Hebrew word · H8590

תַּעֲנָךְ

ta'nakh

Taanach

A proper name: a major Bronze and Iron Age city at Tell Taʿannek, overlooking the Jezreel (Esdraelon) Valley and guarding a pass through the Carmel ridge, close to Megiddo.

Appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

Taanach or Tanach = "sandy"

an ancient Canaanite city conquered by Joshua and allotted to the half tribe of Manasseh although in the territory of Issachar; given to the Kohathite Levites; located on the west of the Jordan and near the waters of Megiddo

Also named: a.ner (עָנֵר "Aner" H6063H)

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 21:25

Range of meaning

A proper name: a major Bronze and Iron Age city at Tell Taʿannek, overlooking the Jezreel (Esdraelon) Valley and guarding a pass through the Carmel ridge, close to Megiddo.

Against the English

Spelled Taanach in most versions and "Tanach" in the KJV here, but "Taanach" in the KJV elsewhere.

Used elsewhere in the period

It appears in Thutmose III's list of conquered towns (15th century BC) and in Shoshenq I's (biblical Shishak) list (10th century BC). Excavations turned up cuneiform tablets from the Late Bronze Age, the "Taanach letters." In the Bible it appears in Joshua 12:21 (a defeated king), Joshua 17:11 and Judges 1:27 (Manasseh could not drive out its people), Judges 5:19 ("at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo"), and 1 Kings 4:12 (Solomon's district).

Similar words

Where it appears

Joshua · 3

  1. Joshua 12:21 תַּעְנַךְ֙ Taanach

    the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

  2. Joshua 17:11 תַעְנַךְ֙ Taanach

    Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was assigned Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphath), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.

    Here: A fortified city on the south-west rim of the Jezreel Valley, a few miles from Megiddo. It is the site of the battle in the Song of Deborah ('at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo', Judges 5:19).

  3. Joshua 21:25 תַּעְנַךְ֙ Taanach

    And from the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Taanach and Gath-rimmon—two cities, together with their pasturelands.

    Here: An old, fortified Canaanite city on the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley, about 8 km southeast of Megiddo, now Tell Taʿannek. It guarded a pass on a main trade route.

Judges · 2

  1. Judges 1:27 תַּעְנַ֣ךְ Taanach

    At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.

    Here: A city on the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley, about five miles from Megiddo. It reappears in the Song of Deborah as a battlefield (Judges 5:19).

  2. Judges 5:19 בְּתַעְנַ֖ךְ at Taanach

    Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.

    Here: "At Taanach." This was a fortified town on the southern edge of the Jezreel Valley, about 8 km (5 miles) southeast of Megiddo. It pins the battle to a real, well-known place.

1 Kings · 1

  1. 1 Kings 4:12 תַּעְנַ֖ךְ Taanach

    Baana son of Ahilud in Taanach, in Megiddo, and in all of Beth-shean next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and on past Jokmeam;

1 Chronicles · 1

  1. 1 Chronicles 7:29 תַּעְנַ֣ךְ Taanach

    And along the borders of Manasseh were Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.

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