{
  "id": "dict_002435",
  "term": "Hebron",
  "slug": "hebron",
  "letter": "H",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A major biblical city in the hill country of Judah, associated with Abraham, the patriarchs, Caleb, and David’s early reign.",
  "simple_one_line": "Hebron is an important Old Testament city tied to the patriarchs and to David’s rise to kingship.",
  "tooltip_text": "An ancient city in Judah linked to Abraham, the burial cave of Machpelah, Caleb’s inheritance, and David’s first reign.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Abraham",
    "Machpelah",
    "Caleb",
    "Judah",
    "David",
    "Joshua",
    "Patriarchs"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Cave of Machpelah",
    "Kiriath-arba",
    "Hebron (city of refuge)",
    "Jerusalem"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Hebron is one of the most significant place-names in the Old Testament. It appears in the patriarchal narratives, in the conquest and settlement accounts, and in the early history of David’s kingdom.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Hebron was a prominent city in southern Canaan, later in Judah, that figures in Abraham’s life, the burial of the patriarchs, Caleb’s inheritance, and David’s reign before Jerusalem became the royal center.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Associated with Abraham and the cave of Machpelah",
    "Burial place linked to the patriarchs and matriarchs",
    "Given to Caleb in the land allotment",
    "Served as David’s first capital over Judah",
    "A key biblical landmark in Judah’s history"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Hebron is a major Old Testament city in the hill country of Judah. Scripture connects it with Abraham’s settlement near the city, the cave of Machpelah, the burial of the patriarchs, Caleb’s inheritance, and David’s early reign before Jerusalem became his capital. It is best treated as a biblical place-name rather than a theological term in the strict sense.",
  "description_academic_full": "Hebron is a prominent biblical city in the hill country of Judah with deep patriarchal and royal associations. In Genesis, Abraham dwelt by Hebron, and the cave of Machpelah near the city became the family burial place associated with Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah. In the conquest and settlement narratives, Hebron appears in connection with Caleb and the inheritance of Judah, and in the historical books it becomes the place where David first reigned over Judah before later ruling all Israel from Jerusalem. Hebron therefore carries substantial covenantal and historical significance in the biblical storyline, though its category is best understood as historical geography or a biblical place-name.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Hebron enters Scripture in the patriarchal narratives and remains important through the conquest, the allotment of the land, and the united monarchy. Its recurring role helps trace continuity from Abraham’s promises to Israel’s settlement and David’s kingdom.",
  "background_historical_context": "Hebron was an ancient city in southern Canaan and later in the tribal territory of Judah. Its prominence in the biblical record reflects both its antiquity and its strategic and ceremonial importance.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In Jewish memory, Hebron is closely linked with the patriarchs through Machpelah and with the covenantal history of Israel. It remained a significant site of remembrance because of its burial associations and its place in Judah’s history.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Genesis 13:18",
    "Genesis 23:2, 17-20",
    "Genesis 35:27",
    "Numbers 13:22",
    "Joshua 14:13-15",
    "Joshua 20:7",
    "2 Samuel 2:1-4",
    "2 Samuel 5:1-5"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Joshua 15:13-14",
    "1 Chronicles 6:54-56",
    "1 Chronicles 11:1-3"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew: Ḥevrôn, commonly associated with a root conveying the idea of association or fellowship.",
  "theological_significance": "Hebron witnesses God’s faithfulness across generations: to Abraham in promise, to Israel in inheritance, and to David in kingship. Its biblical role highlights continuity in the covenant story and the concrete, historical way God worked through real places and people.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a place-name, Hebron shows how Scripture grounds theology in history. Biblical truth is not abstracted from events and locations; it is revealed through them.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not allegorize Hebron beyond its biblical function. Its significance comes from its narrative and covenantal context, not from speculative symbolism.",
  "major_views_note": "There is no major doctrinal dispute about Hebron itself; discussion usually concerns its location, identification, and the historical details of the biblical narratives.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Hebron is a real historical place in Scripture. It should not be treated as a doctrine, a person, or a symbol that overrides the plain sense of the text.",
  "practical_significance": "Hebron reminds readers that God’s promises unfold in ordinary geography and real history. It encourages confidence that the Lord is faithful across generations and circumstances.",
  "meta_description": "Hebron is a major Old Testament city associated with Abraham, the patriarchs, Caleb, and David’s early reign.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/hebron/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/hebron.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}