Atomic Bible

A Canaanite city captured by Judah and Simeon

Hormah

Named in 9 verses across 6 books, first in Numbers 14:45.

חׇרְמָהHormah

צְפַ֑תZephath

Also called Zephath.

The name means “devoted or consecrated to God; utter destruction.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

About Hormah Written by AI

Zephath, later renamed Hormah, was a Canaanite city located in the Negev desert region. During the Israelites' wanderings in the wilderness, they attempted to enter Canaan from the south, but the king of Arad fought against them and took some prisoners. Israel vowed to totally destroy the Canaanite cities if God would give them victory. God granted their request, and the Israelites "utterly destroyed" the Canaanites and named the place Hormah, meaning "destruction" (Num.21.1-3). However, Israel later refused to enter Canaan from Kadesh Barnea out of unbelief. When they then presumptuously tried to go up, the Amalekites and Canaanites defeated them as far as Hormah (Num.14.45; Dt.1:44). Much later, after Joshua's conquests, Judah and Simeon fought against Zephath, defeated it, and renamed it Hormah (Jdg.1.17). The city is subsequently listed among the towns in the Negev allotted to Judah and Simeon (Jos.15.30; 19:4; 1Ch.4.30). David later sent some of the spoils from his victory over the Amalekites to his friends in Hormah (1Sa.30.30). The exact location is uncertain but it was likely somewhere south of the Dead Sea.

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

Banning; i.e., placing under a “ban,” or devoting to utter destruction. After the manifestation of God’s anger against the Israelites, on account of their rebellion and their murmurings when the spies returned to the camp at Kadesh, in the wilderness of Paran, with an evil report of the land, they quickly repented of their conduct, and presumed to go up “to the head of the mountain,” seeking to enter the Promised Land, but without the presence of the Lord, without the ark of the convenant, and without Moses. The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down and “smote and discomfited them even unto Hormah” (Num. 14:45). This place, or perhaps the watch-tower commanding it, was originally called Zephath (Judg. 1:17), the modern Sebaiteh. Afterwards (Num. 21:1-3) Arad, the king of the Canaanites, at the close of the wanderings, when the Israelites were a second time encamped at Kadesh, “fought against them, and took some of them prisoners.” But Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord utterly to destroy the cities of the Canaanites; they “banned” them, and hence the place was now called Hormah. But this “ban” was not fully executed till the time of Joshua, who finally conquered the king of this district, so that the ancient name Zephath became “Hormah” (Josh. 12:14; Judg. 1:17).

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

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Where the Bible names it

  1. Numbers 14:45

    Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.

  2. Numbers 21:3

    And the LORD heard Israel’s plea and delivered up the Canaanites. Israel devoted them and their cities to destruction; so they named the place Hormah.

  3. Deuteronomy 1:44

    Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah.

  4. Joshua 12:14

    the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

  5. Joshua 15:30

    Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,

  6. Joshua 19:4

    Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah,

  7. Judges 1:17

    Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called Hormah.

  8. 1 Samuel 30:30

    to those in Hormah, Bor-ashan, and Athach;

  9. 1 Chronicles 4:30

    Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.