Gederothaim
“Two sheepfolds or place of enclosures”
Summary
A town listed among the cities of Judah in the lowland region, though its separate existence has been questioned by scholars.
☩Textual Question
Gederothaim appears in a list that claims to contain fourteen cities but actually names fifteen, raising textual questions. The Septuagint translates the name as 'its cattle shelters' rather than treating it as a proper name. Many scholars believe it arose through scribal error, being a variant or expansion of the preceding name Gederah.
☩Interpretation
If Gederothaim is a genuine place name rather than a textual corruption, it would mean 'two sheepfolds' and would be located in the Shephelah of Judah near Gederah. The marginal suggestion to read 'or' instead of 'and' between Gederah and Gederothaim is grammatically impossible, leaving the textual difficulty unresolved.
Related Verses1 mention
Joshua· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Gederothaim," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Gederothaim," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Gederothaim," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).