This term denotes villages or unwalled settlements, contrasted with fortified cities. Song of Songs 7:11 invites the beloved to spend the night in the villages, while 1 Chronicles 27:25 describes Jehonathan overseeing David's supplies in villages and countryside. Villages represented agricultural centers, smaller than cities and lacking defensive walls. They formed the backbone of ancient economy and rural life, where most people lived and farmed. The term captures rural, pastoral settings - the agricultural countryside that sustained urban centers.