{
  "id": "dict_002351",
  "term": "Hamath",
  "slug": "hamath",
  "letter": "H",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "An important Syrian city and region north of Israel, often used in Scripture as a boundary marker for the northern extent of the land.",
  "simple_one_line": "Hamath is a biblical place-name for a major city and region north of Israel.",
  "tooltip_text": "Major Syrian city and region that often marks Israel’s northern boundary in the Old Testament.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Lebo-hamath",
    "Northern boundary",
    "Syria",
    "Orontes",
    "Israel (land of)"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Geography, Biblical",
    "Lebanon",
    "Damascus",
    "Aram",
    "Boundary markers"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Hamath was a significant city and surrounding region in Syria north of Israel. In the Old Testament it frequently appears in geographic and historical settings, especially in boundary formulas such as “the entrance of Hamath,” which mark the northern extent of the land.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A major biblical place-name in northern Syria, often used as a landmark for Israel’s northern border.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "A real city and region north of Israel",
    "Frequently appears in boundary language",
    "Important in Israel’s historical and political relations with surrounding nations",
    "Best treated as a geography entry, not a theological concept"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Hamath was a prominent city and territory in the region north of Israel, associated with the Orontes valley in Syria. In Scripture it appears chiefly in historical and geographic contexts, especially in phrases such as “the entrance of Hamath” or “Lebo-hamath,” which function as northern boundary markers. Because the term is primarily a place-name, it should be classified as a biblical geography entry rather than a theological term.",
  "description_academic_full": "Hamath was an important city and surrounding territory in ancient Syria, north of Israel, commonly associated with the Orontes valley. In the Old Testament it appears in narratives and boundary descriptions, including references to conquest, royal activity, and territorial limits. The phrase “the entrance of Hamath” or “Lebo-hamath” commonly denotes the northern border of the land in relation to Israel’s historical or ideal reach. As a result, Hamath is best understood as a biblical place-name with geographic and historical significance rather than as a theological concept in its own right.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Hamath appears in passages describing the spies’ route, the division of the land, Solomon’s kingdom, later royal campaigns, and prophetic references to Israel’s borders. Its role is often to help readers locate the northern edge of territory or to show the reach of a king’s rule.",
  "background_historical_context": "Historically, Hamath was a major Syrian city-state and regional center north of Israel. Its strategic location made it important in trade, military movement, and imperial expansion across the Levant.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Jewish and biblical geographic usage, Hamath served as a familiar landmark for defining the limits of the land and for situating Israel among surrounding nations. The boundary phrase became a conventional way of describing the northern extent of settled or promised territory.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Num. 13:21",
    "Josh. 13:5",
    "1 Kgs. 8:65",
    "2 Kgs. 14:25",
    "2 Chr. 7:8",
    "Amos 6:2"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "1 Kgs. 4:24",
    "2 Kgs. 17:24, 30",
    "2 Chr. 8:4",
    "Isa. 10:9",
    "Jer. 49:23",
    "Zech. 9:2"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew: חֲמָת (Ḥămāṯ), a proper place-name rendered “Hamath.” Related boundary language includes “Lebo-hamath,” commonly translated “entrance of Hamath.”",
  "theological_significance": "Hamath itself is not a doctrine, but its repeated use as a boundary marker contributes to biblical geography and to the portrayal of the promised land, Israel’s historical extent, and the limits of royal power.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a place-name, Hamath illustrates how Scripture grounds theology in concrete history and geography. Biblical revelation often uses real locations to anchor covenant, judgment, blessing, and national identity in the actual world.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat Hamath as a theological abstraction. Distinguish the city of Hamath from the boundary phrase “the entrance of Hamath,” which functions as a geographic marker. Avoid over-precise reconstructions of borders where the context is poetic, prophetic, or formulaic.",
  "major_views_note": "Interpreters generally agree that Hamath refers to a real northern Syrian city and territory. Discussion usually concerns how boundary formulas should be read in a given passage, not whether Hamath is a genuine place-name.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Hamath does not carry a distinct doctrinal teaching. It should be used to support biblical geography, historical context, and boundary language, not speculative claims about hidden symbolism.",
  "practical_significance": "Hamath helps readers understand Old Testament maps, territorial descriptions, and the historical setting of Israel’s kings and prophets. It also reminds readers that Scripture is rooted in real places and events.",
  "meta_description": "Hamath is a biblical place-name for an important city and region north of Israel, often used as a northern boundary marker in the Old Testament.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/hamath/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/hamath.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}