3194. Yuttah or Yutah
Lexical Summary
Yuttah or Yutah: Yuttah

Original Word: יֻטָּה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Yuttah
Pronunciation: yoo-tah'
Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-taw')
KJV: Juttah
NASB: Juttah
Word Origin: [from H5186 (נָטָה - stretched)]

1. extended
2. Juttah (or Jutah), a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Juttah

Or Yuwtah {yoo-taw'}; from natah; extended; Juttah (or Jutah), a place in Palestine -- Juttah.

see HEBREW natah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from natah
Definition
a city in Judah
NASB Translation
Juttah (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
יֻטָּה Joshua 21:16, יוּטָּה (so Baer) Joshua 15:55 proper name, of a location town in Judah (Joshua 15:55 ᵐ5 Ιγαν. A ᵐ5L Ιεττα, Joshua 21:16 ᵐ5 Τανυ, ᵐ5L Ιεττα).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrences

Yuttah appears twice, both in the distribution lists of the conquered land. In Joshua 15:55 it is catalogued among the hill-country towns of Judah; in Joshua 21:16 it is singled out again when “Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, together with their pasturelands” are handed over to the priestly descendants of Aaron. These complementary references reveal both its geographic placement and its priestly status.

Geographical Setting

Situated in the southern Judean hill country, Yuttah is commonly identified with modern Yatta, approximately eight kilometers south of Hebron. The location commands a natural ridge overlooking fertile terraced slopes and ancient travel routes that linked the Negev with Hebron and Bethlehem. This strategic elevation explains its inclusion in Judah’s mountain region and later importance for priestly residence.

Role as a Levitical City

Yuttah was one of the forty-eight Levitical cities and one of the nine specifically assigned to the Aaronic priests within Judah and Simeon’s combined allotments. Its surrounding “pasturelands” provided livelihood for the priests’ livestock, reflecting the LORD’s provision for those whose inheritance was His service rather than territorial expansion (Numbers 18:20-24). Thus, Yuttah stands as a tangible reminder that spiritual ministry was meant to be sustained within every tribal district, underscoring Israel’s covenant unity.

Typological and Theological Insights

1. Provision amid Promise: The placement of a priestly center deep in Judah’s rugged highlands illustrates the LORD’s intent that worship and instruction permeate even the most remote settlements.
2. Priesthood and Presence: By embedding priestly cities throughout the land, God linked daily community life with atonement ministry, anticipating the New Covenant reality in which believers themselves become a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9).
3. Hill Country Symbolism: The elevated site evokes the frequent biblical theme of meeting God “on the heights,” pointing ultimately to the heavenly Zion where Christ intercedes eternally.

Connections to New Testament Narrative

Luke records that Zechariah and Elizabeth lived “in the hill country of Judea” (Luke 1:39). Because Yuttah was a recognized Aaronic town in that very region, early Christian tradition—echoed by some patristic writers and Byzantine pilgrims—identified Yuttah as the hometown of John the Baptist’s parents. While not conclusive, this association underscores the continuity between Old Covenant priesthood and the herald of the New Covenant.

Lessons for Christian Ministry

• Strategic Placement: Congregations today should seek to embed gospel witness in every social and geographic sector, not merely in population centers.
• Sustained Support: Yuttah’s pastures underscore the biblical principle that those devoted to ministry are to be materially supported by the covenant community (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).
• Generational Faithfulness: The city’s priestly heritage challenges modern believers to cultivate environments where successive generations can serve the Lord without distraction.

Archaeological Note

Surface surveys at modern Yatta reveal Iron Age pottery, rock-hewn cisterns, and tombs consistent with continuous occupation since the time of the Judges. Though no definitive inscription of the ancient name has been unearthed, the correlation of location, topography, and local tradition strongly favors the identification.

Yuttah thus serves as a modest but meaningful witness to the LORD’s faithful provision for His priesthood and, by extension, for all who are called into His service.

Forms and Transliterations
וְיוּטָּֽה׃ ויוטה׃ יֻטָּה֙ יטה veyutTah wə·yūṭ·ṭāh wəyūṭṭāh yuṭ·ṭāh yutTah yuṭṭāh
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Joshua 15:55
HEB: כַּרְמֶ֖ל וָזִ֥יף וְיוּטָּֽה׃
NAS: Carmel and Ziph and Juttah,
KJV: Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
INT: Carmel and Ziph and Juttah

Joshua 21:16
HEB: מִגְרָשֶׁ֗הָ וְאֶת־ יֻטָּה֙ וְאֶת־ מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ
NAS: lands and Juttah with its pasture lands
KJV: with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs,
INT: and Ain pasture and Juttah lands Beth-shemesh

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3194
2 Occurrences


wə·yūṭ·ṭāh — 1 Occ.
yuṭ·ṭāh — 1 Occ.

3193
Top of Page
Top of Page