H7158 H7158
Kiriath-Sepher (ancient name of Debir, meaning 'city of the book/scribe')
An ancient Canaanite place name meaning 'city of the book' or 'scribe-town,' identified as the earlier name of Debir in the southern hill country of Judah. The name appears in the narrative of Caleb's conquest, where he offers his daughter Achsah to whoever captures Kiriath-Sepher—a challenge taken up by Othniel (Joshua 15:15–16; Judges 1:11–12). Joshua 15:49 preserves the variant Kiriath-Sannah. The site is likely modern Dhahiriyye, southwest of Hebron. All four target languages transliterate the name consistently, confirming its proper-noun status.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The proper name of an ancient Canaanite city, an earlier designation for Debir in southern Judah, meaning 'city of the book' or 'scribe-town.' All translations—Spanish 'Quiriat-Sefer,' French and German 'Kiryat-Sefer'—transliterate rather than translate, preserving its proper-noun identity. It appears in the twin conquest accounts of Joshua 15:15–16 and Judges 1:11–12, where Othniel captures it to win Achsah as his wife. Joshua 15:49 gives the alternate name Kiriath-Sannah. 5×
AR["قِرْيَةَ-سَفَرَ", "قِرْيَةَ-سِفَرَ", "قِرْيَةُ-سَفَرَ", "قِرْيَةُ-سِفَرَ", "وَ-قِرْيَةُ-سَنّةَ"]·ben["এবং-কিরিয়ৎ-সন্না", "কিরিয়ৎ-সেফর", "কিরিয়ৎ-সেফরকে"]·DE["Kiryat-Sefer", "Kiryath-Sepher", "und-Kiryath-Sannah"]·EN["Kiryat-Sefer", "Kiryath-Sepher", "and-Kiryath-Sannah"]·FR["Kiryat-Sefer", "Kiryath-Sepher", "et-Kiryath-Sannah"]·heb["ו-קרית-סנה", "קרית-ספר"]·HI["और-किर्यत-सन्ना", "किर्यत-सेपेर", "किर्यत-सेपेर-को", "किर्यत-सेपेर।"]·ID["Kiryat-Sefer", "dan-Kiryat-Sana"]·IT["Kiryat-Sefer", "Kiryath-Sepher", "e-Kiryath-Sannah"]·jav["Kiryat-Sèfer", "Kiryat-Séfer", "lan-Kiryat-Sana"]·KO["그리고-기랴-산나", "기랴-세볰를", "기랴-세본이다", "기럇-세벨을", "기럇-세벨이었다"]·PT["Qiryat-Sefer", "e-Qiryat-Sannah"]·RU["Кирьят-Сефер", "и-Кирьят-Санна"]·ES["Kiryat-Sefer", "Quiriat-Sefer", "y-Quiriat-Saná"]·SW["Kiriath-Seferi", "Kiriathi-Seferi", "na-Kiriathi-Sana"]·TR["Kiryat-Sefer", "Kiryat-Seferi", "ve-Kiryat-Sanna"]·urd["اور-قریت-سنہ", "قریت-سفر", "قریت-سفر-تھا"]
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
† קִרְיַת־סֵ֫פֶר n.pr.loc. πόλις (τῶν) γραμμάτων, + (𝔊B Ju 1:11) Καριασσωφαρ: ancient name of דְּבִיר (v. ii. ד׳ 2 c) (perhaps ק׳־סֹפֵר scribe-town, cf. 𝔊 supr., also 𝔖 and Egyptian Bai-ti̥ṯu-pa-ï̥rḁ, house of scribe, WMMAs. u. Eur. 174 BuhlGeogr. 274, cf. GFM Ju);—Jos 15:15, 16; Ju 1:11, 12; another name is ק׳־סַנָּה Jos 15:49 (but 𝔊 πόλις γραμμάτων, hence read perhaps ק׳־ספר, so Steuern),…