יְרוּשָׁלַ֫םִ, H3389
Jerusalem — the holy city, capital of united and southern Israel, center of temple worship
Yerushalayim appears 643 times in the Hebrew Bible, making it one of the most frequently named places in all of Scripture. Its etymology remains debated — possibly 'foundation of Shalem' (a deity of peace) or 'possession of peace' — but its theological significance is unmistakable: the city where God chose to place his Name (Deut 12:5), where Solomon built the Temple, and where prophets announced both judgment and restoration. The name is strikingly stable across languages — Spanish 'Jerusalem,' French 'Jerusalem,' German 'Jerusalem' — reflecting its status as a universal geographic and spiritual landmark.
Senses
1. Jerusalem (city) — The proper noun Yerushalayim, designating the city that served as the political capital of David's united monarchy and the southern kingdom of Judah, and as the cultic center where the Temple stood. All 643 occurrences — including directional (to-Jerusalem), locative (in-Jerusalem), and ablative (from-Jerusalem) forms — refer to this single city. Attested in Assyrian records as Urusalim and in the Tell el-Amarna letters. 643×
AR["أورُشَليمَ", "أُورُشَليمَ", "أُورُشَلِيمَ"]·ben["যিরূশালয়িমে", "যিরূশালায়িমে", "যিরূশালেম", "যিরূশালেমে", "যিরূশালেমের", "যিরূশালেমের-দিকে"]·DE["Jerusalem", "zu-Jerusalem"]·EN["Jerusalem", "Yerushalayim", "to-Jerusalem"]·FR["Jérusalem", "à-Jérusalem"]·heb["יְרוּשָׁלַיִם", "יְרוּשָׁלָיִם", "ירושלים"]·HI["यरूशलेम", "यरूशलेम-की", "यरूशलेम-के", "यरूशलेम-में", "यरूशलैम"]·ID["Yerusalem", "ke-Yerusalem"]·IT["Gerusalemme", "a-Gerusalemme"]·jav["Yerusalem", "Yérusalèm", "dhateng-Yérusalèm"]·KO["예루살렘", "예루살렘에", "예루살렘으로", "예루살렘의"]·PT["Yerushalayim", "a-Yerushalayim"]·RU["Иерусалим", "Иерусалима", "Йерушалаима", "в-Иерусалим", "в-Йерушалаим", "на-Иерусалим"]·ES["Jerusalén", "Yerushalayim", "a-Jerusalén", "a-Yerushalayim"]·SW["Yerusalemu", "la-Yahwe"]·TR["Yeruşalayim", "Yeruşalayim'e", "Yeruşalayim'in", "Yeruşalim", "Yeruşalim'in"]·urd["یروشلم", "یروشلم-سے", "یروشلم-میں", "یروشلم-کو", "یروشلم-کی", "یروشلم-کے", "یروشلیم", "یروشلیم-میں", "یروشلیم-کی", "یروشلیم۔"]
2 Sam 8:7, 2 Sam 10:14, 2 Sam 12:31, 2 Sam 16:15, 2 Sam 17:20, 2 Sam 19:25, 2 Sam 19:34, 2 Sam 20:2, 2 Sam 20:3, 2 Sam 20:22, 2 Sam 24:8, 2 Sam 24:16 (+38 more)
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
יְרוּשָׁלַ֫םִ, יְרוּשָׁלַ֫יִם, n.pr.loc. Jerusalem (in Assyrian Urusalim, Tel Amarna, ZimZA, 1891, 252, 254; Ursalimmu, COTGloss.; 𝔊 Ιερουσαλημ; √ and meaning dub.; Rel Ew al. der. from יְרוּשׁ שׁלם possession of peace (or Salem’s possession); Thes al. from יָרָה, i.e. יְרוּ + שָׁלֵם a foundation of peace; GrillZAW, 1884, 134 ff. foundation of Shalem (Sh. = God of peace, = י׳); but name not…