2694. Chatser Hattikon

Lexical Summary

Chatser Hattikon: Hattikon Court or Middle Court

Original Word: חֲצַר הַתִּיכוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Chatsar hat-Tiykown
Pronunciation: khaw-tsare' hat-tee-kone'
Phonetic Spelling: (khats-ar' hat-tee-kone')
KJV: Hazar-hatticon
NASB: Hazer-hatticon
Word Origin: [from H2691 (חָצֵר - Court) and H8484 (תִּיכּוֹן תִּיכּוֹן - middle) with the article interposed]

1. village of the middle
2. Chatsar-hat-Tikon, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Hazar-hatticon

From chatser and tiykown with the article interposed; village of the middle; Chatsar-hat-Tikon, a place in Palestine -- Hazar-hatticon.

see HEBREW chatser

see HEBREW tiykown

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from chatser and tikon
Definition
a place near the border of Hauran
NASB Translation
Hazer-hatticon (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

חָצֵר הַתִּיכוֺן proper name, of a location Ezekiel 47:16 ᵐ5 Sm Co חָצֵ֫רָה עינון (q. v.); it is described as אֲשֶׁר אֶלגְּֿבוּל חַוְרָן; Wetzst^{ZKW, 1884}, see 114 identification with „adar () 'at the foot of the eastern corner of Hermon.'

Topical Lexicon

Name and Meaning

חֲצַר הַתִּיכוֹן (Hazar-hatticon) is rendered in English translations as “Hazar-hatticon,” “Hazar-ticon,” or “the middle Hazar.” The compound name hints at a settlement (“Hazar”) distinguished by its central position (“middle”) among neighboring places.

Biblical Occurrence

Ezekiel 47:16 lists the site among the northern landmarks of the restored land: “Berothah, and Sibraim (which lies between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), as far as Hazar-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.” This is the sole canonical reference.

Geographical Setting

1. Northern Frontier The verse situates Hazar-hatticon between the territories of Damascus and Hamath, adjacent to the Hauran plateau. The context aligns it with other northern markers such as Zedad and Sibraim (Ezekiel 47:15-16), indicating a line extending inland from the “Great Sea” (Mediterranean) toward the Syrian interior.
2. Probable Location Scholars place it south-southwest of modern Damascus, perhaps near the contemporary el-Lejah region where volcanic terrain gives way to more arable land. Its “middle” designation may reflect its position between two better-known Hazars or within a chain of fort-villages guarding caravan routes.

Historical Context

1. Ezekiel’s Restoration Vision Chapters 40–48 present a prophetic blueprint for a renewed temple, worship, and land distribution following exile. Ezekiel names Hazar-hatticon while tracing the outer borders (Ezekiel 47:13-23), underscoring God’s intention to re-establish Israel securely in the land promised to the patriarchs.
2. Strategic Importance In antiquity, the corridor between Hamath and Damascus was a main artery for commerce and military campaigns. A settlement located “in the middle” would serve as a watch-post and supply station, providing security for north-south movement and reinforcing Israel’s control over a historically contested frontier.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. Covenant Fulfillment Ezekiel’s geography is not incidental. Each landmark testifies that God remembers precise covenant boundaries (Genesis 15:18; Numbers 34), turning promises into mapped realities. Hazar-hatticon therefore becomes a witness to divine faithfulness in the minutiae of redemptive history.
2. Ordered Inheritance The exact placement of Hazar-hatticon within the future allotment illustrates the principle of orderly inheritance (Joshua 13–19). For ministry, it models careful stewardship: God delineates space, authority, and responsibility for His people, expecting them to respect one another’s boundaries (Romans 12:3-8).
3. Eschatological Hope Many interpreters see Ezekiel 40–48 as foreshadowing the ultimate restoration under Messiah’s reign. The mention of Hazar-hatticon signals that even distant, obscure places will share in that renewal (Isaiah 11:11-12). Pastors may thus encourage believers in small or remote communities that God’s plan inclusively embraces them.

Lessons for Today

• God values precision in His promises; obscure names in Scripture reinforce trust in every word He has spoken (Matthew 24:35).
• Geographical markers like Hazar-hatticon remind believers that salvation history unfolds in real time and space, grounding faith in verifiable reality.
• Ministry planning benefits from Ezekiel’s example: define clear boundaries, assign responsibilities, and pursue peace among neighboring “territories” of service (2 Corinthians 10:13-16).
• The restoration motif surrounding Hazar-hatticon assures churches laboring in frontier or transitional contexts that God sees, records, and will one day vindicate their location and labor (Hebrews 6:10).

Forms and Transliterations

הַתִּיכ֔וֹן התיכון hat·tî·ḵō·wn hattiChon hattîḵōwn

Englishman's Concordance

Ezekiel 47:16
HEB: חֲמָ֑ת חָצֵר֙ הַתִּיכ֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֶל־
NAS: of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which
KJV: of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which [is] by the coast
INT: and the border of Hamath Hazer-hatticon which about

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2694
1 Occurrence

hat·tî·ḵō·wn — 1 Occ.