The Place Names in Ps. 132:6

Introduction

The Hebrew text of Psalm 132:6 reads as follows:

הִנֵּֽה־שְׁמַֽעֲנ֥וּהָ בְאֶפְרָ֑תָה

מְ֝צָאנ֗וּהָ בִּשְׂדֵי־יָֽעַר׃

As Calvin says, "this verse is obscure, and we need not wonder at the difficulty which interpreters have felt in ascertaining its meaning." The following translations illustrate some of the difficulties involved in interpreting this verse:

• NIV: We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar.
• NLT: We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah; then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.
• CEV: When we were in Ephrath, we heard that the sacred chest was somewhere near Jaar.
• KJV: Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: We found it in the fields of the wood.
• NCV: We heard about the Ark in Bethlehem. We found it at Kiriath Jearim.

The above translation highlight the three main issues in this verse, though the options they provide do not exhaust the range of possible solutions:

1. The antecedent of the 3fs suffixes (שְׁמַעֲנוּהָ...מְצָאנוּהָ).
   1. 'It' (NIV, KJV)
   2. The Ark (NLT, NCV, CEV)
2. The syntactic function of the prepositional phrase בְאֶפְרָתָה (i.e., does it modify the verb or the 3fs suffix?)
   1. Modifies the verb and specifies the location of the act of hearing (CEV, NIV, KJV)
   2. Modifies the 3fs suffix and specifies the location of the Ark (NLT, CEV)
3. The identification of the place names אֶפְרָתָה and שְׂדֵי־יָעַר.
   1. אֶפְרָתָה identified as 'Bethlehem' (NCV)
   2. אֶפְרָתָה transliterated as 'Ephrathah', identification ambiguous (NIV, NLT, CEV, KJV)
   3. שְׂדֵי־יָעַר identified as 'Kiriath Jearim' (NCV)
   4. יָעַר understood as proper noun 'Jaar', precise identification ambiguous (NIV, NLT, CEV)
   5. יָעַר understood as common noun 'wood' (KJV)

The following argument maps will focus first on the question of the antecedent to the 3fs suffixes (שְׁמַעֲנוּהָ...מְצָאנוּהָ) and then on the question of the place names (אֶפְרָתָה and שְׂדֵי־יָעַר). The question of the syntactic function of the prepositional phrase (בְאֶפְרָתָה) will not be discussed independently, but will be discussed in tandem with the identification of place names.

Argument Maps

The Antecedent of the 3fs suffixes

The first issue is the antecedent of the 3fs suffixes (שְׁמַעֲנוּהָ...מְצָאנוּהָ), which could refer to the ark or to David's oath in the immediately preceding verses.

The ark (preferred)

Most scholars today argue that the 3fs suffixes refer to the ark, and several translation make this explicit. The NLT, for example, says, "We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah" (cf. GNT, REB, HFA, NGÜ, EÜ, GNB).

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[Ark]: The 3fs suffixes refer to the ark.
 + <Context>: "The reference to 'the ark'... is suggested by the overall context of vv. 1-10" (Zenger 2011:456 :C:; cf. Delitzsch 1877 :C:).
  + <Context (vv. 1–10)>: Vv. 1–5 are about David's oath to find a home for the ark, and vv. 6–10 are the people's response to this oath (cf. Zenger 2011:461 :C:). The ark is explicitly mentioned in v. 8.
 - <אֲרוֹן masculine>: The Hebrew word אֲרוֹן is usually masculine (cf. BDB :L:). #dispreferred
  <_ <Feminine occurrences>: Sometimes, אֲרוֹן is grammatically feminine (cf. BDB :L:). 
   + [Feminine occurrences]: 1 Sam. 4:17; 2 Chron. 8:11.
 - <אֲרוֹן not mentioned until v. 8>: The אֲרוֹן is not mentioned until v. 8. It is unlikely that the suffixes in v. 6 should refer to something that has not yet been mentioned in the discourse (cf. Baethgen 1904 :C:; Kittel 1922 :C:). #dispreferred
  + <Allusion to 2 Sam. 6>: "There is certainly a grammatical difficulty, in that the ark is first explicitly mentioned in v. 8, but if it is true that there is an allusion here to 2 Samuel 6, the reference to the ark is probable and understandable" (Zenger 2011:456 :C:).

