H2341 H2341
Havilah — a land or people associated with gold and precious materials, appearing in both primeval and genealogical contexts.
Havilah appears as both a geographic region and a people-group in the Hebrew Bible. In the primeval narrative, it is the gold-rich land encircled by the river Pishon (Gen 2:11), associated with bdellium and onyx. In the Table of Nations, Havilah is listed both as a son of Cush (Gen 10:7; 1 Chr 1:9) and as a descendant of Joktan through Shem (Gen 10:29; 1 Chr 1:23), suggesting the name denotes a broad, perhaps Arabian, territory. The phrase 'from Havilah to Shur' (Gen 25:18; 1 Sam 15:7) marks the extent of Ishmaelite and Amalekite territory.
Senses
1. Havilah (proper noun, place/people name) — The proper name Havilah, referring to a land renowned for gold (Gen 2:11) and to peoples in the Table of Nations descended from both Cush (Gen 10:7) and Joktan (Gen 10:29). The dual genealogical placement may reflect the wide geographic range the name covered — possibly parts of Arabia or East Africa. Multilingual renderings (Spanish Havilá/Javila, French Havila, German Hawila/Chawila) show variation in transliterating the initial consonant, reflecting the aspirated het. The geographical formula 'from Havilah to Shur' (Gen 25:18; 1 Sam 15:7) served as a standard boundary marker for Ishmaelite and Amalekite settlement in the desert regions east of Egypt. 7×
AR["حَويلَة", "حَوِيلَةَ", "مِنْ-حَوِيلَة", "مِنْ-حَوِيلَةَ", "وَ-حَويلَة", "وَ-حَوِيلَةُ"]·ben["আর-হবীলা", "ও-হবীলা", "হবীলা", "হবীলা-থেকে"]·DE["Chawila", "Hawila", "[וחוילה]", "[חוילה]", "und-Chawila", "von-Chavilah", "von-Chawila"]·EN["Chavilah", "Havilah", "and-Chavilah", "and-Havilah", "from-Chavilah", "from-Havilah", "the-Havilah"]·FR["Havila", "Havilah", "de-Chavilah", "de-Havilah", "et-Havila", "et-Havilah", "le-Havilah"]·heb["ה-חוילה", "ו-חוילה", "חוילה", "מ-חוילה"]·HI["और-हविलाह", "और-हवीला", "चविलह-से", "हविलाह-को", "हवीला", "हवीला-से"]·ID["Hawila", "dan-Hawila", "dari-Hawila"]·IT["Havila", "Havilah", "da-Chavilah", "da-Havilah", "e-Havila", "e-Havilah", "il-Havilah"]·jav["Hawila", "ing-Hawila", "lan-Hawila", "saking-Hawila"]·KO["그-와-하윌라", "그-하윈라-의", "그리고-하윌라", "하빌라-에서", "하윌라", "하윌라에서-"]·PT["Chavilah", "de-Chavilah", "de-Havilá", "desde-Chavila", "e-Chavilah"]·RU["-Хавила", "Хавилу", "все", "и-Хавила", "от-Хавилы"]·ES["Havilá", "Javila", "Javilá", "desde-Chavilah", "desde-Javilá", "y-Javila", "y-Javilá"]·SW["Havila", "Havila-", "Hawila", "kutoka-Havila", "na-Havila", "na-Hawila"]·TR["-Havila'nın", "-den-Havila", "Havila'dan", "Havila'yı", "ve-Havila"]·urd["اور-حویلہ", "حویلہ", "حویلہ-سے", "حویلہ-کی", "و-حویلہ"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חֲוִילָה n.pr.terr. (√ dub. DlPa 12 suggests חוֹל sand-land, dunes, as Heb. popular etym., MV11 give it as actual etym.; StaThLZ Apr. 28, 1894, 235 compares this, as well as חוֹל sand, with Arabic وَحَلٌ soft mud, [damp sand])—אֶרֶץ הַחֲוִילָה Gn 2:11 (surrounded or bordered—סבב—by river Pishon; noted for excellent gold, bdellium and shoham-stone); elsewhere without art. חֲוִילָה 10:7 = 1 Ch…