succoth Summary and Overview

booths. (1.) The first encampment of the Israelites after leaving Ramesses (Ex. 12:37); the civil name of Pithom (q.v.). (2.) A city on the east of Jordan, identified with Tell Dar'ala, a high mound, a mass of debris, in the plain north of Jabbok and about one mile from it (Josh. 13:27). Here Jacob (Gen. 32:17, 30; 33:17), on his return from Padan-aram after his interview with Esau, built a house for himself and made booths for his cattle. The princes of this city churlishly refused to afford help to Gideon and his 300 men when "faint yet pursuing" they followed one of the bands of the fugitive Midianites after the great victory at Gilboa. After overtaking and routing this band at Karkor, Gideon on his return visited the rulers of the city with severe punishment. "He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth" (Judg. 8:13-16). At this place were erected the foundries for casting the metal-work for the temple (1 Kings 7:46).

(booths). 1. An ancient town, first heard of in the account of the homeward journey of Jacob from Padan-aram. #Ge 35:17| The name is derived from the fact of Jacob's having there put up "booths" (succoth) for his cattle as well as a house for himself. From the itinerary of Jacob's return it seems that Succoth lay between Peniel, near the ford of the torrent Jabbok and Shechem. Comp. #Ge 32:30| and Gene 33:18 In accordance with this is the mention of Succoth in the narrative of Gideon's pursuit of Zebah and Zalluunna. #Jud 5:5-17| It would appear from this passage that it lay east of the Jordan, which is corroborated by the fact that it was allotted to the tribe of Gad. #Jos 13:27| Succoth is named once again after this --in #1Ki 7:46; 2Ch 4:17| --as marking the spot at which the brass founderies were placed for casting the metal work of the temple. (Dr. Merrill identifies it with a site called Tell Darala, one mile north of the Jabbok. --ED.) 2. The first camping-place of the Israelites when they left Egypt. #Ex 12:37; 13:20; Nu 33:5,6| This place was apparently reached at the close of the first days march. Rameses, the starting-place, was probably near the western end of the Wadi-t-Tumeylat. The distance traversed in each day's journey was about fifteen miles.

SUC'COTH (booths), a name for two places. 1. The place to which Jacob journeyed after leaving Esau, and where he built him a house and made booths for his cattle. Gen 33:17. It was given to the tribe of Gad. Josh 13:27. From this fact it would appear to be on the east side of the Jordan. Gideon severely punished the people of the place for not aiding him against the Midianites. Jud 8:5-8, Jud 8:14-16. At this town were the brass-foundries for casting the metal-work for the temple. 1 Kgs 7:46; 2 Chr 4:17. In the valley of the Jordan, about a mile from the river, and 10 miles south of Beisan, is a ruin called Sakut, which is identified by Robinson and others as Succoth. But the position of this place is on the wrong side of the Jordan for Succoth. The Talmud calls Succoth, Tarala, and Dr. Merrill discovered a site on the east side of the Jordan, called Tell Darala, which is 1 mile north of the Jabbok. This may be the ancient Succoth. The principal mound is thickly covered with broken pottery. 2. The first camping-place of the Israelites in the desert. Ex 12:37; Josh 13:20; Num 33:5-6. It was a day's journey from Rameses, and must have been 12 or 15 miles east of that place. Some would identify it with Birket Timseh, or "Lake of crocodiles," a few miles north of the northern end of the Red Sea.

("booths"), from saakak "to entwine" or "shelter." 1. Jerome places it "beyond Jordan" (Quaest. Hebrew). In Joshua 13:27-28 Succoth is assigned to Gad. The mention of the "house" and "booths" marks that Jacob stayed there for long, in contrast to his previous pilgrim life in tents, Succoth lay on the route between Pentel on the E. of Jordan and Shechem on the W. of Jordan (Genesis 32:30; Genesis 33:17-18). (See PENUEL; SHALEM.) Subsequently, in Gideon's days Succoth had 77 chiefs and elders (zeqeenim, "sheikhs", i.e. headmen, literally, old men). See also 1 Kings 7:46; 2 Chronicles 4:17. The Talmud makes Succoth a district (so Psalm 60:6, "the valley of Succoth") as well as a town, called Ter'alah; this corresponds to the tell or mound Der'ala, thickly strewed with pottery, in the great plain N. of the Jabbok, one mile from the river and three miles from where it leaves the hills. Close by is a smaller mound with ruins. The Bedouin say a city existed formerly on the large mound. E. of tell Der'ala is the ford of the Jabbok, "Mashra'a Canaan," i.e. Canaan's crossing. The route into Canaan which the nomadic tribes, as Midian, always took ("the way of them that dwell in tents," Judges 8:11) was along the course of the Jabbok and so across Jordan opposite Bethshean, thence spreading over the Esdraelon plain. Gideon (Judges 8:4-17) in pursuing Midian took the same course in reverse order until he reached Succoth. The men of Succoth, as living on this great army route between Canaan and the East, and having regard only to self and no concern for Israel's deliverance and no compassion for the sufferings of Gideon's gallant little band, would give no bread to their brethren lest they should incur the vengeance of Midian; nay more, they added insolence to unkindness. As then they classed themselves with the wicked, of whom thorns are the symbol, their retributive punishment was to be chastised with thorns of the wilderness (the strongest thorns: Isaiah 5:6; Isaiah 27:4; Amos 1:3; 2 Samuel 23:6-7). frontIsrael Exploation Quarterly Statement, April 1878, p. 81.) 2. Israel's first camping place after leaving Egypt, half way between Rameses and Etham, Succoth of the Birket Timseh ("the lake of crocodiles") on the road which led by the shortest way to the edge of the wilderness. Possibly from Hebrew sukowt "booths," but probably from the Egyptian sechet or sochot, the "domain of an officer of state" in Lower Egypt not far from Memphis, in the time of Chufu (Exodus 12:37; Exodus 13:20; Numbers 33:5-6).