David's oath

Other scholars have argued that the 3fs suffixes refer to David's oath in the immediately preceding verses. This interpretation is not clearly represented in any of the translations consulted.

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[David's oath]: The 3fs suffixes refer to David's oath (vv. 3–5) (Baethgen 1904 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Immediately precedes and agrees>: The oath in vv. 3–5 immediately precedes the suffixes in v. 6, and the Hebrew word for 'oath' (שְׁבוּעָה), although not explicitly mentioned, agrees with the suffixes in grammatical gender. #dispreferred
 - <'Found'>: An oath cannot be 'found' (v. 6b) (cf. Robinson 1974:221 :A:; cf. Baethgen 1904 :C:)

The Identification of Place Names

אֶפְרָתָה (v. 6a)

Bethlehem

Some scholars identify Ephrathah as the town of Bethlehem. The GNT, for example, says "In Bethlehem we heard about the Covenant Box."

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[Bethlehem]: Ephrathah is another name for the town of Bethlehem in Judah. #dispreferred
 + <Explicit identification>: Ephrathah is explicitly identified as Bethlehem in other Biblical passages. #dispreferred
  + [Explicit identification]: וַתָּ֖מָת רָחֵ֑ל וַתִּקָּבֵר֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אֶפְרָ֔תָה הִ֖וא בֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃ (Gen. 35:19; cf. Gen 48:7; 1 Sam 17:12; Ruth 1:1–2; 4:11; Mic 5:2). #dispreferred
   <_ <Synechdoche>: The use of the name 'Bethlehem' to refer to the larger region of 'Ephrathah' is a synecdoche; the most notable part is used to refer to the whole. "As Israel's tribal structure gave way to the monarchy along with the rise of Ephrathah's most famous family as the dynasty, Ephrathah became more and more identified with Bethlehem, its royal village" (Luker 1992:558 :D:).
 - <Historical incongruence>: The ark was never housed in Bethlehem. 
  <_ <'Ephrathah' as place of hearing>: Ephrathah in v. 6 does not refer to the place where the ark was found but rather to the place where the speakers were when they heard about the ark. #dispreferred
   - <Speaker>: If David's direct speech (vv. 3–5) has ceased and the people have begun to speak in v. 6, it is not clear why Bethlehem should be the particular place where the news was heard (Delizsch 1881 :C:).
    - <Contextually appropriate>: The reference to Bethlehem likely refers to a place of Philistine defeat (where they had a major force) and to David's place of origin, both directly related to the recovery of the ark (Fretheim 297 :A:). #dispreferred

Region of Bethlehem and Kiriath-Jearim (preferred)

Some scholars argue that Ephrathah is a larger region to which both Bethlehem and Kiriath-Jearim belong. Thus, the place referred to in v. 6b (Kiriath-Jearim) is included within the place referred to in v. 6a (Ephrathah).

