Lexical Summary Qeriyyoth: Kerioth Original Word: קְרִיּוֹת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Kerioth, Kirioth Plural of qiryah; buildings; Kerioth, the name of two places in Palestine -- Kerioth, Kirioth. see HEBREW qiryah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originpl. of qiryah Definition a city in Judah, also a city in Moab NASB Translation Kerioth (3), Kerioth-hezron* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs קרִיּוֺת proper name, of a location (formed as plural intensive from קִרְיָה?); — 1 in Judah Joshua 15:25 (αἱ πόλεις; whence, as supposed, Judas אִישׁ קְרִיּוֺת), perhaps †aryatên, approximately 12 miles south of Hebron, BuhlGeogr. 182. 2 in Moab, Καριωθ, αἱ πόλεις; MI13 קרית: Jeremiah 48:24, ׳הַקּ Jeremiah 48:41; Amos 2:2; perhaps = Ραββαθ Μωαβ = Μοαβ = Αρεοπολις (Euseb., see LagOnom. 277, 60 and others), modernRabba, approximately 11 miles south of Arnon, compare BuhlGeogr. 270. Topical Lexicon Name and General Description Kerioth designates “towns” or “urban centers” and is used in Scripture for two distinct locations: one in the tribal territory of Judah and one in the Trans-Jordanian land of Moab. Each usage carries its own narrative and prophetic weight, together highlighting the Lord’s dealings with His covenant people and with the surrounding nations. Geographical Identity • Kerioth of Judah – Listed among the southern towns of Judah in Joshua 15:25, alongside Hazor-hadattah. The full form, Kerioth-Hezron, suggests a double name or a settlement cluster. The site is commonly placed in the arid Judean Negev, south of Hebron, though no excavation has yielded final proof. Biblical Occurrences Joshua 15:25 – Judah receives “Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-Hezron (that is Hazor).” Jeremiah 48:24 – Judgment reaches “Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near.” Jeremiah 48:41 – “Kerioth will be captured and the strongholds seized.” Amos 2:2 – “I will send fire upon Moab, and it will consume the fortresses of Kerioth.” Historical Context: Kerioth of Judah Situated on Judah’s southern frontier, this Kerioth served as a buffer against Edom and other desert tribes. The double designation with Hezron may indicate an older core settlement (Hezron) expanded into a new urban group (Kerioth). Because “Iscariot” can be read “man of Kerioth,” many hold that Judas Iscariot originated here. If so, Kerioth contributed the lone non-Galilean voice among the Twelve, reminding readers that Christ’s call transcended regional lines even as it exposed a heart unyielded to grace. Historical Context: Kerioth of Moab By the late ninth and eighth centuries B.C., Moab’s Kerioth had become a fortified center, emblematic of the nation’s pride and military confidence. When the prophets spoke of its fall, they were addressing a place renowned for defenses and administrative clout. Archaeological surveys on the Moabite plateau uncover Iron Age walls and four-chamber gates at several tells; while an exact match to biblical Kerioth remains debated, the material culture confirms a network of strongholds that could sustain the prophecy’s imagery of “fortresses” (Amos 2:2). Prophetic Significance Jeremiah and Amos both deploy Kerioth as a representative target of divine judgment on Moab’s arrogance and violence. The oracles connect Kerioth’s fall to Moab’s sin of desecrating Edom’s king (Amos 2:1) and to overweening pride (Jeremiah 48:29). Thus Kerioth embodies both the height of human self-reliance and the inevitability of its collapse before divine holiness. Theological Themes 1. Sovereignty Over Nations – Whether within Israel’s borders (Judah) or beyond (Moab), Kerioth reminds readers that geography offers no refuge from God’s rule. Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Notes • Mesha Stele (mid-ninth century B.C.) lists Moabite towns subdued or fortified by King Mesha. Although Kerioth is not named outright, the inscription corroborates the presence of walled cities in the region during the prophetic period. Ministry Application Believers today draw several exhortations: Summary Kerioth, appearing four times in the Old Testament, spans the covenant land of Judah and the foreign territory of Moab, serving in each context as a touchstone for larger theological truths. Its legacy, preserved in Joshua’s allotment lists, Jeremiah’s lamentations, and Amos’s fiery oracle, calls every generation to forsake false securities and anchor hope in the unassailable kingdom of God. Forms and Transliterations הַקְּרִיּ֑וֹת הַקְּרִיּ֔וֹת הקריות וּקְרִיּ֔וֹת וקריות קְרִיּ֖וֹת קריות hakkeriYot haq·qə·rî·yō·wṯ haqqərîyōwṯ keriYot qə·rî·yō·wṯ qərîyōwṯ ū·qə·rî·yō·wṯ ukeriYot ūqərîyōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:25 HEB: וְחָצ֤וֹר ׀ חֲדַתָּה֙ וּקְרִיּ֔וֹת חֶצְר֖וֹן הִ֥יא NAS: and Hazor-hadattah and Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), KJV: Hadattah, and Kerioth, [and] Hezron, INT: and Hazor-hadattah and Kerioth Hezron he Jeremiah 48:24 Jeremiah 48:41 Amos 2:2 4 Occurrences |
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