Hebrew word · H8556

תִּמְנַת סֶ֫רַח

betimnat-

Timnath-serah

A compound place-name. Timnah/Timnath is a common toponym, probably 'allotted portion' (root m-n-h, 'count, assign'). Seraḥ is probably from s-r-ḥ, 'overhang, be left over, be in excess'. The parallel name Timnath-heres (Judg 2:9) would mean 'portion of the sun' (ḥeres is a rare word for 'sun', cf.

Appears 6 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

Timnath-serah (or Timnath-heres) = "portion of the sun" or "abundant portion"

a city given to Joshua as a inheritance in the mountains of Ephraim on the north of the hill of Gaash where he was buried

Another name of tim.nat che.res (תִּמְנַת חֶרֶס "Timnath-heres" H8556A)

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 Joshua 19:50

Range of meaning

A compound place-name. Timnah/Timnath is a common toponym, probably 'allotted portion' (root m-n-h, 'count, assign'). Seraḥ is probably from s-r-ḥ, 'overhang, be left over, be in excess'. The parallel name Timnath-heres (Judg 2:9) would mean 'portion of the sun' (ḥeres is a rare word for 'sun', cf. Judg 8:13; 14:18).

Against the English

English versions transliterate the name (Timnath-serah, Timnathserah) and do not translate it. That is right for a name, but it hides a possible play on 'portion'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Joshua is buried there, 'north of Mount Gaash' (Josh 24:30). Judges 2:9 gives the form Timnath-heres. The LXX transliterates with varying spellings (e.g. Thamnasarach), and at Josh 24:30 adds a tradition that the flint knives used for the circumcision at Gilgal were buried with him. Rabbinic tradition, reported by Rashi on Judg 2:9, linked 'heres' (sun) to Joshua's stopping of the sun (Josh 10:12–13) and said an image of the sun was placed on his tomb.

Where it appears

Joshua · 4

  1. Joshua 19:50 תִּמְנַת־ סֶ֖רַח Timnath, Serah

    as the LORD had commanded. They gave him the city of Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, as he requested. He rebuilt the city and settled in it.

    Here: Timnah/Timnath is a common place-name, probably from the root m-n-h, 'to count out, allot', so roughly 'allotted portion'. A fitting name for a leader's allotment, though the name will have been older than Joshua.

  2. Joshua 24:30 בְּתִמְנַת־ סֶ֖רַח at Timnath, Serah

    And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

Judges · 2

  1. Judges 2:9 בְּתִמְנַת־ חֶ֖רֶס in Timnath, Heres

    They buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

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