 | Kirjath-jearim | |
City of jaars; i.e., of woods or forests, a Gibeonite town (Joshua 9:17) on the border of Benjamin, to which tribe it was assigned (18:15, 28). The ark was brought to this place (1 Samuel 7:1, 2) from Beth-shemesh and put in charge of Abinadab, a Levite. Here it remained till it was removed by David to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:2, 3, 12; 1 Chronicles 15:1-29; Comp. Psalm 132). It was also called Baalah (Joshua 15:9) and Kirjath-baal (60). It has been usually identified with Kuriet el-`Enab (i.e., "city of grapes"), among the hills, about 8 miles north-east of `Ain Shems (i.e., Beth-shemesh). The opinion, however, that it is to be identified with `Erma, 4 miles east of `Ain Shems, on the edge of the valley of Sorek, seems to be better supported. (see KIRJATH.)
The words of Psalm 132:6, "We found it in the fields of the wood," refer to the sojourn of the ark at Kirjath-jearim. "Wood" is here the rendering of the Hebrew word jaar, which is the singular of jearim.
