2588. chanuth
Lexical Summary
chanuth: Shop, Store, or Market

Original Word: חָנוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: chanuwth
Pronunciation: khan-OOTH
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-nooth')
KJV: cabin
NASB: vaulted cell
Word Origin: [from H2583 (חָנָה - camped)]

1. (properly) a vault or cell (with an arch)
2. (by implication) a prison

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cabin

From chanah; properly, a vault or cell (with an arch); by implication, a prison -- cabin.

see HEBREW chanah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chanah
Definition
a cell, vault
NASB Translation
vaulted cell (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[חָנוּת] noun feminine cell (as having curved or vaulted roof, arched; see Thes Gf, and compare Aramaic vaulted room) — הַחֲנֻיּוֺת Jeremiah 37:16 ("" בֵּית הַבּוֺר).

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Conceptual Scope

חָנוּת refers to a vaulted cell, an underground storage-like chamber within an ancient prison compound. It denotes a confined, arched space designed not merely for detention but for restricting light, movement, and fresh air, intensifying the punitive experience.

Scriptural Usage

Jeremiah 37:16 records the single canonical occurrence: “So Jeremiah entered the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell, and he remained there a long time”. The prophet is first beaten (Jeremiah 37:15) and then lowered into this חָנוּת, highlighting a deliberate escalation from public humiliation to prolonged isolation.

Historical Background

1. Location: The “house of Jonathan the scribe” (Jeremiah 37:15) likely occupied a prominent spot near the royal complex in Jerusalem, functioning both as an administrative center and an improvised prison.
2. Architecture: Archaeological parallels show barrel-vaulted side rooms hewn below street level, accessible by a single hatch or narrow stair. Moist, poorly ventilated, and sometimes partially flooded, these cells quickly weakened the body.
3. Political Climate: Zedekiah’s final years were marked by factional fear as Babylon tightened its siege (Jeremiah 32:2; Jeremiah 34:2). Imprisoning Jeremiah in a חָנוּת allowed officials to silence a dissenting voice without a public trial, thus avoiding open conflict with pro-Babylon sympathizers.

Theological Significance

1. Suffering of the Righteous: The prophet’s descent into the cell typifies the pattern seen in Joseph’s pit (Genesis 37:24), David’s cave (1 Samuel 22:1), and ultimately the tomb of Christ (Matthew 27:60). God’s servants are often enclosed before being vindicated.
2. Divine Presence in Confinement: Though unseen by human eyes, the Lord who promised, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you” (Jeremiah 1:8), proves His faithfulness in the darkest recesses. The cell becomes a theatre for God’s sustaining grace.
3. Word of God Unchained: From within these cramped walls Jeremiah continues his prophetic ministry (Jeremiah 38:1-3). The episode anticipates Paul’s testimony, “The word of God is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:9).

Pastoral and Homiletical Applications

• Encouragement amid Isolation: Modern believers facing hospital rooms, prisons, or social ostracism may take courage from Jeremiah’s endurance.
• Integrity under Pressure: The prophet refuses to retract God’s message despite confinement, modeling steadfast witness (Acts 4:19-20).
• Prayer for the Persecuted: The narrative underlines the responsibility of the covenant community to remember those “in prison as if you were bound with them” (Hebrews 13:3).

Christological and Redemptive Foreshadowing

The vaulted cell points forward to the burial chamber of Jesus. Both settings involve stone, darkness, and watchful guards; both are temporary, for the Lord delivers His servant (Jeremiah 38:13) and raises His Son (Matthew 28:6), declaring triumph over human injustice and death itself.

Related Terms and Images

• בּוֹר (“pit”) – a broader term often paired with חָנוּת in Jeremiah 37:16.
• מַחֲסֶה (“refuge”) – the spiritual antithesis, underscoring that true safety is found in God rather than human architecture (Psalm 46:1).
• חֶסֶד (“steadfast love”) – the covenant motive behind every divine rescue (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Summary

חָנוּת embodies more than an architectural niche; it encapsulates a theology of suffering, endurance, and deliverance. In the single verse where it appears, the word anchors a rich narrative of prophetic faithfulness that reverberates through the entire sweep of redemption history.

Forms and Transliterations
הַֽחֲנֻ֑יוֹת החניות ha·ḥă·nu·yō·wṯ hachaNuyot haḥănuyōwṯ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Jeremiah 37:16
HEB: הַבּ֖וֹר וְאֶל־ הַֽחֲנֻ֑יוֹת וַיֵּֽשֶׁב־ שָׁ֥ם
NAS: into the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah
KJV: into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah
INT: cistern about is the vaulted stayed there

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2588
1 Occurrence


ha·ḥă·nu·yō·wṯ — 1 Occ.

2587
Top of Page
Top of Page