קְרִיּוֹת (qe.riy.yot)
qe.riy.yot
Kerioth
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun qeriyyot, meaning "cities," appears in the Hebrew Bible as a proper name for a specific location. It identifies a settlement situated in the southern region of Judah that lay within the territory of Moab. This geographical placement is significant because it marks a boundary zone between Israelite and Moabite lands.
The word occurs four times in Scripture, primarily in the books of Jeremiah, Joshua, and Amos. In these texts, Kerioth serves as a landmark for judgment or territorial description. The sources note that this name may be another designation for Kiriathaim, suggesting a connection between two places with similar meanings referring to fortified settlements.
As a common noun meaning "cities," the term likely reflects the town's character as a populated center rather than a single structure. Its inclusion in prophetic oracles highlights how even distant foreign towns were part of the broader narrative of divine sovereignty over all nations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Kerioth appears in Scripture as a real place, specifically a city in the southern region of Judah that also marked territory near Moab. Its mention in books like Joshua and Jeremiah reminds us that God’s knowledge extends to every corner of the earth, including distant borders and foreign nations. This historical detail grounds our faith in reality; it is not abstract but tied to actual lands and peoples.
When prophets spoke against Kerioth, they declared that no location stands outside divine sovereignty. For believers today, this offers comfort: just as God held these ancient cities in His view, He holds your current circumstances with equal clarity. You are never too far from His care, nor is any part of your life hidden from His attention.
Understanding Kerioth helps us see the breadth of biblical history. It shows that God’s narrative includes both Israel and its neighbors, weaving them into a single story of judgment and hope. This perspective encourages trust in a God who is sovereign over all nations and all times.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ Kerioth2×
- and/ Kerioth1×
- Kerioth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קְרִיּ֖וֹת1×
- וּ/קְרִיּ֔וֹת1×
- הַ/קְּרִיּ֔וֹת1×
- הַ/קְּרִיּ֑וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 48:24
on Kerioth, on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
This verse lists Kerioth among Moab's cities to show that judgment extends even to distant foreign lands, emphasizing God's universal authority.
-
Amos 2:2
but I will send a fire on Moab, and it will devour the palaces of Kerioth; and Moab will die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet;
Here the fire devouring the palaces of Kerioth illustrates the specific consequences of rebellion, highlighting that no stronghold is immune to divine justice.
-
Joshua 15:25
Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (also called Hazor),
The inclusion of Kerioth in Judah's territorial list demonstrates how God carefully allocated land to His people, marking it as a defined part of their inheritance.