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[Region of Kiriath-Jearim]: Ephrathah is the (general) region to which the (specific) town of Kiriath-Jearim belonged (cf. Luker 1992 :D:; Delitzsch 1877 :C:). Both names thus refer to the place where the ark was recovered before its relocation to Jerusalem. 
 + <Poetic parallelism>: In general, parallel lines tend to express a single thought (cf. Tsumura 2023 :M:), and the second line tends to advance the meaning of the first line by using more specific terms (cf. Kugel :M:; Alter :M:). The parallelism suggests, therefore, that Ephrathah (a-line) is the general region and Kiriath-Jearim (b-line) is a specific town within the region (cf. Ruth 4:11). 
 + <Biblical tradition>: Ephrathah is, according to Biblical tradition, associated not only with Bethlehem, but with the broader "Judahite area surrounding Bethlehem," including Kiriath-Jearim (Luker 1992:558 :D:).
  + <1 Chron. 2; 4>: "1 Chron. 2:24, 50–52; and 4:4-5 recall Ephrathah as the matriarch of Kiriath-jearim, on the border between Benjamin and Judah; of Bethlehem, just S of Jerusalem; of Tekoa, just S of and visible, according to Jerome, from Bethlehem; and of Beth-Gader, which, if equal to Geder, was probably just W of Tekoa" (Luker 1992:558 :D:).
   + [1 Chron. 2:50-51]: "These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-Jearim, Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader" (1 Chron. 2:50–51, NIV).
  + <Rachel's death/grave>: Rachel's grave is said to be in/near Ramah, in the territory of Benjamin (cf. 1 Sam. 10:2; Jer. 31:15), and yet Genesis says that "Rachel died on the way to (Heb בדרך) and a relatively short distance (כברת הארץ) from Ephrathah while traveling S with her husband, Jacob, from Bethel" (Luker 1992:557-558 :D:).
   + [Gen. 35:16]: וַיִּסְעוּ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית אֵ֔ל וַֽיְהִי־ע֥וֹד כִּבְרַת־הָאָ֖רֶץ לָב֣וֹא אֶפְרָ֑תָה וַתֵּ֥לֶד רָחֵ֖ל וַתְּקַ֥שׁ בְּלִדְתָּֽהּ׃
   + [1 Sam. 10:2]: "...by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin..." (1 Sam. 10:2, ESV).
 + <Historical congruence>: The ark was in Kiriath-Jearim for some 20 years (see 1 Sam 6:21–7:2). So, if Kiriath-Jearim is within 'Ephrathah', then it would make sense to say that the ark was in Kiriath-Jearim.
  + [1 Sam. 6:21–7:2]: 'Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath-Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to your town.” So the men of Kiriath-Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. The ark remained at Kiriath-Jearim a long time—twenty years in all' (1 Sam. 6:21–7:2, NIV).
 - <Different verbs>: "The switch in verbs from 'heard about' to 'found' suggests that Ephrathah not be equated with Jair. The group who is speaking heard about the ark while they were in Ephrath. They then went to retrieve it from Kiriath-Jearim ('Jaar')" (NET note). #dispreferred
  <_ <Ark 'in Ephrathah'>: The prepositional phrase 'in Ephrathah' does not describe the location where the news was heard, but rather the location where the ark was: "We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah" (NLT, cf. JPS85; Delitzsch 1877 :C:).
   + <Asyndetic relative clause>: As in Ps. 150:1b, the beth prepositional phrase in Ps. 132:6a could be part of an asyndetic relative clause: שְׁמַעֲנוּהָ (אֲשֶׁר) בְאֶפְרָתָה, "we heard of it (which was) in Ephrathah."
    + [Ps. 150:1b]: הַֽ֝לְל֗וּהוּ בִּרְקִ֥יעַ עֻזּֽוֹ - 'praise him (who is) in his strong firmament.'
   - <No כִּי>: To say "We heard that it was in Ephrathah" in Hebrew would be, שמענוה כי באפרתה (cf. Gen. 1:4). In Ps. 132:6a, however, there is no כִּי (cf. Baethgen 1904:392 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <Non sequitur>: The fact that the group who is speaking heard about the ark while they were in the region of Ephrath does not mean that the ark could not also have been in the same region.
 + <Jerome>: Jerome identifies Ephrathah in Ps. 132 as 'regio Bethleem', suggesting that Ephrathah is a larger region of which Bethlehem (and possibly also Kiriath-Jearim) is a part (Jerome and Risse 2005:218).

Ephraim

Some scholars argue that 'Ephrathah' refers to the territory of Ephraim, in which the town of Shiloh was located. Shiloh is where the ark was housed during much of the time of the judges.

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[Ephraimite territory]: Ephrathah refers here to the tribe of Ephraim, where Shiloh and its temple were located. 
 - <Unique moniker>: Nowhere else is the tribe of Ephraim called 'Ephrathah'. #dispreferred
  _ <Gentilic "Ephraimite" (אֶפְרָתִי)>: The gentilic term אֶפְרָתִי sometimes means 'Ephraimite,' someone from the tribe of Ephraim (Judg 12:5; 1 Sam 1:1).
 + <Location match>: The ark was housed in Shiloh at one point (prior to Philistine capture); the sense is that the speakers heard that the ark was in Ephraim (Shiloh), but actually found it in Kiriath Jaarim. 

שְׂדֵי־יָעַר (v. 6b)

Region of Kiriath-Jearim (preferred)

Most scholars argue that the phrase שְׂדֵי־יָעַר (lit. 'the fields of Jaar') refers to the geographic region of the city Kiriath-Jearim, where the ark was housed immediately before its relocation to Jerusalem. The NVC, for example, says, "We found it at Kiriath Jearim."

