King James Bible Dictionary

City, a city belonging to Benjamin (Joshua 18:28), the modern Kuriet el-Enab, i.e., "city of grapes", about 7 1/2 miles west-north-west of Jerusalem.

city; vocation; meeting

(a city), the last of the cities enumerated as belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, (Joshua 18:28) probably identical with the better-known place Kirjath-jearim.

Two cities; a double city.

1. A city of refuge in Naphtali (1 Chronicles 6:76).

2. A town on the east of Jordan (Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:9, 10). It was assigned to the tribe of Reuben (Numbers 32:37). In the time of Ezekiel (25:9) it was one of the four cities which formed the "glory of Moab" (comp. Jeremiah 48:1, 23). It has been identified with el-Kureiyat, 11 miles south-west of Medeba, on the south slope of Jebel Attarus, the ancient Ataroth.

the two cities; callings; or meetings

1. Called Kiriathaim:

A city of Reuben
Numbers 32:37; Joshua 13:19

Prophecies concerning
Jeremiah 48:1; Jeremiah 48:23; Ezekiel 25:9

2. A Levitical city in Naphtali
1 Chronicles 6:76

City of Arba, the original name of Hebron (q.v.), so called from the name of its founder, one of the Anakim (Genesis 23:2; 35:27; Joshua 15:13). It was given to Caleb by Joshua as his portion. The Jews interpret the name as meaning "the city of the four", i.e., of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Adam, who were all, as they allege, buried there.

(the city of Arba), an early name of the city which after the conquest is generally known as HEBRON. (Joshua 14:15; Judges 1:10) The identity of Kirjath-arba with Hebron is constantly asserted. (Genesis 23:2; 35:27; Joshua 14:15; 15:13,54; 20:7; 21:11)

city of four; fourth city

An early name of Hebron.
Genesis 23:2; Joshua 14:15; Judges 1:10

(city of forests), an abbreviated form of the name Kirjath-jearim, which occurs only in (Ezra 2:25)

city of those who watch

[KIRJATH-JEARIM]

city of Baal, or of a ruler

City of streets, Numbers 22:39, a Moabite city, which some identify with Kirjathaim. Balak here received and entertained Balaam, whom he had invited from Pethor, among the "mountains of the east," beyond the Euphrates, to lay his ban upon the Israelites, whose progress he had no hope otherwise of arresting. It was probably from the summit of Attarus, the high place near the city, that the soothsayer first saw the encampments of Israel.

(city of streets), a place to which Balak accompanied Balaam immediately after his arrival in Moab, (Numbers 22:39) and which is nowhere else mentioned. It appears to have lain between the Arnon (Wady Mojeb) and Bamoth-baal. Comp. vs. (Numbers 22:36) and Numbers 22:41

city of streets; populous city

A residence of Balak.
Numbers 22:39

City of jaars; i.e., of woods or forests, a Gibeonite town (Joshua 9:17) on the border of Benjamin, to which tribe it was assigned (18:15, 28). The ark was brought to this place (1 Samuel 7:1, 2) from Beth-shemesh and put in charge of Abinadab, a Levite. Here it remained till it was removed by David to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:2, 3, 12; 1 Chronicles 15:1-29; comp. Psalms 132). It was also called Baalah (Joshua 15:9) and Kirjath-baal (60). It has been usually identified with Kuriet el-Enab (i.e., "city of grapes"), among the hills, about 8 miles north-east of Ain Shems (i.e., Beth-shemesh). The opinion, however, that it is to be identified with Erma, 4 miles east of Ain Shems, on the edge of the valley of Sorek, seems to be better supported. (See KIRJATH.)

The words of Psalms 132:6, "We found it in the fields of the wood," refer to the sojourn of the ark at Kirjath-jearim. "Wood" is here the rendering of the Hebrew word jaar, which is the singular of jearim.

(the city of forests), first mentioned as one of the four cities of the Gibeonites, (Joshua 9:17) it next occurs as one of the landmarks of the northern boundary of Judah, ch (Joshua 15:9) and as the point at which the western and southern boundaries of Benjamin coincided, ch. (Joshua 18:14,15) and in the last two passages we find that it bore another, perhaps earlier, name

that of the great Canaanite deity Baal, namely BAALAH and KIRJATH-BAAL. At this place the ark remained for twenty years. (1 Samuel 7:2) At the close of that time Kirjath-jearim lost its sacred treasure, on its removal by David to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. (1 Chronicles 13:5,6; 2 Chronicles 1:4; 2 Samuel 6:2) etc. To Eusebius and Jerome it appears to have been well known. They describe it as a village at the ninth mile between Jerusalem and Diospolis (Lydda). These requirements are exactly fulfilled in the small modern village of Kuriet-el-Enab

now usually known as Abu Gosh , from the robber chief whose headquarters it was

on the road from Jaffa and Jerusalem.

city of woods

Called Baalah, one of the four cities of the Gibeonites.

Inhabitants of, not smitten, on account of the covenant made by the Israelites with the Gibeonites, but put under servitude
Joshua 9:3-27

In the territory allotted to Judah
Joshua 15:9; Joshua 15:60; Joshua 18:14

The Philistines bring the ark to
1 Samuel 6:1-21

Ark remains twenty years at
1 Samuel 7:1-2; 1 Chronicles 13:5-6

David brings the ark from
2 Samuel 6:1-11; 1 Chronicles 13:5-8; 2 Chronicles 1:4

Inhabitants of, who were taken into captivity to Babylon, returned
Ezra 2:25; Nehemiah 7:29

Urijah, the prophet, an inhabitant of
Jeremiah 26:20

City of the sannah; i.e., of the palm(?), Joshua 15:49; the same as Kirjath-sepher (15:16; Judges 1:11) and Debir (q.v.), a Canaanitish royal city included in Judah (Joshua 10:38; 15:49), and probably the chief seat of learning among the Hittites. It was about 12 miles to the south-west of Hebron.

(city of books). [DEBIR]

city of enmity, or of a blackberry bush

A city of Judah.

General references
Joshua 15:49
Debir

City of books, Joshua 15:15; same as Kirjath-sannah (q.v.), now represented by the valley of ed-Dhaberiyeh, south-west of Hebron. The name of this town is an evidence that the Canaanites were acquainted with writing and books. "The town probably contained a noted school, or was the site of an oracle and the residence of some learned priest." The "books" were probably engraved stones or bricks.

(city of books). (Joshua 15:15,16; Judges 1:11,12) [DEBIR]

city of letters, or of the book

General references
Joshua 15:15-16
Debir