Overview:
Timnah is a location mentioned several times in the Bible, primarily in the Old Testament. It is associated with various historical and biblical events, particularly in the narratives concerning the tribes of Israel and notable biblical figures such as Samson and Judah. The name "Timnah" is believed to mean "allotted portion" or "territory."

Biblical References:

1. Judah and Tamar:
Timnah is first mentioned in the context of the account of Judah and Tamar. In Genesis 38:12-14, Judah goes up to Timnah to shear his sheep, and it is here that Tamar disguises herself to confront him. The passage reads: "After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to the sheepshearers. When Tamar was told, 'Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,' she took off her widow’s clothes, veiled herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah."

2. Samson's Exploits:
Timnah is also significant in the account of Samson, one of the judges of Israel. In Judges 14, Samson travels to Timnah and becomes infatuated with a Philistine woman, whom he decides to marry. This decision sets off a chain of events that lead to several of Samson's notable exploits against the Philistines. Judges 14:1-2 states: "One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman. So he returned and told his father and mother, 'I have seen a young Philistine woman in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.'"

3. Tribal Allotments:
Timnah is also mentioned in the context of the tribal allotments in the Book of Joshua. It is listed as part of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:10) and later as part of the territory of the tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:43). This dual mention suggests that Timnah was a border town between these tribal territories.

Historical and Geographical Context:
Timnah is believed to have been located in the Shephelah, the lowland region of ancient Israel, which served as a buffer zone between the coastal plains and the hill country. The exact location of Timnah has been a subject of debate among archaeologists and biblical scholars, with several sites proposed, including Tel Batash and Khirbet Tibna.

Cultural and Theological Significance:
Timnah serves as a backdrop for significant biblical narratives that highlight themes of covenant, morality, and divine intervention. The account of Judah and Tamar underscores the importance of family lineage and the fulfillment of God's promises, while Samson's encounters in Timnah illustrate the tension between Israel and the Philistines and the consequences of personal choices.

In the broader biblical narrative, Timnah represents a place where human actions intersect with divine purposes, often leading to unexpected outcomes that further God's overarching plan for His people.Timnah

forbidding

Timnah

(portion).

1. A place which formed one of the landmarks on the north boundary of the allotment of Judah. (Joshua 15:10) It is probably identical with the Thimnathah of (Joshua 19:43) and that again with the Timnath, or, more accurately, Timnathah, of Samson (Judges 14:1,2,5) and the Thamnatha of the Maccabees. The modern representative of all these various forms of the same name is probably Tibneh, a village about two miles west of Ain Shems (Beth-shemesh). In the later history of the Jews, Timnah must have been a conspicuous place. It was fortified by Bacchides as one of the most important military posts of Judea. 1 Macc. 9:50.
2. A town in the mountain district of Judah. (Joshua 15:57) A distinct place from that just examined.
3. Inaccurately written Timnath in the Authorized Version, the scene of the adventure of Judah with his daughter in-law Tamar. (Genesis 38:12,13,14) There is nothing here to indicate its position. It may be identified either with the Timnah in the mountains of Judah No. 23 or with the Timnathath of Samson [No. 1].

A portion.

(1.) A town of Judah (Joshua 15:10). The Philistines took possession of it in the days of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:18). It was about 20 miles west of Jerusalem. It has been identified with Timnatha of Dan (Joshua 19:43), and also with Timnath (Judges 14:1, 5).

(2.) A city in the mountains of Judah (Joshua 15:57)= Tibna near Jeba'.

(3.) A "duke" or sheik of Edom (Genesis 36:40).

TIMNAH

tim'-na (timnah, timnathah (Joshua 19:43 Judges 14:1, 2, 5), "allotted portion; Codex Vaticanus Thamnatha; also several Greek variations; King James Version has Timnath in Genesis 38:12, 13, 14 Judges 14:1, 2, 5; and Thimnathah in Joshua 19:43):

(1) A town in the southern part of the hill country of Judah (Joshua 15:57). Tibna proposed by Conder, a ruin 8 miles West of Bethlehem, seems too far N. (PEF, III, 53, Sh XVII). It is possible this may be the "Timnah" of Genesis 38:12, 13, 14.

(2) A town on the northern border of Judah (Joshua 15:10), lying between Beth-shemesh and Ekron. It is probably the same Timnah as Judah visited (Genesis 38:12-14), and certainly the scene of Samson's adventures (Judges 14:1 f); his "father-in-law" is called a "Timnite" (Judges 15:6). At this time the place is clearly Philistine (Judges 14:1), though in Joshua 19:43 it is reckoned to Dan. Being on the frontier, it probably changed hands several times. In 2 Chronicles 28:18 it was captured from the Philistines by Ahaz, and we learn from Assyrian evidence (Prison Inscription) that Sennacherib captured a Tamna after the battle of Alteka before he besieged Ekron (Schrader, Die Keilinschriften und das Altes Testament, 170). The site is undoubted. It is now a deserted ruin called Tibneh on the southern slopes of the Wady es Surar (Valley of Sorek), about 2 miles West of Beth-shemesh. There is a spring, and there are evident signs of antiquity (PEF, II, 417, 441, Sh XVI).

(3) There was probably a Timna in Edom (Genesis 36:12, 22, 40 1 Chronicles 1:39, 51). Eusebius and Jerome (in Onomasticon) recognized a Thamna in Edom at their time.

