Shechem (Easton)

DIC dictionary-entry · status:draft · license:PD

Shoulder. The son of Hamor the Hivite (Genesis 33:19; 34 ). A descendant of Manasseh (Numbers 26:31; Joshua 17:2 ). A city in Samaria (Genesis 33:18 ), called also Sichem (12:6), Sychem (Acts 7:16 ). It stood in the narrow sheltered valley between Ebal on the north and Gerizim on the south, these"> StudyL ı ght .org Plug in, Turn on and Be En light ened! Not Yet a Member? Click to Sign Up Now! --> --> Bible Study Tools Lang uage Tools Study Lib rary Hist orical Writings Pas toral Resources Per sonal Resources Site Resources Lectionary Calendar Saturday, June 6th, 2026 the Week of Proper 4 / Ordinary 9 video advertismenet advertisement advertisement advertisement Attention! StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa. Click here to join the effort! Home » Bible Dictionaries » Easton's Bible Dictionary » Letter S Bible Dictionaries Shechem Easton's Bible Dictionary Search for… Enter query below: or A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Prev Entry Shecaniah Next Entry Shechinah Resource Toolbox Print Article Additional Links Concordances Nave Topical Bible Sychem Sichem Shepham (only first 3 shown) Thompson Chain Reference Sychar, or Shechem Shechem Treasury of Biblical Knowledge Shechem, Shiloh Dictionaries American Tract Society Sychar or Sychem Shechem Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Shechem Chabad Knowledge Base Shochet Shechem Easton's Bible Dictionary Sychem Sichem Shepham (only first 3 shown) Fausset Bible Dictionary Sychem Sichem Shepham (only first 3 shown) Holman Bible Dictionary Sichem Shepher, Mount Shepham (only first 3 shown) Hitchcock Bible Names Sichem Shechem Hastings' BibleDictionary Shepher Shepham Shechem (only first 3 shown) Hastings' NT Dictionary Sychem Shechem (2) Shechem Morrish Bible Dictionary Sychem Sichem Shepham (only first 3 shown) 1910 New Catholic Dictionary Sichem People's Bible Dictionary Shechem Smith Bible Dictionary Sychem Sichem Shepham (only first 3 shown) Webster Dictionary Sachem Watson's Theological Dictionary Sechem Encyclopedias 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Kir-Sheher Marie Jean Herault de Sechelles Shechem International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Ish-Sechel Shechem Shechemites (only first 3 shown) Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Shechem Sychem McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Jacob ben-Sheshet Gerundi Schem, Alexander Jacob Shechem (only first 3 shown) The Catholic Encyclopedia Sichem The Jewish Encyclopedia Hechim Höchheimer (Höčhheim, Hochheimer, Hechim) Isaac ben Sheshet Barfat (Ribash) (only first 3 shown) Lexicons ܫܟ݂ܺܝܡ Συχέμ שְׁכֶם , שְׁכֶם שֶׁכֶם שִׁכְמִי (only first 3 shown) Shoulder. The son of Hamor the Hivite ( Genesis 33:19 ; 34 ). A descendant of Manasseh ( Numbers 26:31 ; Joshua 17:2 ). A city in Samaria ( Genesis 33:18 ), called also Sichem (12:6), Sychem ( Acts 7:16 ). It stood in the narrow sheltered valley between Ebal on the north and Gerizim on the south, these mountains at their base being only some 500 yards apart. Here Abraham pitched his tent and built his first altar in the Promised Land, and received the first divine promise ( Genesis 12:6,7 ). Here also Jacob "bought a parcel of a field at the hands of the children of Hamor" after his return from Mesopotamia, and settled with his household, which he purged from idolatry by burying the teraphim of his followers under an oak tree, which was afterwards called "the oak of the sorcerer" ( Genesis 33:19 ; 35:4 ; Judges 9:37 ). (See MEONENIM .) Here too, after a while, he dug a well, which bears his name to this day ( John 4:5,39-42 ). To Shechem Joshua gathered all Israel "before God," and delivered to them his second parting address ( Joshua 24:1-15 ). He "made a covenant with the people that day" at the very place where, on first entering the land, they had responded to the law from Ebal and Gerizim ( Joshua 24:25 ), the terms of which were recorded "in the book of the law of God", i.e., in the roll of the law of Moses; and in memory of this solemn transaction a great stone was set up "under an oak" (Compare Genesis 28:18 ; 31:44-48 ; Exodus 24:4 ; Joshua 4:3,8,9 ), possibly the old "oak of Moreh," as a silent witness of the transaction to all coming time. Shechem became one of the cities of refuge, the central city of refuge for Western Palestine ( Joshua 20:7 ), and here the bones of Joseph were buried (24:32). Rehoboam was appointed king in Shechem ( 1 Kings 12:1,19 ), but Jeroboam afterwards took up his residence here. This city is mentioned in connection with our Lord's conversation with the woman of Samaria ( John 4:5 ); and thus, remaining as it does to the present day, it is one of the oldest cities of the world. It is the modern Nablus, a contraction for Neapolis, the name given to it by Vespasian. It lies about a mile and a half up the valley on its southern slope, and on the north of Gerizim, which rises about 1,100 feet above it, and is about 34 miles north of Jerusalem. It contains about 10,000 inhabitants, of whom about 160 are Samaritans and 100 Jews, the rest being Christians and Mohammedans. The site of Shechem is said to be of unrivalled beauty. Stanley says it is "the most beautiful, perhaps the only very beautiful, spot in Central Palestine." Gaza, near Shechem, only mentioned 1 Chronicles 7:28 , has entirely disappeared. It was destroyed at the time of the Conquest, and its place was taken by Shechem. (See SYCHAR .)

Source

• part_of source-manifest/easton — Easton's Bible Dictionary (PD)