2829. Cheshmon

Lexical Summary

Cheshmon: Cheshmon

Original Word: חֶשְׁמוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Cheshmown
Pronunciation: khesh-mone'
Phonetic Spelling: (klesh-mone')
KJV: Heshmon
NASB: Heshmon
Word Origin: [the same as H2831 (חַשׁמַן - envoys)]

1. opulent
2. Cheshmon, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Heshmon

The same as chashman; opulent; Cheshmon, a place in Palestine -- Heshmon.

see HEBREW chashman

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as chashman
Definition
a city in S. Judah
NASB Translation
Heshmon (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

חֶשְׁמוֺן proper name, of a location town in southern Judah, site unknown Joshua 15:27.

טַלְמֹן, once טַלְמוֺן proper name, masculine name of porters.

1 1 Chronicles 9:17; Ezra 2:42 = Nehemiah 7:45.

2 Nehemiah 11:19; Nehemiah 12:25 (טַלְמוֺן).

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Reference

Joshua 15:27 records Heshmon among the southern towns allotted to the tribe of Judah: “Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet” (Berean Standard Bible).

Geographical Context

Situated in the Negeb of Judah, Heshmon lay in the arid fringes that border the wilderness of Zin. Although its precise location remains uncertain, its placement on the list between Hazar-gaddah and Beth-pelet suggests a site west or southwest of modern-day Arad. The mention comes amid a catalogue that moves roughly from southeast to northwest, describing settlements that formed a defensive and agricultural ring for Judah’s southern frontier.

Historical Background

1. Settlement Era: Joshua’s allotment signifies the transition from nomadic conquest to settled inheritance. Towns such as Heshmon exemplify the shift from military encampments to covenant-grounded homesteads, fulfilling the promise first given to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21).
2. Defensive Outpost: In the Iron Age, Negeb settlements functioned as watchpoints guarding Judah against Edomite and Amalekite incursions. Heshmon most likely contributed to this fortified network, echoing the strategic value later seen in fortresses like Arad and Beersheba.
3. Agricultural Resilience: Archaeological parallels from nearby sites reveal terraced farming, cistern systems, and seasonal pasturing. Even a minor town such as Heshmon would have relied on water-harvesting technology, giving practical expression to God’s provision “in a land with scarce water” (Deuteronomy 8:7).

Spiritual Significance

1. Covenant Fulfillment: Every named town testifies that the Lord keeps His oath. By allotting even obscure places, God showed that no promise was too small for His faithfulness (Joshua 21:45).
2. Communal Identity: The inhabitants of Heshmon shared in Judah’s heritage, temple worship, and messianic lineage. Though never famous, their daily faithfulness contributed to the covenant community through whom “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22).
3. Pattern of Remembrance: Lists such as Joshua 15 encourage believers to value the unnoticed ministries and people who quietly uphold the larger body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:22-24).

Connections to Judah’s Inheritance

Heshmon’s inclusion in Judah’s southern allotment reinforces several biblical motifs:
• The land grant anticipates the “rest” celebrated in Psalm 95:11 and ultimately offered in Christ (Hebrews 4:8-10).
• Judah’s boundaries foreshadow the territorial imagery of Ezekiel 47, where land is apportioned again in a future, restored order.
• The southern towns mirror the progressive spread of blessing “from Zion” (Isaiah 2:3) to “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Lessons for Today

1. God remembers places and people that history forgets; therefore believers should honor unseen service.
2. Spiritual inheritance requires stewardship: as ancient settlers nurtured Heshmon’s meager soil, Christians are summoned to cultivate the gifts entrusted to them (2 Timothy 1:6).
3. Boundary lists remind the Church that God’s promises are concrete, not abstract; His faithfulness extends to every corner of life, however insignificant it may appear.

Forms and Transliterations

וְחֶשְׁמ֖וֹן וחשמון vecheshMon wə·ḥeš·mō·wn wəḥešmōwn

Englishman's Concordance

Joshua 15:27
HEB: וַחֲצַ֥ר גַּדָּ֛ה וְחֶשְׁמ֖וֹן וּבֵ֥ית פָּֽלֶט׃
NAS: and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and Beth-pelet,
KJV: And Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpalet,
INT: and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and Beth-pelet

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2829
1 Occurrence

wə·ḥeš·mō·wn — 1 Occ.