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[Kiriath-Jearim]: The phrase שְׂדֵי־יָעַר (lit. 'the fields of Jaar') refers to the region of the city Kiriath-Jearim, where the ark was housed before its relocation to Jerusalem (SDBH :L:, DCH :L:).
 + <Lexical range of n. שָׂדֶה>: The n. שָׂדֶה, here in the pl. construct שְׂדֵי, can refer to regions or territories (HALOT :L:).
  + [שָׂדֶה as 'region']: Gen 14:7 ('defeated all the region (pl.) of the Amalekites'); 32:4 ('the country (s.) of Edom'); Ruth 1:1 ('the land (pl.) of Moab'); 2:6 ('the land (s.) of Moab')  
  + <Masculine plural שָׂדֶה>: The n. שָׂדֶה ('field') has two plural forms, and each has a different meaning: שָׂדִים (fields, countryside) and שָׂדוֹת (individual fields, individual farms) (JM §90e :G:). Ps. 132:6b uses the masculine plural form.
 - <Unattested name>: Kiriath Jearim is never elsewhere referred to as יָעַר. #dispreferred
  <_ <Multiple names>: Kiriath Jearim was also known as Kiriath-Baal, Baalah, Baale-Judah (SDBH :L:), and Kiriath ha-Jearim (קִּרְיַת הַיְּעָרִים), so it is not surprising that it would also be called 'Jaar' (Delitzsch 1877 :C:).  
   + [Multiple names]: Josh 15:9 - "Then the boundary bends around to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim)"; Josh 15:60 - "Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-Jearim)"; 2 Sam 6:2 - "David arose . . . from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God."
   + <Geographic place name changes>: Similar name changes (or multiple names) are well-attested, including evidence of old Canaanite names.
    + [Example of Canaanite place name]: Josh 14:15 - "Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.)"
 + <Historical congruence>: The location of the ark in Kiriath-Jearim is attested elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. 
  + [1 Sam. 6:21–7:2]: 'Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to your town.” So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all' (1 Sam. 6:21–7:2, NIV; cf. 1 Chron 13:6). 

Unknown Alternate Location

Finally, it is also possible that the phrase refers to a location otherwise unknown to us, either a place called 'Jaar' or a place referred to as 'fields of a wooded area'. For example, the KJV says, "We found it in the fields of the wood," and the NJB says, "we found it at Forest-Fields."

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[Unknown alternate location]: The phrase שְׂדֵי־יָעַר (lit. 'the fields of Jaar') refers to a city or a region otherwise unattested. #dispreferred
 + <Phrase is otherwise unattested>: The phrase שְׂדֵי־יָעַר (lit. 'the fields of Jaar') is found nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible or in extra-biblical sources. #dispreferred 
 + <Ancient versions>: The ancient versions apparently understood יָעַר as a common noun ('wooded area') and not as an alternate name for Kiriath-Jearim. The only ancient versions to specify a precise location is the Targum, and it names a place other than Kiriath-Jearim. #dispreferred
  + [LXX, Jerome, Peshitta]: LXX: ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις τοῦ δρυμοῦ; Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): in regione saltus; Peshitta: ܒܚ̈ܩܠܬܐ. #dispreferred
  + [Targum]: "We found it in the field of the forests of Lebanon, the place where the fathers of old prayed" (Stec 2004:227). #dispreferred

Conclusion (C)

The conclusion to each of the three issues can be summarised as follows:

1. The antecedent of the 3fs suffixes is probably the ark.
2. The prepositional phrase בְאֶפְרָתָה probably describes the location of the ark (rather than the event of hearing).
3. The phrase שְׂדֵי־יָעַר (v. 6b) probably refers to Kiriath-Jearim, and אֶפְרָתָה probably refers to the region to which Kiriath-Jearim, along with Bethlehem, belonged.