(4) The "Thamnatha" of 1 Maccabees 9:50 (the King James Version) is probably another Timnah, and identical with the Thamna of Josephus (BJ, III, iii, 5; IV, viii, 1). This is probably the Tibneh, 10 miles Northwest of Bethel, an extensive ruin.

E. W. G. Masterman

8553. Timnah -- "territory," two cities in Judah
... 8552, 8553. Timnah. 8554 . "territory," two cities in Judah. Transliteration:
Timnah Phonetic Spelling: (tim-naw') Short Definition: Timnah. ...
/hebrew/8553.htm - 6k

8554. Timni -- inhab. of Timnah
... Timni. 8555 . inhab. of Timnah. Transliteration: Timni Phonetic Spelling:
(tim-nee') Short Definition: Timnite. Word Origin from Timnah Definition inhab. ...
/hebrew/8554.htm - 6k

8555. Timna -- an Edomite name
... Timna, Timnah. From mana'; restraint; Timna, the name of two Edomites -- Timna,
Timnah. see HEBREW mana'. 8554, 8555. Timna. 8556 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/8555.htm - 6k

8556. Timnath Cherec -- "territory of the sun," a village in the ...
... Or Timnath Cerach {tim-nath seh'-rakh}; from Timnah and cherec; portion of (the)
sun; Timnath-Cheres, a place in Palestine -- Timnath-heres, Timnath-serah. ...
/hebrew/8556.htm - 6k

8556b. Timnath Serech -- "territory of the sun," a village in the ...
... Word Origin from Timnah and cheres Definition "territory of the sun," a village
in the hill country of Ephraim, the same as NH8556a NASB Word Usage Timnath ...
/hebrew/8556b.htm - 6k

8556a. Timnath Cheres -- "territory of the sun," a village in the ...
... Word Origin from Timnah and cheres Definition "territory of the sun," a village
in the hill country of Ephraim NASB Word Usage Timnath-heres (1). ...
/hebrew/8556a.htm - 5k

Samson's Wedding Feast
... STORIES IV SAMSON'S WEDDING FEAST. And Samson went down to Timnah, and
saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/iv samsons wedding feast.htm

Samson who did to Others as they did to Him
... Once Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a Philistine woman. When he
came back he said to his father and mother, "I have seen ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/samson who did to others.htm

Chapter xxxviii
... Then when Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to his sheepshearers,
he and Hirah his friend, the Adullamite, to Timnah. ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxviii.htm

The Testament of Judah Concerning Fortitude, and Love of Money ...
... Joshua 24:30; Judges 2:9; 2 Samuel 23:30. Cf. also "Gaiz," Jubilees, lc. [101] The
Timnah of the Old Testament, which name is, however, borne by several places. ...
/.../iv the testament of judah concerning.htm

Chapter xxxvi
... And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam and Kenaz. And Timnah
was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son, and she bore to Eliphaz, Amalek. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxvi.htm

Timnah (12 Occurrences)
... (3.) A "duke" or sheik of Edom (Genesis 36:40). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
TIMNAH. ... It is possible this may be the "Timnah" of Genesis 38:12, 13, 14. ...
/t/timnah.htm - 13k

Timnath (9 Occurrences)
... Genesis 38:12,14. (1.) Hebrews Timnathah, which is appropriately rendered in the
Revised Version, Timnah, a town in Judah. ... TIMNATH. tim'-hath. See TIMNAH. ...
/t/timnath.htm - 9k

Timna (6 Occurrences)
... in Genesis 36:22 and 1 Chronicles 1:39 Timna is the sister of Lotan, and in Genesis
36:40 and 1 Chronicles 1:51 a chief or elan of Edom (see TIMNAH (3)). These ...
/t/timna.htm - 9k

Philistine (63 Occurrences)
... Judges 14:1 Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters
of the Philistines. (Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/p/philistine.htm - 29k

Thimnathah (1 Occurrence)
... thim'-na-tha, thim-na'-tha (timnathah): the King James Version in Joshua 19:43.
It is correctly "Timnah" with Heb locale meaning "towed Timnah." See TIMNAH. ...
/t/thimnathah.htm - 7k

Samson (37 Occurrences)
... On his arriving at manhood, five remarkable circumstances are recorded of him.
(1) His marriage with a Philistine woman of Timnah (Judges 14). ...
/s/samson.htm - 37k

Vineyards (55 Occurrences)
... Judges 14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and
came to the vineyards of Timnah: and behold, a young lion roared against him. ...
/v/vineyards.htm - 25k

Vine-gardens (41 Occurrences)
... Judges 14:5 Then Samson went down to Timnah (and his father and his mother,) and
came to the vine-gardens of Timnah; and a young lion came rushing out at him. ...
/v/vine-gardens.htm - 19k

Timnite (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A man of Timnah. ... TIMNITE. tim'-nit (timni Thamnathaios):
The father of Samson's wife, a native of Timnah (Judges 15:6). ...
/t/timnite.htm - 7k

Roaring (28 Occurrences)
... Judges 14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and
came to the vineyards of Timnah; and, behold, a young lion roared against him. ...
/r/roaring.htm - 15k

Who was Judah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Samson in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

How does Satan tempt us? | GotQuestions.org

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