kirjath-jearim Summary and Overview

city of jaars; i.e., of woods or forests, a Gibeonite town (Josh. 9:17) on the border of Benjamin, to which tribe it was assigned (18:15, 28). The ark was brought to this place (1 Sam. 7:1, 2) from Beth-shemesh and put in charge of Abinadab, a Levite. Here it remained till it was removed by David to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:2, 3, 12; 1 Chr. 15:1-29; compare Ps. 132). It was also called Baalah (Josh. 15:9) and Kirjath-baal (60). It has been usually identified with Kuriet el-'Enab (i.e., "city of grapes"), among the hills, about 8 miles NE of 'Ain Shems (i.e., Beth-shemesh). The opinion, however, that it is to be identified with 'Erma, 4 miles east of 'Ain Shems, on the edge of the valley of Sorek, seems to be better supported. (See KIRJATH T0002198.) The words of Ps. 132:6, "We found it in the fields of the wood," refer to the sojourn of the ark at Kirjath-jearim. "Wood" is here the rendering of the Hebrew word "jaar", which is the singular of "jearim".

(the city of forests), first mentioned as one of the four cities of the Gibeonites, #Jos 9:17| it next occurs as one of the landmarks of the northern boundary of Judah, ch #Jos 15:9| and as the point at which the western and southern boundaries of Benjamin coincided, ch. #Jos 18:14,15| and in the last two passages we find that it bore another, perhaps earlier, name --that of the great Canaanite deity Baal, namely BAALAH and KIRJATH-BAAL. At this place the ark remained for twenty years. #1Sa 7:2| At the close of that time Kirjath-jearim lost its sacred treasure, on its removal by David to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. #1Ch 13:5,6; 2Ch 1:4; 2Sa 6:2| etc. To Eusebius and Jerome it appears to have been well known. They describe it as a village at the ninth mile between Jerusalem and Diospolis (Lydda). These requirements are exactly fulfilled in the small modern village of Kuriet-el-Enab --now usually known as Abu Gosh, from the robber chief whose headquarters it was --on the road from Jaffa and Jerusalem.

KIR'JATH-JE'ARIM (The city of woods), one of the four cities of the Gibeonites, Josh 9:17, situated on the border of Judah and Benjamin, Josh 15:9; Josh 18:14, 2 Sam 20:15; but belonging to Judah, Josh 15:60; Jud 18:12; was also called Baalah, Josh 15:9, 1 Kgs 16:10, or Baale of Judah, 2 Sam 6:2, or Kirjath-baal. Hither the ark was brought from Beth-shemesh, 1 Sam 6:21; Zech 7:1, Lev 10:2, and here it remained until it was removed by David. 1 Chr 13:5; 2 Chr 1:4. The prophet Urijah, who was put to death by Jehoiakim, Jer 26:20, was born here, and after the Captivity the people of the city returned to it in numbers. Neh 7:29. PerhapsKuryet el Enab, but the Pal. Memoirs suggest Erma, 4 miles east of 'Ain Shems, as its site.