This interpretation best accounts for the nature of poetic parallelism as well as the biblical/historical tradition of the ark in Kiriath-Jearim. The verse might be paraphrased as follows: Look! We heard about the ark which was in the region of Ephrathah; we found it in the fields about the city of Kiriath-Jearim.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: ἰδοὺ ἠκούσαμεν αὐτὴν ἐν Εφραθα, εὕρομεν αὐτὴν ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις τοῦ δρυμοῦ.
  • "Look, we heard of it in Ephratha; we found it in the plains of the forest"
• Jerome (iuxta Hebraeos): Ecce audivimus illum in Ephrata invenimus illum in regione saltus
• Targum: הָא שְׁמַעְנָא יָתָהּ בְּאֶפְרָת אַשְׁכַּחְנוּהָא בַּחֲקַל חוּרְשֵׁי לִבְנָן אֲתַר דְצַלִיאוּ אֲבָהָת עַלְמָא
  • "Behold, we heard it in Ephratah, we found it in the field of the forests of Lebanon, the place where the fathers of old prayed"
• Peshitta: ܗܐ ܫܡܥܢܗܿ ܒܐܦܪܬܐ ܘܐܫܟܚܢܗܿ ܒܚ̈ܩܠܬܐ܂
  • "Look! We heard it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields."

Modern

Ephrathah and 'the fields/region of Jaar'

Ephrathah location of the hearing

• NASB: Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah, We found it in the field of Jaar.
• NIV: We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar.
• NBLA: Oímos de ella en Efrata; La hallamos en los campos de Jaar.
• DHH94I: En Efrata oímos hablar del arca de la alianza, y la encontramos en los campos de Jáar.
• LUT: Siehe, wir hörten von ihr in Efrata, wir haben sie gefunden im Gefilde von Jaar.
• HFA: In Efrata bekamen wir Nachricht über die Bundeslade; wir fanden sie dann im Gebiet von Jaar.
• CEV: When we were in Ephrath, we heard that the sacred chest was somewhere near Jaar.
• NET: Look, we heard about it in Ephrathah, we found it in the territory of Jaar.
• NEB: We heard of it in Ephrathah; we came upon it in the region of Jaar.
• REB: We heard of the Ark in Ephrathah; we found it in the region of Jaar.
• NGÜ: In Efrata hörten wir von der Bundeslade, und wir fanden sie im Gebiet von Jaar.
• ELB: Siehe, wir hören von ihr in Efrata, wir fanden sie in dem Gebiete Jaars.
• EÜ: Siehe, wir hörten von seiner Lade in Efrata, fanden sie im Gefilde von Jáar.
• GNB: In Efrata bekamen wir Nachricht von der Bundeslade des HERRN und wir fanden sie in der Nähe von Jáar.
• ZÜR: Seht, wir hörten von ihr in Efrata, fanden sie in den Gefilden von Jaar.

Ephrathah location of the ark

• NLT: We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah; then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.
• JPS85: We heard it was in Ephrath; we came upon it in the region of Jaar.
• BHTI: Oímos que el Arca estaba en Efrata, la encontramos en los campos de Jaar.

Ephrathah and 'the fields of the forest'

• KJV: Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: We found it in the fields of the wood.
• NJB: Listen, we heard of it in Ephrathah, we found it at Forest-Fields.
• NVR95: En Efrata lo oímos; lo hallamos en los campos del bosque.
• Biblia Jubileo 2000: He aquí, en Efrata oímos de ella; la hallamos en los campos del bosque.

Ephrathah=Bethlehem

• NCV: We heard about the Ark in Bethlehem. We found it at Kiriath Jearim.
• GNT: In Bethlehem we heard about the Covenant Box, and we found it in the fields of Jearim.

Secondary Literature

Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1877. Biblical Commentary on the Psalms: Vol. 3. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

Fretheim, Terence E. 1967. “Psalm 132: A Form-Critical Study.” Journal of Biblical Literature 86 (3): 289–300.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 2011. Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101-150. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.

Kittel, Rudolf. 1922. Die Psalmen. Leipzig: A. Deichertsche Verlagsbuchhandlung Dr. Werner Scholl.

Luker, Lamontte M. 1992. “Ephrathah (Place).” In Anchor Bible Dictionary, edited by D.N. Freedman, II:557–58. New York: Doubleday.

Robinson, A. 1974. “Do Ephrathah and Jaar Really Appear in Psalm 132 6?” ZAW 86 (2): 220ff.

References

132:6