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A Dictionary of the Bible by James Hastings (1902)

Updated July 25th 2019

SUCCOTH.—1 A place so called according to Genesis 33:17 because of the booths (Heb. gukkcth) which Jacob made there for his cattle. In the Heb. text of this verse gukkéth occurs three times and is rendered ‘Succoth '—‘ booths’—‘ Succoth’ in AV and RV. The LXX by using oxyval three times makes clear the identity of Succoth with bouths, which has to be explained in the margin of AV and KV, but conveys the impression that the name of Snecoth waa then Zeqval. Josephus (Ant. 1. xxi. 1) states that the place was so called in his. time; but this name would not have been given | lefore the period of Greek supremacy. The Tare. } and Syr. preserve the proper name Succoth, but in place of the second gukketh (tr. ‘booths’ in EV) use [Se0, ab9n0, words which in a modified form are employed as equivalents for ‘tabernacles’ and ‘buoths’ in Ly 23% and other places where tefcrence is made to the Feast of Tnbernactes. The Vulgate explains * Soco:h, id est tabernacula,’ though ‘ tentoriia' corresponds to ‘booths’ in the earlier part of the veree. The where the name occurs are: Gn 8817 Bama: Joes) B Yenzeba, A tyes, Luc. Brod; Dee SB tanxed, inv.16 wie widswr, A Lonyod; 1K 7% (v.58 in L X) Zonx69; 2Ch 617 B Yexxe9 (1), A Zenzed; Pe 008 B cae cepa, AQ. cvrmacunr; Pe 1088 & rir cxnrepdven, ART carer. The passages in Joshua, Judges, Kings, and Chron. refer to a place E. of Jordan, ies 137 mentions Suceoth as in the territory of Sihon, king of Heshbon. In Gideon's pursuit of the Midianites as related in Jg 8, he comes to Succoth after crossing the Jordan. From the references in Ps 60% [Heb.&) 1067 (4.5) to the ‘valley of Succoth’ nothing definite as to geographical posi- tion can be inferred, but a locality east of the Jordan is suitable (note that the LXX in these two ges does not treat Succoth as a proper name). Jerowe on Gn 33" (Quast. Hed. in lib. Gen.) ob- serves with reference to Succoth: ‘Est autem usque hodie civitas trans Jordanem hoc vocabulo * On the other hand, St is found In the Rhemish NT in a bad gense: ‘An Gcd hath shewed by the successe of all Heretical Colinquies, Synodes, and Assemblies in Germanie, France, Poole, and otber places in our daies' (note on Ao 15%). The History of the Ancient Near East Electronic Compendium