root points to “booths” or “temporary shelters,” the narrative emphasis is on God-provided protection and provision. The name thus becomes a recurring reminder that the Lord shields His people in the midst of travel, battle, or labor.
Locations Bearing the Name
1. East-Jordan Succoth – opposite Shechem, near the confluence of the Jabbok and the Jordan. Modern surveys favor Tell Deir ʿAlla.
2. Egyptian Succoth – the first encampment of the Exodus, probably in the eastern Nile delta (Wadi Tumilat). Scripture treats both sites distinctly while maintaining a unifying theological theme of divine shelter.
Patriarchal Foundations (Genesis 33:17)
After the tense reunion with Esau, “Jacob journeyed to Succoth and built a house for himself, and shelters for his livestock”. The account highlights:
• Rest after conflict: God’s covenant faithfulness follows Jacob across the Jordan.
• Industrious stewardship: the patriarch provides for family and herds, mirroring the Creator’s pastoral care.
The Exodus Stage (Exodus 12:37; 13:20;Numbers 33:5–6)
Succoth stands as the threshold between bondage and freedom. Israel leaves the brick-kilns of Egypt and camps in a place named for booths—temporary yet protected. The redemptive pattern becomes clear: redeemed people sojourn under God’s covering.
Allotment in the Tribal Era (Joshua 13:27)
Assigned to Gad, Succoth lies in the fertile Jordan valley “with its towns”. The placement fortifies the eastern frontier and supports pastoral life. Its presence in the Gadite list connects the patriarchal encampment with a settled inheritance.
Gideon and the Test of Fellowship (Judges 8:5–16)
Gideon, pursuing Midian, asks Succoth’s elders for bread. Their refusal reveals fear and spiritual apathy. Gideon later disciplines them “with thorns of the wilderness and briers” (Judges 8:16). The episode warns against withholding support from God’s work and shows that covenant solidarity carries practical obligations.
Solomonic Industry (1 Kings 7:46;2 Chronicles 4:17)
The “clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan” served as the foundry for the bronze furnishings of the Temple. The plain’s loamy soil enabled large casting pits. Thus Succoth contributes materially to Israel’s central place of worship, linking its identity as a sheltering place with the Temple’s role as a divine dwelling among men.
Divine Ownership Proclaimed (Psalm 60:6;Psalm 108:7)
“God has spoken from His sanctuary: ‘In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and apportion the Valley of Succoth’”. In national crisis, David hears the Lord declare sovereignty over both west- and east-Jordan territories, reinforcing the promise first tasted by Jacob. Succoth symbolizes the certainty of God’s claim on the land despite surrounding turmoil.
Prophetic and Christological Echoes
• The root concept of “booths” anticipates the Feast of Tabernacles, when Israel dwells in sukkot to remember wilderness care (Leviticus 23:42-43).
•John 1:14 asserts, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” literally “tabernacled.” Succoth’s motif of temporary shelter finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Incarnation, where God Himself pitches His tent among His people.
•Revelation 21:3 consummates the theme: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.”
Practical Ministry Insights
• Hospitality: Gideon’s experience cautions communities to aid those advancing the Lord’s cause.
• Craftsmanship for worship: The Succoth foundry underscores the legitimacy of skilled labor dedicated to God’s house.
• Memory of deliverance: Teaching on Succoth can reinforce the believer’s call to remember personal “Exodus moments” and live as grateful pilgrims.
Archaeological Note
Tell Deir ʿAlla’s stratigraphy displays Late Bronze and Iron Age occupation layers consistent with biblical chronology, including evidence of metallurgical activity, supporting the Solomonic casting narrative.
Summary
Succoth threads through Scripture as a place of shelter, testing, craftsmanship, and divine ownership. From Jacob’s booths to the pledge of God’s ultimate dwelling with humanity, the name draws believers to trust the Lord who faithfully covers, corrects, equips, and claims His people.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּסֻכֹּֽת׃ בסכת׃ וְסֻכּ֣וֹת וסכות מִסֻּכֹּ֑ת מסכת סֻכֹּ֑תָה סֻכֹּ֔תָה סֻכּ֔וֹת סֻכּ֖וֹת סֻכּ֣וֹת סֻכּֽוֹת׃ סֻכּוֹת֙ סכות סכות׃ סכתה bə·suk·kōṯ besukKot bəsukkōṯ mis·suk·kōṯ missukKot missukkōṯ suk·kō·ṯāh suk·kō·wṯ sukKot sukKotah sukkōṯāh sukkōwṯ vesukKot wə·suk·kō·wṯ wəsukkōwṯ
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