Lexical Summary Laqqum: Gathering place, assembly Original Word: לַקּוּם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Lakum From an unused root thought to mean to stop up by a barricade; perhaps fortification; Lakkum, a place in Palestine -- Lakum. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a N. border town of Naphtali NASB Translation Lakkum (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs לַקּוּם proper name, of a location northern border-town of Naphtali, Joshua 19:33 (P), ᵐ5 Δωδαμ, ᵐ5L Λακουμ. so also LagOnom 275, 24; site unknown. Topical Lexicon Name and MeaningLakum (Hebrew לַקּוּם) appears as a proper place-name only once in Scripture. The etymology is uncertain, but the consonants suggest a sense of “rising” or “standing,” ideas that harmonize with its role as a fixed boundary marker. Scriptural Occurrence Joshua 19:33 describes the northern boundary of the tribe of Naphtali: “Then their border went from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, including Adami–Nekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakum, and ended at the Jordan.” Geographical Setting and Archaeological Notes Lakum lay near the Jordan River, probably in the Huleh Basin north of the Sea of Galilee. Proposals range from Khirbet el‐Malkah to Tell en-Na‘ameh, yet no site has yielded conclusive epigraphic evidence. Its proximity to both water and trade routes would have given it strategic value as the easternmost point of Naphtali’s inheritance. Historical Background 1. Conquest Era Lakum enters the record during Joshua’s apportionment of Canaan. As Israel transitioned from nomadic life to settled nationhood, precise boundary lists anchored each tribe to a defined inheritance promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21). 2. Tribal Administration Fixed boundary towns such as Lakum facilitated local governance—land tenure, levies for temple service, and military musters. Naphtali’s eastern frontier, bordered by the Jordan, guarded fords used by northern kingdoms, underscoring Lakum’s defensive significance. 3. Later Old Testament Periods Although Lakum itself is not mentioned after Joshua, Naphtali’s border towns feature in campaigns of Ben-hadad (1 Kings 15:20) and Tiglath-Pileser III (2 Kings 15:29). Lakum likely shared the fortunes of its region, experiencing both Assyrian annexation and subsequent Galilean resettlement. Covenantal Significance The listing of Lakum highlights God’s meticulous faithfulness in granting Israel a tangible inheritance (Joshua 21:43-45). Boundaries were sacred trusts; moving them invited covenant curses (Deuteronomy 27:17). Lakum thus witnesses to divine order, justice, and the sanctity of property. Theological Reflections • Precision of Scripture The singular mention of Lakum affirms that even minor locales are recorded under inspiration, reinforcing confidence in biblical detail (Matthew 5:18). • Boundary Ethics Proverbs 22:28 draws moral application from ancient boundary stones. Modern believers honor God when respecting personal and communal limits—physical, relational, and doctrinal. • Promise and Rest Hebrews 4:8-9 recalls Joshua’s allotments as foretaste of the ultimate rest in Christ. Lakum, one coordinate on the map of promise, points forward to the fuller inheritance secured by the Gospel. Ministry Applications 1. Teaching on Stewardship Use Lakum to illustrate how land, workspaces, and ministry spheres are gifts to be managed responsibly (1 Peter 4:10-11). 2. Encouragement for the Overlooked Lakum’s obscurity highlights that God records every place and person. Congregants serving in hidden roles can take courage that their labor is known to the Lord (Hebrews 6:10). 3. Church Planting Strategy Just as Israel’s tribes filled their borders, the church is called to occupy every locale with the Gospel (Acts 1:8). Mapping unreached neighborhoods can mirror Joshua’s survey, with Lakum-like points marking progress. Related Biblical Themes • Land and Covenant – Genesis 17:8; Numbers 34:1-15 Lakum stands as a quiet but indispensable testimony: every inch of the Promised Land was measured, assigned, and recorded, declaring that the Lord keeps His word down to the smallest stone on the border. Forms and Transliterations לַקּ֑וּם לקום lakKum laq·qūm laqqūmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 19:33 HEB: וְיַבְנְאֵ֖ל עַד־ לַקּ֑וּם וַיְהִ֥י תֹצְאֹתָ֖יו NAS: as far as Lakkum, and it ended KJV: and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings INT: and Jabneel far Lakkum become and the outgoings 1 Occurrence |
    |