Lexical Definition

‎עֵיטָם‎ ʻÊyṭâm (ay-tawm') Etam ^N:N--L
from ‎עַיִט‎; hawk-ground

Etam.

• § Etam = "lair of wild beasts"
• Etam, a place in Palestine

1) a village of the tribe of Simeon
2) a town in Judah fortified and garrisoned by king Rehoboam of Judah and located between Bethlehem and Tekoa
3) a cliff; site uncertain

Extended Information

• a cliff; site uncertain

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎עֵיטָם‎ proper name, of a location (perhaps animal-name, from ‎עַיִט‎, compare Gray^{Prop. Names 93}); —

1. Ηταμ, ᵐ5^L Ιταμ, a. cliff, ‎׳‎‎סְעִיף סֶלַע ע‎ Judg 15:8; Judg 15:11 perhaps near town ‎עֵיטָם‎, see following, but at ±Ar¹‡ Isma±£n near edge of Shephelah, west-southwest from Jerusalem according to Schick^{ZPV x (1887), 143 ff.}

2. Αιταν[μ], etc., city fortified by Rehoboam 2Chr 11:6, between Bethlehem and Tekoa, = ±Ain ±At¹n approximately 2 miles south-southwest from Bethlehem, Buhl^{Geogr. 92} GFM^{Judg 15:8}, near Urtâs Rob^{BR i. 477}; clan in Judah 1Chr 4:3.

3. Αιταν[μ], in Simeon 1Chr 4:32 (Be [not Oettli Kau Kit] reads ‎עֵתֶר‎ from Josh 15:42).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Etam_1 • Cliff where Samson hid after defeating the Philistines

Etam, the cliff where Samson hid after defeating the Philistines, located in Judah.

• A location first mentioned at Jdg.15.8;
• only referred to as Etam עֵיטָם.
  

Etam is mentioned in the Book of Judges as the place where Samson went and stayed after he had struck down many Philistines in revenge for his wife being given to another man (Judges 15:8). The text describes Etam as a cleft or split in the rock, suggesting that it was a natural stronghold or hiding place.

After Samson's attack on the Philistines, they came up to Judah and demanded that the men of Judah deliver Samson to them. Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam and asked Samson to surrender, fearing Philistine retaliation (Judges 15:11). Samson agreed to be bound and handed over to the Philistines, but he broke free from his bonds and struck down a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:14-15).

The exact location of the rock of Etam is uncertain, but it was likely situated in the territory of Judah, possibly near the border with Philistia. The area was known for its rugged terrain and numerous caves, which would have provided natural shelter and defense.

All entries for Etam: עֵיטָם