Strong's Hebrew: 7157. קִרְיַת (Qiryath Yearim or Qiryath Arim) -- Kiriath Jearim or Kiriath Arim

Original Word: קִרְיַת יְעָרִים
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Qiryath Y`ariym
Pronunciation: keer-YAHT yeh-ah-REEM
Phonetic Spelling: (keer-yath' yeh-aw-reem')
KJV: Kirjath, Kirjath-jearim, Kirjath-arim
NASB: Kiriath-jearim, Kiriath, Kiriath-arim
Word Origin: [from H7151 (קִריָה - city) and the plural of H3293 (יַעַר - Forest) or H5892 (עִיר עָר עָיַר - City)]

1. city of forests, or city of towns
2. Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim, a place in Israel

Kirjath, Kirjath-jearim, Kirjath-arim

Or (Jer. 26:20) with the article interposed; or (Josh. 18:28) simply the former part of the word; or Qiryath tariym {keer-yath' aw-reem'}; from qiryah and the plural of ya'ar or iyr; city of forests, or city of towns; Kirjath-Jearim or Kirjath-Arim, a place in Palestine -- Kirjath, Kirjath-jearim, Kirjath-arim.

see HEBREW qiryah

see HEBREW ya'ar

see HEBREW iyr

Word Origin
from qiryah and yaar
Definition
"city of forests," a city given to Judah, then to Benjamin
NASB Translation
Kiriath (1), Kiriath-arim (1), Kiriath-jearim (18).

קִרְיַת יְעָרִים proper name, of a location πόλ(ε)ις Ιαρειμ[ν], Καριαθιαρειμ, etc. (city of forests); — city of the Gibeonites Joshua 9:17, assigned to Judah Joshua 15:60 compare Judges 18:12 (twice in verse), on border of Benjamin Joshua 15:9 (יְעָרִים הַר Joshua 15:10, m5 πόλιν Ιαρειν, see יְעָרִים), Joshua 18:14; assigned to Benjamin Joshua 18:28 (יְעָרִים omitted by textual error before עָרִים, see m5); near Beth Shemesh 1 Samuel 6:21, long the abode of ark 1 Samuel 7:1,2; 1 Chronicles 13:5,6; 2Chronicles 1:4; named in Genealogical list 1 Chronicles 2:50,52,53; named also Nehemiah 7:29 = עָרִים ׳ק Ezra 2:25 (read יְעָרִים); with article הַיְּעָרִים ׳ק Jeremiah 26:20; abbreviated (in poetry) (שְׂדֵיֿ) יָ֑עַר Psalm 132:6; called also קִרְיַתבַּֿעַל (Καριαθβααλ) Joshua 15:60; Joshua 18:14 + Joshua 18:15 (where read for יְעָרִים ׳ק, so m5 Di Benn Steuern); this abbreviated into בַּעֲלָה, Joshua 15:9,10 [(Ιε)βααλ], also Joshua 15:11; Joshua 15:29, and מִבַּעֲלֵי יְהוּדָה 2 Samuel 6:2 (read ׳בַּעַל יְה, or ׳בַּעֲלַת יְה), בַּעֲלָ֑תָה "" 1 Chronicles 13:6 (see on these II. בַּעֲלָה). Identification uncertain; Rob^{BR ii. 11} conjectures Kiryat el-`Enab, 8 miles + west of Jerusalem (compare Καριαθιαρειμ Lag<sup>Onom. 271</sup>); `Erma (Henderson^{Pal. 85, 112, 210} Conder^{Survey Mem. iii. 43 ff.}), compare GASm^{Geogr. 225 f.} Buhl^{Geogr. 166 f.}.

קִרְיַתסַֿנָּה see following עָרִים ׳ק see foregoing

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Location and Geography

Kiriath Jearim ("City of Forests") occupied the frontier between Judah and Benjamin on the western shoulder of the Judean hill country, roughly midway between Jerusalem and the Philistine plain (Joshua 15:9; Joshua 18:14–15). It sat on a prominent hill (1 Samuel 7:1) with extensive woodlands, giving rise to its name. Modern identification favors Khirbet el-ʿEzariyeh (Deir el-ʿAzar) on the ridge of Abu Ghosh. Its situation made it a natural landmark on tribal borders and a strategic waypoint on the north–south ridge route.

Place among the Gibeonite Cities

Joshua 9:17 lists Kiriath Jearim with Gibeon, Chephirah, and Beeroth as Hivite towns that secured a covenant of servitude with Israel through deception. Though allotted to Judah (Joshua 15:9–10, 60) and Benjamin (Joshua 18:14–15, 28) in boundary descriptions, the city retained its Gibeonite distinctiveness, explaining why Levitical duties and later Benjamite resettlement could coexist with Judahite governance.

