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Janoah

biblical_place_name theological_term standard

Janoah is a biblical place-name, associated with the territory of Ephraim and later named in an Assyrian conquest list.

At a Glance

Biblical location; a town or boundary point in Israel’s land records.

Key Points

Description

Janoah is a place-name in the Old Testament rather than a theological concept. In Joshua 16:6 it appears in the description of the border of Ephraim, indicating a settlement or landmark within the tribal allotments of the land. It appears again in 2 Kings 15:29 in a list of towns and regions conquered by Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria during the decline of the northern kingdom. Scripture gives no developed doctrine associated with Janoah itself; its significance is historical and geographical, helping locate Israel’s inheritance and later political turmoil within real space and time. The exact site has not been identified with certainty, so interpreters should avoid overstatement about its modern location.

Biblical Context

Janoah belongs to the land-setting of the conquest and settlement narratives. In Joshua it functions as a boundary point in the tribal map of Ephraim, showing the ordered distribution of inheritance in the land. In Kings it appears in a list of towns struck during Assyrian expansion, reflecting the instability and judgment that came upon the northern kingdom.

Historical Context

Historically, Janoah is important because it anchors biblical narrative in identifiable geography, even when the precise archaeological site is unknown. Its appearance in an Assyrian conquest list places it in the period of Israel’s northern decline under imperial pressure from Assyria. The name likely marked a real settlement or district in ancient Israel.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In ancient Israelite usage, place-names often served as memory markers for tribal boundaries, inheritance, and historical events. Janoah would have been heard as part of the concrete geography of the land, not as an abstract theological term. Later Jewish interpretation does not attach a major doctrinal tradition to the name itself.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The Hebrew name is commonly transliterated Janoah or Yanoah. Its exact etymology and modern identification are uncertain, and it should be treated primarily as a geographic name.

Theological Significance

Janoah has no standalone doctrinal meaning, but it contributes to the Bible’s historical credibility by locating Israel’s story in real geography and public history.

Philosophical Explanation

As a place-name, Janoah illustrates the Scripture’s ordinary historical mode: God’s redemptive work unfolds among actual places, peoples, and political events, not in mythic abstraction.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not build doctrine from the name itself. Avoid confident claims about the exact modern site, since identification is uncertain. Keep the entry in the category of biblical geography rather than theology.

Major Views

Most interpreters treat Janoah simply as a town or boundary location mentioned in the biblical land records. Discussion focuses mainly on its location and identification, not on theological interpretation.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Janoah is a biblical place-name, not a symbol that carries independent doctrinal authority. Its value is historical and textual, and it should not be used to support speculative typology or hidden meanings.

Practical Significance

Janoah reminds readers that biblical faith is rooted in real places and real history. Even minor place-names can help map the flow of Israel’s inheritance, conflict, and covenant history.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Janoah

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