Lexical Definition
אֶשְׁתָּאֹל ʼEshtâʼôl (esh-taw-ole') Eshtaol N:N--L
or אֶשְׁתָּאוֹל ʼEshtâʼôwl (eshtaw-ole'); probably from שָׁאַל; intreaty
Eshtaol.
- § Eshtaol = "entreaty"
- Eshtaol, a place in Palestine
1) a Danite city located within Judah
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| וּמֵאֶשְׁתָּאֹ֑ל | and from Eshtaol | Judg.18.11 |
| וּמֵֽאֶשְׁתָּאֹ֗ל | and from Eshtaol | Judg.18.2 |
| וְאֶשְׁתָּאֹ֑ל | and Eshtaol | Judg.18.8 |
| וְאֶשְׁתָּא֖וֹל | and Eshtaol | Josh.19.41 |
| אֶשְׁתָּאֹֽל | Eshtaol | Judg.13.25 |
| אֶשְׁתָּאֹ֔ל | Eshtaol | Judg.16.31 |
| אֶשְׁתָּא֥וֹל | Eshtaol | Josh.15.33 |
| Εσθαόλ | Eshtaol | LXX.Josh.19.41 • LXX.Judg.13.25 |
| Esthaol | LXX.Judg.16.31 • LXX.Judg.18.2 • LXX.Judg.18.8 • LXX.Judg.18.11 | |
| Ασθαώλ | Eshtaol | LXX.Josh.15.33 |
Extended Information
- Eshtaol = "entreaty"
- Also named: esh.ta.u.li (אֶשְׁתָּאֻלִי "Eshtaolite" אֶשְׁתָּאֻלִי)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
אֶשְׁתָּאוֺל Josh 15:33 + 2 t., אֶשְׁתָּאֹל Judg 13:25 + 3 t. proper name, of a location (in form like the infinitive of the Arabic VIII. conjugation from שָׁאַל: so אֶשְׁתְּמֹעַ from שָׁמַע. Perhaps Arabic-speaking tribes may have settled in parts of south of Judah) city of Danites in the שְׁפֵלָה of Judah, named with צָרְעָה Josh 15:33; Josh 19:41; Judg 13:25; Judg 16:31; Judg 18:2; Judg 18:8; Judg 18:11 perhaps modern Eshû± Surveyiii. 25 GuérinPal. ii. 13 f. 382.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Joshua | 15:33 · 19:41 |
| Judges | 13:25 · 16:31 · 18:2 · 18:8 · 18:11 |
Profile
Eshtaol • City allotted to Judah and Dan; associated with Samson
Eshtaol, a city allotted to Judah and Dan, was the hometown of Samson and the starting point of the Danite migration.
- A location first mentioned at Jos.15.33;
- referred to as Eshtaol אֶשְׁתָּאֹל, or Eshtaolite אֶשְׁתָּאֻלִי.
Eshtaol was a city located in the Shephelah, or foothills, of Judah. It was initially allotted to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:33) but was later assigned to the tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:41).
Eshtaol is particularly associated with the story of Samson, the legendary Israelite judge. Samson was born in the nearby town of Zorah and is described as moving between Zorah and Eshtaol, where the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him (Judges 13:25). After Samson's death, he was buried between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father, Manoah (Judges 16:31).
Eshtaol also played a role in the Danite migration narrative. Due to limited territory and pressure from the Philistines, a group of Danites sent spies from Zorah and Eshtaol to search for a new land to settle (Judges 18:2). After the spies returned with a favorable report, six hundred men from the clan of the Danites set out from Zorah and Eshtaol to conquer the city of Laish in the north (Judges 18:8, 11).
The descendants of the Eshtaolites, a clan from Eshtaol, are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:53 among the descendants of Judah's son Shobal. This suggests that the city maintained its ties to the tribe of Judah even after being allotted to Dan.
All entries for Eshtaol or Eshtaolite: אֶשְׁתָּאֹל ☩ אֶשְׁתָּאֻלִי