Lexical Summary
Anathoth: Anathoth
Original Word:עֲנָתוֹת
Part of Speech:proper name; location; masculine a.
Transliteration:`Anathowth
Pronunciation:ah-nah-thoth
Phonetic Spelling:(an-aw-thoth')
KJV: Anathoth
NASB:Anathoth
Word Origin:[plural ofH6067 (עֲנָת - Anath)]
1. Anathoth, the name of two Israelites
2. also of a place in Israel
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Anathoth
Plural ofAnath; Anathoth, the name of two Israelites, also of a place in Pal -- Anathoth.
see HEBREWAnath
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitiona place near Jer., also two Isr.
NASB TranslationAnathoth (15).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
and (1 Kings 2:26) ;
(compare goddessAnat, reference below foregoing); —Isaiah 10:30;1 Kings 2:26;Jeremiah 1:1;Jeremiah 11:21,22;Jeremiah 32:7,8,9;Joshua 21:18 (P),1 Chronicles 6:45;Ezra 2:23 =Nehemiah 7:27;Nehemiah 11:32; modern`Anâtâ, approximately 3 miles north-northeast from Jerusalem, compare BuhlGeogr. 175 GASmGeogr. 315.
1 Chronicles 7:8.
Nehemiah 10:20.
Topical Lexicon
Geographical SettingAnathoth lay within Benjamin’s inheritance, about three miles (five kilometers) northeast of Jerusalem on a ridge that slopes toward the Jordan Valley. Visible from the Temple Mount, the site (modern ʽAnata) occupied a strategic highland pass, enabling both easy access to Israel’s religious center and a defensible separation from urban life.
Levitical Inheritance
Joshua 21:18 and1 Chronicles 6:60 list Anathoth among the four towns granted to the sons of Aaron. As a priestly settlement it supplied officers, teachers, and musicians for Temple service while functioning as a local hub for instruction in the Law (Deuteronomy 33:10). The town’s distinctly Levitical charter explains its constant appearance in priestly and prophetic contexts.
Royal–Priestly Tension
When Solomon deposed Abiathar for siding with Adonijah, he commanded, “Go to your fields in Anathoth” (1 Kings 2:26). The banishment shows Anathoth as both sanctuary and confinement for wayward clergy—symbolizing the balance of mercy and discipline within the Davidic kingdom.
Benjamite Citizenry
Although a Levitical city, Anathoth also housed Benjamite families (1 Chronicles 7:8). Hence “Anathothites” such as Abiezer (2 Samuel 23:27) and Jehu (1 Chronicles 12:3) served among David’s warriors. The mixed population illustrates how priestly towns could foster notable soldiers as well as priests.
Prophetic Heritage
Jeremiah introduces himself as “one of the priests at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin” (Jeremiah 1:1). His origin illuminates several aspects of his ministry:
• Hostile Reception: “The men of Anathoth… say, ‘You must not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand’” (Jeremiah 11:21). Their threat epitomizes Judah’s rejection of divine warning.
• Assured Judgment: “None of the men of Anathoth… will survive” (Jeremiah 11:23), affirming divine vindication of the faithful prophet.
• Symbolic Purchase: Amid Babylon’s siege Jeremiah redeemed a family field in Anathoth for “seventeen shekels of silver” (Jeremiah 32:7-9). This legal act guaranteed that “houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land” (Jeremiah 32:15), making Anathoth a living pledge of restoration.
Assyrian Threat and National Trauma
Isaiah lists Anathoth among towns that “tremble” before the Assyrian advance (Isaiah 10:30). The verse situates the village in the line of march toward Jerusalem, highlighting its vulnerability and signalling judgment that would eventually reach the capital itself.
Post-Exilic Continuity
After the exile, 128 men of Anathoth returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:23;Nehemiah 7:27). Their descendants helped seal Nehemiah’s covenant (Nehemiah 10:19) and resettled the region (Nehemiah 11:32). The town’s re-establishment underscores God’s preservation of priestly ministry and tribal identity despite national catastrophe.
Theological Themes
1. Covenant Faithfulness: Anathoth’s endurance from Joshua through Nehemiah illustrates the LORD’s unwavering commitment to preserve a priestly witness.
2. Prophetic Perseverance: Jeremiah’s experience shows the cost—and necessity—of proclaiming truth where resistance is strongest.
3. Hope amid Judgment: The purchase of land during siege embodies the biblical principle that divine discipline and future grace coexist within God’s redemptive plan.
Key References
Joshua 21:18;1 Kings 2:26;1 Chronicles 6:60;1 Chronicles 7:8;Ezra 2:23;Nehemiah 7:27;Nehemiah 10:19;Nehemiah 11:32;Isaiah 10:30;Jeremiah 1:1;Jeremiah 11:21;Jeremiah 11:23;Jeremiah 32:7-9.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּעֲנָת֑וֹת בַּעֲנָת֔וֹת בַּעֲנָת֜וֹת בענתות וַעֲנָת֖וֹת וענתות עֲנָת֔וֹת עֲנָת֖וֹת עֲנָת֥וֹת עֲנָתֹת֙ עֲנָתֽוֹת׃ עֲנָתוֹת֙ ענתות ענתות׃ ענתת ‘ă·nā·ṯō·wṯ ‘ă·nā·ṯōṯ ‘ănāṯōṯ ‘ănāṯōwṯ anatOt ba‘ănāṯōwṯ ba·‘ă·nā·ṯō·wṯ baanaTot vaanaTot wa‘ănāṯōwṯ wa·‘ă·nā·ṯō·wṯ
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