Lexical Summary Tadmor or Tammor: Tadmor Original Word: תַּדְמֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance continually Or Tammor (1 Kings 9:18) {tam-more'}; apparently from tamar; palm-city; Tadmor, a place near Palestine -- Tadmor. see HEBREW tamar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a city built by Solomon NASB Translation Tadmor (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs תַּדְמֹר proper name, of a location built by Solomon, according to 1 Kings 9:18 Qr = 2 Chronicles 8:8; Tadmor = Palmyra (RSEncy. Brit. (9) PALMYBA MommsenRöm. Geschichte. see 423, compare LagBN 125); but read in both places תָּמָר Th RSl.c. Mommsenl.c. Kmp Benz Kit Bur ReckendZMG xiii (1888), 402 Lagl.c. GASmGeogr, 270, N. 2; 580, N. 2; see II. תָּמָר. Topical Lexicon Etymology and General Description Tadmor is generally understood to carry the idea of “palm” or “place of palms,” fitting its later Greco-Roman name Palmyra. Situated in an oasis approximately midway between Damascus and the Euphrates, it offered life-giving water, shade, and rest to travelers crossing an otherwise arid expanse. Biblical Occurrences 1 Kings 9:18 and 2 Chronicles 8:4 record that Solomon “built” or “rebuilt” Tadmor. The Berean Standard Bible renders the latter: “He also built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities that he had built in Hamath” (2 Chronicles 8:4). Together with Hazor, Megiddo, Gezer, and Baalath, Tadmor forms part of a list of royal projects undertaken during the era of peace and prosperity granted to Solomon (1 Kings 9:15-19). Geographical and Strategic Importance • Oasis hub: The springs of Afqa and Efqa enabled date palms, orchards, and fields, turning Tadmor into a natural caravan stop. Solomonic Administration and Wisdom Tadmor illustrates Solomon’s God-given wisdom (1 Kings 4:29-34) expressed in infrastructure: 1. Stewardship of natural resources—harnessing an oasis for national blessing. The Chronicler’s inclusion of Tadmor underscores that such projects were not mere vanity; they were instruments through which God fulfilled His promise to give Israel “rest on every side” (1 Kings 5:4). Later Historical Development After the divided monarchy, Tadmor faded from Israelite texts but rose under successive empires: Archaeology thus validates the biblical notice of a major oasis city already functioning in the tenth century B.C. Theological Themes 1. Covenant fulfillment: Tadmor’s inclusion with inner-Israelite sites reminds readers that God’s covenant blessing extended beyond Judea’s hills into the desert, “from Dan to Beersheba” and even farther (1 Kings 4:25). Ministry and Discipleship Implications • Strategic placement: Churches and ministries today may learn from Tadmor to plant gospel works in pivotal cultural crossroads—universities, port cities, digital platforms—where influence radiates outward. Summary Tadmor stands as a witness to the breadth of Solomon’s kingdom, the practicality of God-given wisdom, and the far-reaching purpose of divine blessing. Rising from a desert spring, it calls believers to build enduring works that refresh travelers and extend the reign of the true Son of David “to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:8). Forms and Transliterations תַּדְמֹ֖ר תַּדְמֹ֥ר תדמר taḏ·mōr tadMor taḏmōrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 9:18 HEB: [תָּמָר כ] (תַּדְמֹ֥ר ק) בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר KJV: And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, INT: and Baalath continually the wilderness the land 2 Chronicles 8:4 2 Occurrences |