Lexical Summary Yattir: Yattir Original Word: יַתִּיר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jattir From yathar; redundant; Jattir, a place in Palestine -- Jattir. see HEBREW yathar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom yathar Definition a city in Judah NASB Translation Jattir (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs יַתִּיר, יַתִּר proper name, of a location town in Judah (√ dubious); — יַתִּיר Joshua 15:48, ᵐ5 Ι(ε)θερ; elsewhere יַתִּר, Levitical city Joshua 21:14 (both P), ᵐ5 Αιλωμ, A ᵐ5L Ιεθερ, 1 Chronicles 6:42, ᵐ5 [1 Chronicles 6:43] Ιεθθαρ, A Ιεθερ; probably = יַתִּר 1 Samuel 30:27, ᵐ5 Γεθθορ, A Ειεθερ; — acc, to Onom. = Ιεθειρα, village 20 miles from Eleuthropolis, LagOnom. 266, 133; ed. 2; identified by RobBR. i, 494 (who, however, questions (עׅ = י) BdPal. 3, 153 with 'Attîr, halfway between Hebron and Milh; so, 'perhaps,' BuhlGeogr. § 91, p. 164; this not certain, compare Di. Topical Lexicon Name and Meaning Yattir (sometimes transliterated Jattir) carries the sense of abundance or pre-eminence, a fitting description for a town planted in the fertile highlands of southern Judah. Geographical Setting Situated in the Judean hill country, Yattir lay some 13–15 kilometers (8–9 miles) south-southwest of Hebron, on the edge of the Negev’s northern ascent. The most widely accepted location is Khirbet Attir (Khirbet Yattir) overlooking the modern Yatir Forest. Its elevation of nearly 900 m (3,000 ft) gives commanding views toward the Beersheba basin to the west and the Judean wilderness to the east, making the site strategically significant for agriculture, herding, and defense. Biblical Record 1. Allocation to Judah – Joshua 15:48 lists Yattir among “the towns in the hill country,” underscoring Judah’s broad territorial spectrum from Mediterranean lowlands to mountain strongholds. Levitical Significance Being a priestly settlement, Yattir embodied the twin ideals of worship and witness. Priests living there would commute periodically to Jerusalem for service (compare 1 Chronicles 24), then return to teach Torah, adjudicate disputes, and model covenant life. The town’s elevated site mirrored its spiritual calling: to raise the knowledge of God amid Judah’s rural population. Davidic Connections David’s distribution of spoil to Yattir’s elders foreshadows the messianic pattern of sharing victory with the faithful (compare Ephesians 4:8). His act also reflects Numbers 31:27, which required warriors to share gains with those who guarded the camp—a principle of equitable partnership in God’s work. Archaeology and Later History Surface pottery at Khirbet Attir ranges from the Iron Age through the Byzantine era. Rock-hewn cisterns, agricultural terraces, and a sizable perimeter wall suit a Levitical town needing water storage and secure grazing. Byzantine remains of a church echo the site’s continuing sacred memory into Christian centuries. Modern forestry projects have revived the ancient name in “Yatir Forest,” again linking fruitfulness with the hill country. Ministry Lessons • Faithfulness in obscurity – Though rarely mentioned, Yattir’s priests sustained worship that undergirded the nation. Ministry significance is measured by faithfulness, not notoriety. Messianic and Theological Reflections Yattir’s identity as a priestly town in Judah melds royal and priestly motifs later perfected in Jesus Christ, “a Priest forever” and the Lion of Judah. The city’s name—implying “excellence” or “superabundance”—anticipates the Messiah’s provision of grace “far beyond all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). See Also Hebron; Eshtemoa; Cities of Refuge; Levitical Cities; Hill Country of Judah Forms and Transliterations בְּיַתִּֽר׃ ביתר׃ וְיַתִּ֖יר ויתיר יַתִּ֥ר יַתִּר֙ יתר bə·yat·tir beyatTir bəyattir veyatTir wə·yat·tîr wəyattîr yat·tir yattirLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:48 HEB: וּבָהָ֑ר שָׁמִ֥יר וְיַתִּ֖יר וְשׂוֹכֹֽה׃ NAS: Shamir and Jattir and Socoh, KJV: Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh, INT: the hill Shamir and Jattir and Socoh Joshua 21:14 1 Samuel 30:27 1 Chronicles 6:57 4 Occurrences |
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