{
  "id": "dict_004853",
  "term": "Rekem",
  "slug": "rekem",
  "letter": "R",
  "entry_type": "biblical_proper_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A biblical proper name used for more than one figure and for a place name in the Old Testament.",
  "simple_one_line": "Rekem is a biblical name for a Midianite king, a Judahite descendant, and a town in Benjamin’s inheritance list.",
  "tooltip_text": "Biblical proper name: used of a person and a place in different Old Testament contexts.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Midian",
    "Benjamin",
    "Judah",
    "Joshua",
    "1 Chronicles",
    "Numbers"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Proper names",
    "Biblical genealogies",
    "Tribal allotments",
    "Midianite kings"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Rekem is a biblical proper name, not a theological concept. In the Old Testament it refers to more than one individual and also to a place, so the meaning must be determined from context.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Biblical proper name with multiple referents.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "A Midianite king named Rekem appears in Numbers 31:8.",
    "A Judahite descendant named Rekem appears in 1 Chronicles 2:43.",
    "A town named Rekem appears in Joshua 18:27.",
    "Context determines which referent is in view."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Rekem is a biblical proper name that appears in both personal and geographical contexts in the Old Testament. Because the same name is used for different referents, it should be treated as a name entry rather than a doctrinal term.",
  "description_academic_full": "Rekem is a Hebrew proper name used in the Old Testament for more than one referent. It appears as the name of a Midianite king in Numbers 31:8, as the name of a descendant in Judah’s genealogical record in 1 Chronicles 2:43, and as the name of a town in Benjamin’s territorial list in Joshua 18:27. The entry is therefore best classified as a biblical proper name rather than a theological term. Readers should interpret each occurrence in light of its immediate context and not assume that every use refers to the same person or place.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In Scripture, names can be shared by different people and places. Rekem is one of those names, occurring in both narrative and genealogical or geographical settings. The biblical text uses the name for a Midianite ruler, a family line in Judah, and a town in Benjamin.",
  "background_historical_context": "The appearance of Rekem as both a personal and place name reflects common ancient naming practices. In the Old Testament world, the same name could be reused across tribes, regions, and generations without implying identity between the referents.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Ancient Israelite genealogies and territorial lists often preserve names that were meaningful within clan, tribal, or regional memory. Rekem belongs to that pattern: a shared name attached to different people and a settlement in the land lists.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Numbers 31:8",
    "Joshua 18:27",
    "1 Chronicles 2:43"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "1 Chronicles 7:16 (possible additional personal name context, if distinguished by edition/translation)",
    "related genealogical and territorial passages in Joshua and Chronicles"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew: רֶקֶם (Rekem), a transliterated proper name.",
  "theological_significance": "Rekem itself is not a doctrine, but it illustrates the importance of reading Scripture carefully in context and recognizing that biblical names may refer to different people or places.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "Proper names function as referential labels. In biblical study, the same label may point to different entities, so meaning is established by literary and historical context rather than by the name alone.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not assume that every occurrence of Rekem refers to the same individual. The name is used in more than one setting, and context is necessary to identify the referent.",
  "major_views_note": "The main interpretive issue is not theological disagreement but identification of referents. Standard reading treats Rekem as a shared proper name used for distinct people and a place.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry should not be used to build doctrine. It is a name entry, not a theological term, and its significance is lexical and historical rather than doctrinal.",
  "practical_significance": "Rekem reminds readers to pay attention to context when studying names in Scripture and to distinguish people, places, and repeated names accurately.",
  "meta_description": "Rekem is a biblical proper name used for a Midianite king, a Judahite descendant, and a town in Benjamin’s territory.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/rekem/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/rekem.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}