Lexical Definition

‎אֲפֵק‎ ʼĂphêq (af-ake') Aphek ^N:N--L
or אֲפִיק ʼĂphîyq (af-eek'); from ‎אָפַק‎ (in the sense of strength); fortress

Aphek, Aphik.

• § Aphek or Aphik = "enclosure"
• Aphek (or Aphik), the name of three places in Palestine

1) a Canaanite city near Jezreel
2) a city in territory of Asher
3) a city northeast of Beirut in Transjordan

See Greek: ἄφεσις · κῦμα · πηγή · πλευρά · πλήρωμα · φάραγξ · χείμαῤῥος

Extended Information

• Aphek or Aphik = "enclosure"
• Also named: a.phe.qah (‎א‎ֲ‎פ‎ֵ‎ק‎ָ‎ה‎ "Aphekah" אֲפֵקָה)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎אֲפֵק‎ ‎אֲפִיק‎ (Judg 1:31) proper name, of a location Aphek (perhaps enclosure, or fortress). **now probable that 1 should include Josh 12:18; 1Sam 4:1; 1Sam 29:1 and 2Kgs 13:22: ‎ᵐ5‎L; town not near Jezreel, but at north end of philistine plain; compare ‎ᵐ5‎L^i. with We^{compare 254} Dr^{1Sam 29:11} RS^{OTJC 2.435} GASm^{Geogr. 400 f.} Buhl^{Geogr. 212} (and N.) Bu^{RS 235 f.}; more doubtful are 1Kgs 20:26; 1Kgs 20:30; 2Kgs 13:17 (Kit 1Kgs 20:26); these, with Josh 19:30; Judg 1:31, might denote an Aphek near Jezreel.

1. city near Jezreel (Assyrian Ap‡u, compare Dl^{Pa 287}) Josh 12:18; 1Sam 29:1 (‎אֲפֵ֑קָה‎, so) 1Kgs 20:26; 1Kgs 20:30 compare 2Kgs 13:7

2. city in tribe of Asher Josh 19:30; Judg 1:31 (‎אֲפִיק‎).

3. city northeast of Beirût, modern Afqa Josh 13:4 ‎אֲפֵ֑קָת‎ see Di.

4. place near Mizpah 1Sam 4:1 (compare 1Sam 7:12).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Aphek_2 • A city in the Shephelah, site of Philistine battles.

Aphek or Aphekah, a city in the Shephelah, known for Philistine conflicts with Israel.

• A location first mentioned at Jos.12.18;
• referred to as Aphek אֲפֵק, or Aphekah אֲפֵקָה.
  

Aphek, also known as Aphekah, was a city located in the Shephelah, the foothills between the coastal plain and the Judean hills. It is mentioned in Joshua 12:18 as one of the cities defeated by Joshua during the conquest of Canaan. Later, Aphek was part of the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:53).

The city is most notably associated with the conflicts between the Israelites and the Philistines. In 1 Samuel 4:1, the Israelites camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek. The Philistines defeated the Israelites in battle and captured the Ark of the Covenant. Years later, during the reign of King Saul, the Philistines gathered their forces at Aphek before the fateful battle at Mount Gilboa, where Saul and his sons were killed (1 Samuel 29:1).

The exact location of Aphek in the Shephelah is uncertain, but it is generally identified with Tel Aphek, a site near the Yarkon River, about 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Joppa. The city's strategic location along the coastal plain made it a significant military stronghold and a focal point of the ongoing struggles between Israel and the Philistines.

All entries for Aphek or Aphekah: אֲפֵק ☩ אֲפֵקָה