Lexical Summary
Qiryath Arba or Qiryath Haarba: Kiriath Arba or Kiriath HaArba
Original Word:קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע
Part of Speech:Proper Name Location
Transliteration:Qiryath `Arba`
Pronunciation:keer-YAHT ar-BAH or keer-YAHT ha-ar-BAH
Phonetic Spelling:(keer-yath' ar-bah')
KJV: Kirjath-arba
NASB:Kiriath-arba
Word Origin:[fromH7151 (קִריָה - city) andH704 (אַרבַּע - Arba) orH702 (אַרבַּע אַרבָּעָה - four)]
1. city of Arba, or city of the four (giants)
2. Kirjath-Arba or Kirjath-ha-Arba, a place in Israel
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Kirjath-arba
Or (with the article interposed) Qiryath ha- Arbaw (Neh. 11:25) {keer-yath' haw-ar-bah'}; fromqiryah andArba' orarba'; city of Arba, or city of the four (giants); Kirjath-Arba or Kirjath-ha-Arba, a place in Palestine -- Kirjath-arba.
see HEBREWqiryah
see HEBREWArba'
see HEBREWarba'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
qiryah and
arbaDefinition"city of the four," an older name of Hebron (2275a)
NASB TranslationKiriath-arba (9).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; (), (), etc. (probably =
fourfold city (otherwise
Joshua 14:15;
Joshua 15:13;
Joshua 21:11), see especially GFM); —
Joshua 14:15 (J E D),
Judges 1:10b ( ), also
Genesis 23:2;
Joshua 15:13,54;
Joshua 20:7;
Joshua 21:11 (all P);
Genesis 35:27 (P)
Nehemiah 11:25. — see .
Topical Lexicon
Name and Identificationקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע, rendered “Kiriath-arba,” is the earlier name for Hebron, a strategic highland city approximately nineteen miles (thirty kilometers) south-south-west of Jerusalem in the hill country of Judah. The compound title memorializes Arba, “the greatest man among the Anakim” (Joshua 14:15), whose formidable stature symbolized the giant adversaries Israel would face—and, by God’s help, overcome.
Occurrences in Scripture
Genesis 23:2; 35:27
Joshua 14:15; 15:13; 15:54; 20:7; 21:11
Judges 1:10
Nehemiah 11:25
Patriarchal Heritage
The name first surfaces in the patriarchal narratives at the death of Sarah: “So Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 23:2). Abraham’s purchase of the cave of Machpelah there secures the first legal foothold of Israel in the Promised Land, prefiguring the full inheritance that would follow. Later, both Isaac and Jacob dwell in the vicinity (Genesis 35:27), embedding the location in covenant memory. Thus, Kiriath-arba becomes a tangible witness to God’s promises spanning generations.
Conquest and Allotment
Under Joshua the ancient fears of the Anakim are answered. Caleb, who once urged faith at Kadesh, receives Kiriath-arba as his inheritance: “Therefore Hebron became an inheritance of Caleb… because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel” (Joshua 14:14). The renaming from Kiriath-arba to Hebron (“association, fellowship”) underscores the triumph of faith over fear and marks the transition from Canaanite dominance to Israelite covenant possession.
Levitical City and Refuge
Hebron is numbered among the six cities of refuge (Joshua 20:7) and assigned to the priestly Kohathites (Joshua 21:11). The transformation from a stronghold of giants to a sanctuary of mercy testifies to the reconciling character of the Lord, who redeems places once marked by hostility and re-purposes them for grace and justice.
Judges and Post-Exilic Mention
Judges 1:10 recounts Judah’s further victories there, consolidating control after Joshua. Centuries later, during Nehemiah’s resettlement, Kiriath-arba/Hebron again appears as a populated Judean center (Nehemiah 11:25), illustrating the Lord’s preservation of His people and their heritage through exile and return.
Theological Themes
1. Covenant Fulfillment: From Abraham’s deed to Caleb’s inheritance, Kiriath-arba illustrates the progressive realization of divine promises.
2. Faith versus Fear: The city contrasts the dread inspired by Arba and the Anakim with the steadfast confidence of Caleb.
3. Refuge and Atonement: As a city of refuge, Hebron prefigures Christ, the ultimate sanctuary for the repentant (Hebrews 6:18).
4. Resurrection Hope: The patriarchal tombs at Machpelah root future resurrection in a real place within the land, anticipating the bodily resurrection affirmed in Scripture.
Archaeological and Historical Note
Modern-day Tell Rumeida and the surrounding city of Hebron preserve continuous occupation layers dating to the Bronze Age. The venerable Oak of Mamre, traditional burial caverns, and successive fortifications corroborate the city’s antiquity and sustained significance.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Persevering Faith: Caleb’s forty-five-year wait encourages believers to cling to God’s promises despite delay.
• Leadership and Legacy: Abraham’s foresight in purchasing a burial site models stewardship that blesses future generations.
• Mercy in Community: The city of refuge legislation calls congregations to uphold justice tempered by compassion.
Summary
Kiriath-arba stands at the intersection of patriarchal beginnings, conquest victories, priestly ministry, and eschatological hope. From Sarah’s tomb to Caleb’s triumph, from a Canaanite citadel to a Levitical haven, the site magnifies the faithfulness of God who turns strongholds of fear into strongholds of fellowship.
Forms and Transliterations
אַרְבַּ֑ע אַרְבַּ֔ע אַרְבַּ֛ע אַרְבַּ֨ע ארבע הָֽאַרְבַּ֑ע הָֽאַרְבַּע֙ הארבע ’ar·ba‘ ’arba‘ arBa hā’arba‘ hā·’ar·ba‘ haarBa
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
