This plural noun with preposition means 'in villages' or 'in settlements'—unwalled, rural communities as opposed to fortified cities. Deuteronomy 2:23 uses it to describe the settlements of the Avvim in the Gaza region, which were destroyed by the Caphtorim (Philistines). The term emphasizes vulnerability—these were open settlements without defensive walls. Biblical law distinguished between walled cities and open villages for purposes of property redemption and other legal matters.