Lexical Summary Ckakah: To cover, to hedge, to protect Original Word: סְכָכָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Secacah From cakak; inclosure; Secacah, a place in Palestine -- Secacah. see HEBREW cakak Brown-Driver-Briggs סְכָכָה proper name, of a location in wilderness of Judah Joshua 15:61; A Σοχοχα, ᵐ5L Σχαχα. Site unknown. Topical Lexicon Name and Etymology Derived from a Hebrew root meaning “to shelter” or “to cover,” the place-name hints at protection in the midst of arid territory. The linguistic connection to the common noun for “booth” or “covering” invites reflection on divine preservation in hostile environments. Biblical Setting Joshua 15 records the territorial allotment for the tribe of Judah. After describing the fortified towns of the hill country, the inspired writer turns to “the wilderness,” listing six settlements: “Beth-arabah, Middin, Sekakah, Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six cities with their villages” (Joshua 15:61-62). Sekakah therefore belongs to the southern desert fringe that slopes down toward the Dead Sea. Geographical Location The precise site has not been conclusively identified, yet its placement between Middin and Nibshan situates it in the Judean wilderness, likely several kilometers west of the Dead Sea’s northwestern shore. This belt of terrain descends sharply from the heights of Jerusalem into barren wadis, limestone cliffs, and salt flats. Seasonal floods carve out caves and hidden refuges—the very landscape that later gave shelter to David (1 Samuel 23:29) and to exiles and prophets seeking solitude with God. Historical and Archaeological Insights While archaeologists debate the exact tell that corresponds to Sekakah, surveys in the Judean wilderness have uncovered small Iron Age settlements marked by stone enclosures, cisterns cut into bedrock, and pottery consistent with Judahite occupation. Such outposts functioned as: The sparsity of permanent springs required reliance on seasonal runoff and carefully plastered reservoirs—an arrangement that underscores the name’s resonance with “shelter.” Theological Reflections 1. Covenant Fulfillment. The mention of Sekakah in Judah’s inheritance demonstrates the meticulous outworking of the LORD’s promise to Abraham. Even minor desert villages are catalogued, assuring readers that no portion of the land fell outside God’s covenantal gift (Genesis 15:18-21). Ministry Applications • Encouragement for frontier and desert ministries: missionaries laboring in spiritual or literal wildernesses can look to Sekakah as evidence that God plants His people in hard soil for His glory. Related Scriptures and Themes Psalm 31:20 – “You hide them in the secrecy of Your presence.” Psalm 121:5 – “The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand.” Isaiah 4:6 – “It will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.” These passages deepen the spiritual motif introduced by Sekakah’s name, portraying the LORD as the ultimate protective covering. Conclusion Though mentioned only once, Sekakah enriches the biblical narrative by highlighting God’s faithfulness in allotting even the remotest outpost, His ability to sustain life in desolation, and His heart to shelter His people. Modern believers, whether serving in deserts of circumstance or geography, can anchor their hope in the same God who established Sekakah in the wilderness of Judah. Forms and Transliterations וּסְכָכָֽה׃ וסככה׃ ū·sə·ḵā·ḵāh usechaChah ūsəḵāḵāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:61 HEB: הָעֲרָבָ֔ה מִדִּ֖ין וּסְכָכָֽה׃ NAS: Beth-arabah, Middin and Secacah, KJV: Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah, INT: Beth-arabah Middin and Secacah 1 Occurrence |
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