H3715b H3715b
in the villages, in the open settlements
This prepositional phrase means 'in the villages' or 'in the open settlements,' appearing in Nehemiah 6:2. Sanballat and Geshem invite Nehemiah to meet them in 'the villages in the plain of Ono,' which Nehemiah recognizes as a trap. The Septuagint suggests taking it as a common noun meaning villages rather than as a proper name. The term refers to unwalled settlements or outlying communities, in contrast to fortified cities. Meeting in such vulnerable locations would have exposed Nehemiah to ambush, which is precisely what he discerned the invitation to be.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A prepositional phrase denoting villages or unwalled settlements, used in the context of Nehemiah's opponents trying to lure him to a vulnerable location. The Spanish 'en las aldeas' (in the villages) treats it as a common noun for settlements, while the context makes clear these were open areas away from Jerusalem's walls—dangerous ground for someone with enemies. Nehemiah's refusal to meet there shows political wisdom: understanding that geography matters in negotiations and that leaving secure positions invites disaster. 1×
AR["في-الْقُرى"]·ben["গ্রামগুলিতে"]·DE["[בכפירים]"]·EN["in-the-villages"]·FR["[בכפירים]"]·heb["ב-ה-כפירים"]·HI["गांवों-में"]·ID["di-Kefirim"]·IT["[בכפירים]"]·jav["ing-dhusun-dhusun"]·KO["그-마을들-에서"]·PT["nas-aldeias"]·RU["в-селениях"]·ES["en-las-aldeas"]·SW["katika-vijiji"]·TR["köylerde"]·urd["کفیرہ-کی-بستیوں-میں"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† כְּפִירִים Ne 6:2, prob. = foregoing (𝔊 al. n. appell. = villages).