Hebrew word · H5899

עִיר הַתְּמָרִים

'ir

City of Palms

"City of the date palms". Deuteronomy 34:3 and 2 Chronicles 28:15 explicitly give it as a title for Jericho. Judges 3:13 uses it again for the place Eglon of Moab seized.

Appears 8 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

Ir-hatmarim = "the city of palmtrees"

another name for 'Jericho'

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Judges 1:16

Range of meaning

"City of the date palms". Deuteronomy 34:3 and 2 Chronicles 28:15 explicitly give it as a title for Jericho. Judges 3:13 uses it again for the place Eglon of Moab seized.

Against the English

Capitalized as "City of Palms" (BSB) or left lowercase (KJV "city of palm trees"). The NLT spells out "Jericho" for the reader.

Used elsewhere in the period

Jericho was a spring-fed oasis in the Jordan valley, famous in antiquity for its date palms (Josephus and Strabo both praise its palm groves). A minority of scholars suggest another site: Tamar, south of the Dead Sea (Ezekiel 47:19; 48:28), which would sit nearer the Kenites' southern home.

From the study of Deuteronomy 34:3

Range of meaning

'City of the date palms.' This is a title for Jericho here and in 2 Chronicles 28:15. In Judges 1:16 and 3:13 it is used alone and probably still means Jericho or the oasis around it.

Against the English

The versions agree ('city of palm trees', 'City of Palms'). BSB uses brackets to show it is an alternative name.

Used elsewhere in the period

Jericho's spring (today's Ein es-Sultan) supported large date-palm groves for thousands of years. Josephus (Jewish War 4.459–475) praises its palms and its balsam as among the richest crops in the land, and Greek and Roman writers such as Strabo describe the same palm groves.

From the study of Judges 3:13

Range of meaning

'City of the date palms', a name for Jericho and its oasis. 'Ir can mean a walled city, an unwalled town, or a fortified compound.

Against the English

Most versions keep the name 'City of Palms' (or 'city of palm trees'). Some modern versions, such as the NLT, add the identification with Jericho for the reader. Keeping the name hides from modern readers that this is Jericho; adding 'Jericho' can make readers picture the walled city of Joshua 6 rebuilt, which the text does not say.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 34:3 ('the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees'); 2 Chr 28:15 ('Jericho, the city of palm trees'); Judg 1:16, where the Kenites go up from the City of Palms. Ancient writers including Josephus praise Jericho's date palms and balsam.

Where it appears

Deuteronomy · 2

  1. Deuteronomy 34:3 עִ֥יר הַתְּמָרִ֖ים [the] city of, the palm trees

    the Negev, and the region from the Valley of Jericho (the City of Palms) all the way to Zoar.

    Here: 'City' as the first half of the title 'City of Palms'. The source data treats the phrase as one name (H5899). The ordinary word for city is H5892.

Judges · 4

  1. Judges 1:16 מֵעִ֤יר הַתְּמָרִים֙ from [the] city of, the palm trees

    Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people.

    Here: The first half of a place name, "City of the Palms". The supplied data files it under the combined place-name entry.

  2. Judges 3:13 עִ֥יר הַתְּמָרִֽים׃ [the] city of, the palm trees

    After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.

    Here: 'City of'. The word covers anything from a walled city to a small settlement or stronghold. Here it is the first half of a place name.

2 Chronicles · 2

  1. 2 Chronicles 28:15 עִיר־ הַתְּמָרִ֖ים [the] city of, the palm trees

    Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

    Here: Start of the traditional title 'City of Palms'.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.