Custodian of the Ark of the Covenant

After the Philistines returned the captured ark, "The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD. They brought it into Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD" (1 Samuel 7:1). For about twenty years (1 Samuel 7:2) the ark remained here, signaling YHWH’s restored favor but also Israel’s spiritual lethargy: the nation "lamented after the LORD," yet no one moved the ark to Shiloh or to a central sanctuary. David later gathered "all Israel... to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim" (1 Chronicles 13:5; cf. 2 Samuel 6:2), underlining the site’s pivotal role in preparing the way for Jerusalem’s emergence as Israel’s worship center.

Tribal Genealogies and Clans

1 Chronicles 2:50–53 links Kiriath Jearim with the Calebite clan and lists descendants such as Reaiah, the Harumites, and the Shuthalites, suggesting integration between Calebite Judahites and remnant Hivites. The genealogy affirms continuity of covenant families from the conquest through the monarchy and ties the city to the broader promises given to Caleb.

Military Encounters and the Danite Migration

In Judges 18:12 the Danite expedition to Laish pitches camp at "Mahaneh-Dan, west of Kiriath Jearim." The notation implies that Kiriath Jearim marked a western limit of Israelite security; beyond it the tribal allotments had not been fully subdued, prompting Dan’s relocation. The episode reinforces the city’s role as a boundary marker during the unsettled era of the Judges.

Prophetic Voice from Kiriath Jearim

Jeremiah 26:20 records the prophet Uriah son of Shemaiah, "from Kiriath Jearim," whose faithful preaching paralleled Jeremiah’s and whose martyrdom prefigured later hostility to prophetic truth. The reference highlights the city as a locale that produced prophetic witness even amid national apostasy.

Post-Exilic Resettlement

Returning exiles from "Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth" numbered seven hundred and forty-three in Ezra 2:25 (cf. Nehemiah 7:29). Their inclusion testifies to covenant faithfulness: ancestral towns were reclaimed, the tribal map was reactivated, and Gibeonite servanthood within the temple service (Joshua 9:27) likely resumed. Kiriath Jearim thus bridges pre-exilic and post-exilic communities in the unfolding redemptive plan.

Spiritual and Ministry Significance

1. Reverence for God’s Presence: The prolonged housing of the ark emphasizes that God’s holiness can abide outside grand sanctuaries when hearts are consecrated (Abinadab and Eleazar).
2. Preparation for Zion: By sheltering the ark until David’s ascent, Kiriath Jearim functions as a theological hinge from the tribal confederacy to the united monarchy and ultimately to the Messianic expectation centered in Jerusalem.
3. Encouragement to Faithful Minorities: From a Gibeonite town spared by grace, from an outlying hill, and from a humble household, the Lord orchestrated national revival (1 Samuel 7) and prophetic testimony (Jeremiah 26). Ministry impact is not confined to prominent cities.

Later Jewish and Christian Tradition

Second century Jewish sources associate the site with "Gibeah" of the ark; early Christian pilgrims noted a church marking Abinadab’s house. Medieval Latin nomenclature (Cariathiarim) preserved the memory, and modern visitors to Abu Ghosh encounter Benedictine and Crusader remains commemorating the ark episode—evidence that Kiriath Jearim’s biblical legacy continued to inspire worship across the ages.

Key References

Joshua 9:17; 15:9–10, 60; 18:14–15, 28

Judges 18:12

1 Samuel 6:21–7:2

1 Chronicles 2:50–53; 13:5–6

2 Chronicles 1:4

Ezra 2:25; Nehemiah 7:29

Jeremiah 26:20

הַיְּעָרִ֑ים היערים יְעָרִ֑ים יְעָרִ֔ים יְעָרִ֖ים יְעָרִ֗ים יְעָרִֽים׃ יְעָרִים֙ יערים יערים׃ עָרִים֙ ערים קִרְיַ֔ת קרית ‘ā·rîm ‘ārîm aRim haiyeaRim hay·yə·‘ā·rîm hayyə‘ārîm kirYat qir·yaṯ qiryaṯ yə‘ārîm yə·‘ā·rîm yeaRimInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts

Joshua 9:17
HEB: וּבְאֵר֖וֹת וְקִרְיַ֥ת יְעָרִֽים׃
NAS: and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.
KJV: and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.
INT: and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim

Joshua 15:9
HEB: הִ֖יא קִרְיַ֥ת יְעָרִֽים׃
NAS: to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).
KJV: to Baalah, which [is] Kirjathjearim:
INT: to Baalah he which Kirjathjearim

Joshua 15:60
HEB: הִ֛יא קִרְיַ֥ת יְעָרִ֖ים וְהָֽרַבָּ֑ה עָרִ֥ים
NAS: Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah;
KJV: Kirjathbaal, which [is] Kirjathjearim, and Rabbah;
INT: Kiriath-baal he which Kirjathjearim and Rabbah cities

Joshua 18:14
HEB: הִ֚יא קִרְיַ֣ת יְעָרִ֔ים עִ֖יר בְּנֵ֣י
NAS: at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city
KJV: thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which [is] Kirjathjearim, a city
INT: Kiriath-baal he which Kirjathjearim A city of the sons

