עַשְׁתְּרֹת קַרְנַיִם (ash.te.rot qar.na.yim)
ash.te.rot qar.na.yim
Ashteroth-karnaim
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The phrase Ashteroth-karnaim, meaning "Ashtoreth of the two horns," refers to a specific city located in Bashan, east of the Jordan River. This location appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Genesis 14:5, where it is listed among the territories conquered by King Chedorlaomer and his allies.
The name itself combines the worship of the Canaanite goddess Ashtoreth with a geographical descriptor, likely referring to the city’s position on elevated ground or twin peaks. It is also known simply as Karnaim in other biblical contexts, such as Deuteronomy 1:4 and Joshua 12:4, where it serves as a stronghold for the Rephaim and later falls under the inheritance of the tribe of Manasseh.
This single occurrence highlights the complex religious landscape of the ancient Near East, where place names often reflected local cultic practices. The city’s mention in Genesis underscores the historical reality of competing powers and deities in the region during the patriarchal period.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Ashteroth-karnaim appears only once in Scripture, located in Genesis 14:5 as a city conquered by Chedorlaomer. Its meaning, "Ashtoreth of the two horns," points to a place where ancient religious worship and geographic features were intertwined. This single mention reminds us that the biblical narrative is set in a real world filled with competing powers and distinct cultural identities.
While this city itself fades from history, its inclusion in Genesis 14 shows that God’s story unfolds within human history. The patriarch Abraham enters this scene not in isolation, but amidst the political and spiritual realities of his time. This context helps us see how God works through complex historical events to fulfill His promises, even when the surrounding culture looks very different from our own.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in/ Ashteroth1×
- Karnaim1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קַרְנַ֔יִם1×
- בְּ/עַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 14:5
In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
This is the only verse where Ashteroth-karnaim appears, establishing its historical context as a Rephaim stronghold conquered by Chedorlaomer.