כִּתְלִישׁ (kit.lish)
kit.lish
Chitlish
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun kitlish refers to a specific town located in the lowlands, or Shephelah, of ancient Judah. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, listed among the fortified cities allocated to the tribe of Judah in Joshua 15:40.
Lexical sources consistently identify it as one of these southern settlements, though they note that its exact geographical site remains unknown today. The brevity of its mention highlights its role within the broader territorial distribution rather than as a center of major historical narrative.
Its single occurrence serves primarily as a marker in the land division records, illustrating the detailed manner in which the inheritance was apportioned among the tribes. This sparse textual footprint leaves kitlish as a quiet footnote in the biblical geography of Judah.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read through the list of cities in Joshua 15, names like Jerusalem or Hebron often stand out because they appear repeatedly in history. But then there are places like Chitlish, mentioned only once. It is easy to feel that such a brief mention might be insignificant, just a line item in an ancient land survey.
Yet this single reference reminds us that God’s promises were specific and detailed. The inheritance was not given vaguely; it was mapped out town by town, including the smaller settlements. This shows that every part of the promised land had its place in God’s plan for Judah. We do not need to know exactly where Chitlish stood on a modern map to see the faithfulness behind the record.
For your life today, this can be a comfort. You may feel like a small, unnoticed detail in a large story. But if God cared enough to list every town in the inheritance of His people, He knows you by name. Your place in His purposes is secure, even when it feels quiet or obscure.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ Kitlish1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/כִתְלִֽישׁ\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 15:40
Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish,
This verse lists Chitlish among the fortified cities of Judah, showing its inclusion in the specific tribal inheritance.