Joshua 18:15
HEB: מִקְצֵ֖ה קִרְיַ֣ת יְעָרִ֑ים וְיָצָ֤א הַגְּבוּל֙
NAS: [was] from the edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the border
KJV: [was] from the end of Kirjathjearim, and the border
INT: the south the edge of Kiriath-jearim went and the border

Joshua 18:28
HEB: יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ גִּבְעַ֣ת קִרְיַ֔ת עָרִ֥ים אַרְבַּֽע־
NAS: Gibeah, Kiriath; fourteen
KJV: Gibeath, [and] Kirjath; fourteen
INT: which Jerusalem Gibeath Kiriath cities four

Judges 18:12
HEB: וַֽיַּחֲנ֛וּ בְּקִרְיַ֥ת יְעָרִ֖ים בִּֽיהוּדָ֑ה עַל־
NAS: up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah.
KJV: and pitched in Kirjathjearim, in Judah:
INT: went and camped Kiriath-jearim Judah and

Judges 18:12
HEB: אַחֲרֵ֖י קִרְיַ֥ת יְעָרִֽים׃
NAS: behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim.
KJV: behold, [it is] behind Kirjathjearim.
INT: behold is west of Kiriath-jearim

1 Samuel 6:21
HEB: יוֹשְׁבֵ֥י קִרְיַת־ יְעָרִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵשִׁ֤בוּ
NAS: to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying,
KJV: to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying,
INT: to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim saying have brought

1 Samuel 7:1
HEB: אַנְשֵׁ֣י ׀ קִרְיַ֣ת יְעָרִ֗ים וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ אֶת־
NAS: And the men of Kiriath-jearim came
KJV: And the men of Kirjathjearim came,
INT: came and the men of Kiriath-jearim and took the ark

1 Samuel 7:2
HEB: הָֽאָרוֹן֙ בְּקִרְיַ֣ת יְעָרִ֔ים וַיִּרְבּוּ֙ הַיָּמִ֔ים
NAS: remained at Kiriath-jearim, the time
KJV: abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time
INT: remained the ark Kiriath-jearim was long the time

1 Chronicles 2:50
HEB: אֲבִ֖י קִרְיַ֥ת יְעָרִֽים׃
NAS: the father of Kiriath-jearim,
KJV: Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim,
INT: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim

1 Chronicles 2:52
HEB: אֲבִ֖י קִרְיַ֣ת יְעָרִ֑ים הָרֹאֶ֖ה חֲצִ֥י
NAS: the father of Kiriath-jearim had
KJV: the father of Kirjathjearim had sons;
INT: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim Haroeh half

1 Chronicles 2:53
HEB: וּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת֙ קִרְיַ֣ת יְעָרִ֔ים הַיִּתְרִי֙ וְהַפּוּתִ֔י
NAS: and the families of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites,
KJV: And the families of Kirjathjearim; the Ithrites,
INT: and the families of Kiriath-jearim the Ithrites the Puthites

1 Chronicles 13:5
HEB: הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים מִקִּרְיַ֖ת יְעָרִֽים׃
NAS: the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
KJV: the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.
INT: the ark of God Kiriath-jearim

1 Chronicles 13:6
HEB: אֶל־ קִרְיַ֥ת יְעָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִיהוּדָ֑ה
NAS: up to Baalah, [that is], to Kiriath-jearim, which
KJV: to Baalah, [that is], to Kirjathjearim, which [belonged] to Judah,
INT: to Baalah about Kiriath-jearim which to Judah

2 Chronicles 1:4
HEB: דָוִיד֙ מִקִּרְיַ֣ת יְעָרִ֔ים בַּֽהֵכִ֥ין ל֖וֹ
NAS: of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared
KJV: brought up from Kirjathjearim to [the place which] David
INT: had brought David Kiriath-jearim had prepared David

Ezra 2:25
HEB: בְּנֵ֨י קִרְיַ֤ת עָרִים֙ כְּפִירָ֣ה וּבְאֵר֔וֹת
NAS: the sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah
KJV: The children of Kirjatharim, Chephirah,
INT: the children of Kirjatharim Chephirah and Beeroth

Nehemiah 7:29
HEB: אַנְשֵׁ֨י קִרְיַ֤ת יְעָרִים֙ כְּפִירָ֣ה וּבְאֵר֔וֹת
NAS: the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah
KJV: The men of Kirjathjearim, Chephirah,
INT: he Kirjathjearim Chephirah and Beeroth

Jeremiah 26:20
HEB: שְׁמַעְיָ֔הוּ מִקִּרְיַ֖ת הַיְּעָרִ֑ים וַיִּנָּבֵ֞א עַל־
NAS: of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied
KJV: of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied
INT: the son of Shemaiah Kiriath-jearim prophesied against

20 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7157
20 Occurrences

‘ā·rîm — 1 Occ.
hay·yə·‘ā·rîm — 1 Occ.
qir·yaṯ — 1 Occ.
yə·‘ā·rîm — 17 Occ.