ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA HEBREA
עִיר (ʻîyr) — City in the Bible
עִיר (ʻîyr, H5892) is the common Hebrew noun for 'city,' used across the Old Testament for fortified towns, settlements, and even encampments.
Significado de la palabra
עִיר (ʻîyr) is the standard Hebrew noun translated 'city.' In its broadest sense it refers to any settled, guarded place — from a fortified urban center to a simple encampment or watchpost. The KJV renders it 'city' in most contexts, and 'Ai' when it appears as part of that proper name.
The noun carries the idea of a place of human gathering and protection. Its range in the Old Testament covers everything from ancient urban centers such as Nineveh, Sodom, and the Tower of Babel, down to smaller fortified towns and even a single guarded post. Genesis 4:17 shows its earliest narrative use when Cain 'builded a city,' while Genesis 11:4–8 depicts a city as a deliberate human project to consolidate people and make a name.
Uso en las Escrituras
עִיר appears 367 times across 325 Old Testament verses, making it one of the most frequent nouns in the Hebrew Bible. It is used both for great cities like Nineveh (Genesis 10:12) and for the cities of the Jordan Plain where Lot settled (Genesis 13:12).
The word functions narratively as the setting for key events: Sodom's judgment in Genesis 18–19 hinges on the fate of 'the city' (see Genesis 18:24, 26, 28; 19:4, 12), and the Tower of Babel account (Genesis 11:4–5, 8) treats the city as a symbol of human ambition. In these passages עִיר is rarely described physically; instead, it stands for the people, decisions, and destiny of a community.
La palabra en detalle
- H5892 עִיר (ʻîyr) is defined as 'a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch),' used in the widest sense from major urban centers down to a mere encampment or post. KJV usage: Ai, city, court, town.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Genesis 4:17 The first narrative use of עִיר: Cain builds a city and names it after his son Enoch, introducing the term as a marker of settled human community.
- Genesis 11:4 Here עִיר names a deliberately unified settlement — a city and tower built 'to make a name,' showing the word applied to a project of human ambition.
- Genesis 13:12 Plural form עָרֵי ('cities of the Plain') shows the noun inflecting to describe a region of settlements where Lot pitched his tent near Sodom.
- Genesis 19:4 'The men of the city' (אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר) shows עִיר standing metonymically for the people of Sodom, framing the city's moral identity by its inhabitants.
Preguntas frecuentes
What does עִיר mean in Hebrew?
It means 'city.' The lexicon defines it as a guarded place — a city in the widest sense, from a major urban center down to a mere encampment or watchpost.
How many times does עִיר appear in the Old Testament?
עִיר occurs 367 times across 325 distinct verses, making it one of the most common nouns in the Hebrew Bible.
Is עִיר always translated 'city' in the KJV?
No. The KJV renders it 'city' in most cases, but also uses 'Ai' (as part of the place name), 'court,' and 'town,' depending on context.