Lexical Summary Hinnom: Hinnom Original Word: הִנֹּם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Hinnom Probably of foreign origin; Hinnom, apparently a Jebusite -- Hinnom. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a valley S.W. of Jer. NASB Translation Ben-hinnom* (7), Hinnom (6). Brown-Driver-Briggs הִנֹּם proper name, masculine (derivation & meaning dubious; according to Sim Bö Gf and others = wailing, Arabic  from cries of children (see below), but this improbable) — only in ׳גֵּי(גֵּיא)בֶןהֿ, & abbreviated ׳ה ׳ג, proper name, of a location of valley south of Jerusalem, (ᵐ5 φάραγγα Ὀνομ Joshua 15:8 (twice in verse) Σονναμ Joshua 18:16; Ταιεννα Joshua 18:16; Ταιβενθομ2Chronicles 28:3, ᵐ5L φάρ. Βενεννομ; γὲ βανὲ Ἑννομ) 2 Chronicles 33:6, ᵐ5L γῇ Βενεννομ; elsewhere usually φάρ. (υιὁῦ) Ἑννομ) — compare below גַּיְא; — as mere topographical term גֵּי בֶןהִֿנֹּם, boundary between Judah & Benjamin Joshua 15:8; Joshua 18:16; also ׳גֵּי ה Joshua 15:8; Joshua 18:16 (all P) compare Nehemiah 11:30; elsewhere always ׳בֶןהֿ ׳גּ (2 Kings 23:10 Kt has גּי בני הנם, Qr & ᵐ5 ᵑ9 singular), & always with reference to the sacrifice of children by fire, 2 Kings 23:10; 2Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31,32; Jeremiah 19:2,6; Jeremiah 32:35; on account of this inhuman & idolatrous practice it was abhorred by priest & prophet, & defiled by Josiah; this conception afterward developed, through Isaiah 66:24, into Jewish Gehinnom (compare WeberSynagog. Theol. 326 ff. DiBuch Henoch. 131 f.) & NT γέεννα. On locality compare RobBR ii. 273 f. ToblTopogr. ii 39 ff. BdPal 103; modern name (of lower half of valley, toward southeast) Wady er-Rabâbi. Topical Lexicon Identification and Location Hinnom designates the deep ravine that skirts the western and southern flanks of ancient Jerusalem before joining the Kidron Valley to the east. Because it received refuse, corpses, and the ashes of pagan rites, its name ultimately became synonymous with judgment. The northern end, near the juncture with the Tyropoeon, is called the Valley of Ben Hinnom (literally “son of Hinnom”), and its southern extremity is known as Topheth. The natural contours created both a defensive barrier for the city and an arena where covenant faithfulness or apostasy was made visible. Occurrences in Scripture • Boundary marker for the inheritance of Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:8; Joshua 18:16). Historical Background The earlier mentions in Joshua reflect a valley that simply delineated tribal allotments, suggesting no intrinsic defilement. Idolatrous corruption emerges in the monarchy. Ahaz “burned incense in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and burned his children in the fire” (2 Chronicles 28:3). Manasseh multiplied the abominations, filling Jerusalem “from one end to the other” with innocent blood (2 Chronicles 33:6). These acts violated Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 18:10, flaunting divine law at the very threshold of the holy city. Prophetic Denunciations Jeremiah pronounced irrevocable doom upon the valley: “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter” (Jeremiah 19:6). The LORD would make it a burial ground so crowded that “the corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air” (Jeremiah 7:33). By linking the physical site with impending national catastrophe, the prophet underlined the moral certainty of divine judgment. Reform under Josiah Josiah’s sweeping reformation targeted the valley: “He desecrated Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so that no one could make his son or daughter pass through the fire to Molech” (2 Kings 23:10). The king defiled the cultic installation, turning the location into a symbol of covenant renewal. Yet despite his efforts, subsequent generations reverted to idolatry, proving that structural reforms cannot substitute for transformed hearts. Later Jewish and Christian Understanding Post-exilic Judaism drew upon the valley’s ghastly memory to develop the concept of Gehenna, a perpetual image of eschatological punishment. When Jesus referenced hell as “Gehenna,” His hearers associated the word with the cursed ravine outside Jerusalem, thereby reinforcing the severity of final judgment (for example, Matthew 5:22; Matthew 10:28). The New Testament thus leverages the historical Hinnom to communicate the certainty of God’s wrath against unrepentant sin. Theological Significance 1. Holiness of God: Hinnom reveals that divine holiness will not tolerate the shedding of innocent blood. Lessons for Today • Guard the heart: idolatry begins internally before manifesting externally. Forms and Transliterations הִנֹּ֑ם הִנֹּ֔ם הִנֹּ֗ם הִנֹּ֜ם הִנֹּֽם׃ הִנֹּם֙ הנם הנם׃ hin·nōm hinNom hinnōmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:8 HEB: גֵּ֣י בֶן־ הִנֹּ֗ם אֶל־ כֶּ֤תֶף KJV: of the son of Hinnom unto the south INT: the valley of the son of Hinnom to the slope Joshua 15:8 Joshua 18:16 Joshua 18:16 2 Kings 23:10 2 Chronicles 28:3 2 Chronicles 33:6 Nehemiah 11:30 Jeremiah 7:31 Jeremiah 7:32 Jeremiah 19:2 Jeremiah 19:6 Jeremiah 32:35 13 Occurrences |
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