3751. Karkemish

Lexicon

Karkemish: Carchemish

Original Word: כַּרְכְּמְישׂ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Karkmiysh
Pronunciation: kar-keh-MEESH
Phonetic Spelling: (kar-kem-eesh')
Definition: Carchemish
Meaning: Karkemish

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Carchemish

Of foreign derivation; Karkemish, a place in Syria -- Carchemish.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
a city on the Euphrates
NASB Translation
Carchemish (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

כַּרְכְּמִישׁ כַּרְכְּמִשׁ proper name, of a location, city on Euphrates (Assyrian kargamis, Gargamis, compare Dl^{Par 265 ff.}; Egyptian †a-rï-‡a-maï(?)-ša WMM^{Asien U. Europa 263}; etymology dubious; according to Hoffm^{Auszuge act. Pers. Mart. 163} RS^{Proh. i. n. 5} = 'Castle of Mish,' compare Dl^l.c.); — כַּרְכְּמִישׁ Isaiah 10:9; 2Chronicles 35:20 (ᵐ5^L Ξαρχαμεις), כַּרְכְּמִשׁ Jeremiah 46:2 (ᵐ5 Ξαρμεις Καρχαμεις). Hittite capital, East bank of Euphrates, Modern Jerabîs, or Jerbâs; Schr^{KGF 221 ff.}; COT, on Isaiah 10:9 Dl^l.c.., Jen^{ZA vii. (1892), 365} thinks he reads G(K)ar-g(k)a-mi-si(e)-ras = 'king of Karkemish' on ('Hittite') inscription from Karkemish.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Of foreign origin

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There are no direct corresponding Strong's Greek entries for Karkemish, as it is a proper noun specific to the Hebrew text and historical context.

Usage: Proper noun referring to a significant ancient city located on the Euphrates River, known for its strategic and commercial importance.

Context: Karkemish was an ancient city situated on the west bank of the Euphrates River, near the modern-day border between Turkey and Syria. It was a major center of trade and military activity due to its strategic location. The city is mentioned in the Bible in the context of significant historical events, particularly in relation to the Assyrian and Babylonian empires.

In the Bible, Karkemish is notably referenced in the context of the battle between the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II and the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. This battle is recorded in the book of Jeremiah and 2 Chronicles. The city was a focal point during the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, a period marked by the decline of Assyrian power and the rise of Babylon.

Biblical References:
• Jeremiah 46:2 (BSB): "Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at the Euphrates River at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah."
• 2 Chronicles 35:20 (BSB): "After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to confront him."

The city's fall to Nebuchadnezzar marked a significant shift in the balance of power in the ancient Near East, as it effectively ended Egyptian influence in the region and solidified Babylonian dominance.

Forms and Transliterations

בְּכַרְכְּמִ֑שׁ בְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ בכרכמיש בכרכמש כְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ ככרכמיש bə·ḵar·kə·miš bə·ḵar·kə·mîš becharkeMish bəḵarkəmiš bəḵarkəmîš kə·ḵar·kə·mîš kecharkeMish kəḵarkəmîš

Englishman's Concordance

2 Chronicles 35:20
HEB: מִצְרַ֛יִם לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם בְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ עַל־ פְּרָ֑ת
NAS: up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates,
KJV: to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates:
INT: of Egypt to make Carchemish on the Euphrates

Isaiah 10:9
HEB: הֲלֹ֥א כְּכַרְכְּמִ֖ישׁ כַּלְנ֑וֹ אִם־
NAS: Is not Calno like Carchemish, Or
KJV: [Is] not Calno as Carchemish? [is] not Hamath
INT: like Carchemish Calno Or

Jeremiah 46:2
HEB: נְהַר־ פְּרָ֖ת בְּכַרְכְּמִ֑שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִכָּ֗ה
NAS: River at Carchemish, which
KJV: Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar
INT: River the Euphrates Carchemish which defeated

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3751
3 Occurrences

bə·ḵar·kə·mîš — 2 Occ.
kə·ḵar·kə·mîš — 1 Occ.