Lexical Summary Shaarayim: Shaarayim Original Word: שַׁעֲרַיִם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Shaaraim Dual of sha'ar; double gates; Shaarajim, a place in Palestine -- Shaaraim. see HEBREW sha'ar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as shaar Definition two cities in Isr. NASB Translation maid (2), Shaaraim (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs שַׁעֲרַ֫יִם proper name, of a location 1 in the Shephelah of Judah (BuhlGeogr. 194) Joshua 15:36, Σακαρειμ, ᵐ5L Σεβαρειμ; ׳דֶּרֶךְ שׁ 1 Samuel 17:52 (ᵐ5 τῶν πυλῶν). 2 in the Negeb (Simeon), וּבְשַׁעֲרָ֑יִוֺ 1 Chronicles 4:31, Σεωρειμ, ᵐ5L Σααριμ; = שָׁרוּחֶ֑ן (q. v.) Joshua 19:6, and perhaps שִׁלְחִיוֺ (in Negeb of Judah) Joshua 15:32; BuhlGeogr. m. 185. Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Shaaraim lay in the low-lying Shephelah of Judah, west of the hill country and east of the Philistine plain. It is listed beside Socoh, Azekah, and Adullam (Joshua 15:35-36), all towns that framed the Valley of Elah. Modern proposals identify it with Khirbet Qeiyafa, a fortified site overlooking the valley, or with Tell es-Ṣafi’s eastern approach. The location—controlling a main east-west corridor—explains its repeated association with “gates” and with military pursuits. Biblical Occurrences 1. Joshua 15:36 includes Shaaraim among fourteen towns allotted to Judah’s foothills. Historical Background and Narrative Significance Shaaraim’s strategic pass controlled traffic between Philistia and Judah. Its inclusion with Philistine strongholds (Gath and Ekron) in 1 Samuel 17 highlights the boundary tension that characterized the period of the Judges and the early monarchy. David’s victory turned the route toward Shaaraim from a Philistine avenue of aggression into a trail of their retreat, underscoring the Lord’s deliverance of His people through the shepherd-king. In Chronicler perspective (1 Chronicles 4:31), the town’s placement among Simeonite holdings “until the reign of David” hints that the united kingdom re-absorbed frontier villages in order to strengthen national defense. Archaeological Insights Khirbet Qeiyafa fits the biblical description: a double-gated Iron Age fortress dated to the late eleventh–early tenth centuries BC. Excavators uncovered two opposed gateways—an unusual feature that mirrors the name Shaaraim (“Two Gates”) and matches the era of Saul and David. Pottery assemblages lack Philistine motifs, supporting Judahite control, while the strategic view of the Elah Valley clarifies the military narrative of 1 Samuel 17. Although definitive identification remains debated, the site’s architecture and location illuminate the text’s realism. Theological and Ministry Reflections 1. Covenant Security: Shaaraim marks the line where God defended His inheritance against encroaching idolatry. The place where the Philistines fled becomes a witness that “the battle is the LORD’s” (1 Samuel 17:47). Key Lessons for Today • Strategic obedience matters: Ordinary places—villages, gateways, roadways—become stages for God’s extraordinary acts. Forms and Transliterations וְשַׁעֲרַ֙יִם֙ וּֽבְשַׁעֲרָ֑יִם ובשערים ושערים שַׁעֲרַ֔יִם שערים ša‘ărayim ša·‘ă·ra·yim shaaRayim ū·ḇə·ša·‘ă·rā·yim ūḇəša‘ărāyim uveshaaRayim veshaaRayim wə·ša·‘ă·ra·yim wəša‘ărayimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:36 HEB: וְשַׁעֲרַ֙יִם֙ וַעֲדִיתַ֔יִם וְהַגְּדֵרָ֖ה NAS: and Shaaraim and Adithaim and Gederah KJV: And Sharaim, and Adithaim, INT: and Shaaraim and Adithaim and Gederah 1 Samuel 17:52 1 Chronicles 4:31 3 Occurrences |
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