2855. Chethlon
Lexical Summary
Chethlon: Chethlon

Original Word: חָתְלֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Chethlon
Pronunciation: kheth-LOHN
Phonetic Spelling: (kheth-lone')
KJV: Hethlon
NASB: Hethlon
Word Origin: [from H2853 (חָתַל - wrapped in cloths)]

1. enswathed
2. Chethlon, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Hethlon

From chathal; enswathed; Chethlon, a place in Palestine -- Hethlon.

see HEBREW chathal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chathal
Definition
a place in N. Pal.
NASB Translation
Hethlon (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
חֶתְלֹן proper name, of a location, on the extreme northern boundary of Israel territory (in Ezekiel's conception), only ׳דֶּרֶךְ(ֿ)ח Ezekiel 47:15; Ezekiel 48:1; modern „eitela nearly two hours from sea-coast, according to FurrerZPV viii, 27.

Topical Lexicon
Geographical Location

Hethlon is named as a northern landmark of the Promised Land in Ezekiel’s closing vision. The prophet locates it on the “way” leading from the Mediterranean (the Great Sea) toward the entrance of Hamath (Ezekiel 47:15; 48:1). Taken in conjunction with adjoining sites—Zedad, Hamath, Hazar Enan, and Damascus—the name points to a border region where the Lebanon range merges into upper Syria. Although the exact tell or ruin remains unidentified, the literary context suggests a frontier settlement or pass controlling movement between the Phoenician coast and inland Syria.

Biblical References and Context

1. Ezekiel 47:15 sets Hethlon as the first marker on the northern boundary of the restored land: “This shall be the border of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad”.
2. Ezekiel 48:1 echoes the same geography when allotting tribal inheritances, placing Dan’s portion at the extreme north: “From the northern extremity beside the way of Hethlon…”.

In both texts Hethlon functions as a fixed point anchoring a precise territorial outline—part of a carefully ordered restoration vision stretching from chapter 40 through 48.

Historical Background

Ezekiel prophesied during the Babylonian exile (sixth century B.C.). Judah’s land had been emptied, the temple razed, and borders erased. By naming peripheral sites such as Hethlon, the prophet reminds the exiles of Israel’s full covenant territory, not merely the shrunken province around Jerusalem known to the post-exilic community. The northern frontier carries special memory of Davidic expansion (2 Samuel 8:5–6) and Solomon’s commercial reach (1 Kings 9:11–14). In Ezekiel’s day, those heights were under foreign dominance, yet the oracle promises their restoration to God’s people.

Theological and Eschatological Significance

1. Covenant Faithfulness: Mentioning a remote border town underscores Yahweh’s meticulous commitment; every corner of the inheritance will be honored. The detail anticipates the fulfillment of Genesis 15:18 and Numbers 34:7–9.
2. Ordered Worship and Government: Chapters 40–48 unite temple, priesthood, prince, and land. Hethlon’s coordinate in that blueprint shows that worship and daily life are inseparable; geography is theological.
3. Messianic Kingdom Hope: Many interpreters view Ezekiel 47–48 as portraying the millennial kingdom when Messiah reigns from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1–4; Revelation 20:4–6). Hethlon therefore prefigures a restored world wherein even distant passes come under the peace of Christ.

Ministry Applications and Lessons

• Precision in God’s Promises: The God who names Hethlon is the same who numbers the hairs on a believer’s head (Matthew 10:30). No promise will fail.
• Global Scope of Redemption: Like Hethlon on the fringe, unreached peoples stand on the margins. The church is called to extend the gospel “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
• Hope Amid Exile: Ezekiel’s hearers were displaced, yet the naming of far-off boundaries signaled a homecoming. Modern believers facing cultural exile find similar assurance that Christ will restore all things.

Archaeological Considerations

Scholars have proposed several sites—Khiyam el-Khatlu, modern Heitela near Tripoli, or a defile north of Arqa—yet none commands consensus. The absence of ruins does not diminish confidence in Scripture; many ancient towns await discovery, and changing place-names often veil biblical locales. Excavations along the Akkar Plain and the Orontes corridor may yet bring new data.

Conclusion

Though only twice mentioned, Hethlon serves as a northern sentinel of promise. It anchors Ezekiel’s grand vision of a renewed land, foreshadows the comprehensive reign of God, and offers believers enduring lessons on the exactness and expansiveness of divine grace.

Forms and Transliterations
חֶתְלֹ֖ן חֶתְלֹ֣ן ׀ חתלן chetLon ḥeṯ·lōn ḥeṯlōn
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Ezekiel 47:15
HEB: הַגָּד֛וֹל הַדֶּ֥רֶךְ חֶתְלֹ֖ן לְב֥וֹא צְדָֽדָה׃
NAS: [by] the way of Hethlon, to the entrance
KJV: the way of Hethlon, as men go
INT: the Great the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Zedad

Ezekiel 48:1
HEB: יַ֣ד דֶּֽרֶךְ־ חֶתְלֹ֣ן ׀ לְֽבוֹא־ חֲמָ֡ת
NAS: the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath,
KJV: of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth
INT: the coast the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath Hamath

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2855
2 Occurrences


ḥeṯ·lōn — 2 Occ.

2854
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