📖 Biblical Definition
An ancient city in the Judean hill country (modern al-Khalil), one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah here as a burial place for Sarah (Gen 23); the same cave received Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah. David reigned in Hebron over Judah for seven and a half years before being anointed king over all Israel and moving his capital to Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:5).
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
HEBRON, n.
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A scriptural proper name; an ancient city in southern Palestine.
📖 Key Scripture
Genesis 23:19 — "After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan."
Numbers 13:22 — "Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt."
2 Samuel 5:5 — "In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah."
Joshua 14:13 — "And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Hebron holds the patriarchs' bones; it has been contested for four thousand years.
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Hebron is one of the most theologically and politically loaded places on earth. The cave of Machpelah holds the bones of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives; the city is older than Egyptian Zoan; it served as David's first capital. It has also been one of the most fiercely contested places for four thousand years — Canaanite, Israelite, Edomite, Hellenistic, Roman, Crusader, Ottoman, Mandate, modern.
Modern Christianity tends to think of biblical geography as ancient. Hebron disagrees; the city is alive, and the patriarchs are still buried there. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6); the prayer extends to her sister cities. Hebron will one day welcome the Lord; until then, the contested ground keeps its sacred bones.
Usage
"Hebron holds the patriarchs' bones; it has been contested for four thousand years."
"David reigned here seven and a half years before Jerusalem."
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; the prayer extends to her sister cities."