Succoth — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

1. Town in the Jordan Valley listed along with other towns as belonging to the tribe of Gad (Jos 13:27). It is located in the fertile valley called Ghaur Abu ‘Udeidah, known in the Bible as the valley of Succoth (Pss 60:6; 108:7); it comprises the central portion of the Jordan Valley on the eastern side, between the Wadi Rejeb and the Jabbok River.

Show passage in OET: JOS 13:27

OET-RV JOS 13:27

27 Also in the valley, Beyt -Haram, Beyt -Nimrah, Sukot, Tsafon, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon (the king of Heshbon), with the Yarden (Jordan) and the border, as far as the end of Lake Galil, eastward beyond the Yarden River.

OET-LV JOS 13:27

27 And_in_valley Bēyt Haram and_Bēyt- nimrah and_Şukkōt and_Zaphon the _remainder _of the _kingdom _of Şīḩōn the _king _of Ḩeshbōn the_Yardēn and_a _border to the _end _of the _sea _of Kinneret the _other _side _of the _Yardēn eastward_to.

Show passage in OET: PSA 60:6

OET-RV PSA 60:6

6 God has spoken from his sacred place, “I’ll celebrate.
⇔ I’ll divide Shekem
⇔ ≈ and apportion out the Sukot Valley.

OET-LV PSA 60:8

8  god he _has _spoken in_sanctuary _of_his I _will _exult I _will _divide _up Shəkem and_the _Valley _of Şukkōt I _will _measure _off.

Show passage in OET: PSA 108:7

OET-RV PSA 108:7

7 God has spoken from his sanctuary, “I will celebrate.
⇔ I will divide up Shekem and apportion out the Sukot Valley.

OET-LV PSA 108:8

8  god he _has _spoken in_sanctuary _of_his I _will _exult I _will _divide _up Shəkem and_the _Valley _of Şukkōt I _will _measure _off.

Jump to OET JOS 13:27 section.

Jump to OET PSA 60:6 section.

Jump to OET PSA 108:7 section.

The place is mentioned for the first time in the account of Jacob’s meeting with Esau, which occurred just south of Penuel. Jacob went from the meeting to Succoth and built some shelters for his cattle, which is given as the explanation for the name of the settlement (Gn 33:17)—Succoth means “shelters.”

Show passage in OET: GEN 33:17

OET-RV GEN 33:17

17 but Ya’akov travelled to Sukot where he built a house for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That’s why he named the place ‘Sukot’ (which means ‘shelters’).

OET-LV GEN 33:17

17 And_Yaˊₐqoⱱ/(Jacob) he _set _out towards_Şukkōt and_he/it _built to_him/it a _house and_for_livestock _of_his he _made shelters therefore yes/correct/thus/so he _called the _name _of the _place Şukkōt.

Jump to OET GEN 33:17 section.

Later, the men of Succoth refused to give food to Gideon and his men when they were pursuing the Midianites (Jgs 8:5-9). Upon his return, Gideon made a point of punishing the elders of Succoth (vv 13-17). The form of social organization reflected in this passage has suggested that the population was not Israelite at the time of Gideon’s visitation.

Show passage in OET: JDG 8:5–9

OET-RV JDG 8:5

5 When they arrived at the town of Sukot, Gid’on asked the leaders, “Please give my men some bread to eat because they’re exhausted, but we’re chasing Zevah and Tsalmuna, the Midyanite kings.”

OET-RV JDG 8:6

6 However, the Sukot officials asked cautiously, “Do you already have Zevah and Tsalmuna in your grasp that we should give food to your army?”

OET-RV JDG 8:7

7 “Let me assure you all,” Gid’on responded, “that when Yahweh has helped us capture Zevah and Tsalmuna, I will rip off your flesh with the wilderness thorns and briers.”

OET-RV JDG 8:8

8 From there they climbed up to Penuel, and he asked them for food in a similar manner, and the leaders there responded similarly to the leaders of Sukot.

OET-RV JDG 8:9

9 So he said to the men of Penuel as well, “When I return safely, I’ll tear down this tower.”

OET-LV JDG 8:5

5 And_he/it _said to_the _people _of Şukkōt give please round _loaves _of bread to_people which is_at_feet _of_my if/because are_exhausted they and_I am_pursuing after Zeⱱaḩ and_Tsalmunnāˊ/(Zalmunna) the _kings _of Midyān.

OET-LV JDG 8:6

6 And_ the _officials _of Şukkōt _he/it _said is_the_palm _of Zeⱱaḩ and_Tsalmunnāˊ now in_hand _of_your that/for/because/then/when we _will _give to_army _of_your bread.

OET-LV JDG 8:7

7 And_ Gidˊōn _he/it _said for_so/thus/hence when_ YHWH _gives DOM Zeⱱaḩ and_DOM Tsalmunnāˊ in_hand _of_my and_I _will _thresh DOM flesh _of_your(pl) with (the)_thorns _of the _wilderness and_DOM (the)_briers.

OET-LV JDG 8:8

8 And_he/it _ascended from_there Pənū^ʼēl and_he/it _spoke to_them like_this and_ the _men _of Pənū^ʼēl _they _answered him just_as the _men _of Şukkōt they _had _answered.

OET-LV JDG 8:9

9 And_he/it _said also to_the _men _of Pənū^ʼēl to_say when_return_I in_peace I _will _tear _down DOM the_tower (the)_this.

Show passage in OET: JDG 8:13–17

OET-RV JDG 8:13

13 The Gid’on (Yoash’s son) and his warriors returned from battle, going through the Heres pass.

OET-RV JDG 8:14

14 He captured a young man from Sukot and questioned him—writing down the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Sukot.

OET-RV JDG 8:15

15 Then he returned to Sukot and told them, “Look here at Zevah and Tsalmuna—the ones you taunted me about when you asked, ‘Do you already have Zevah and Tsalmuna in your grasp that we should give food to your weary men.’ ”

OET-RV JDG 8:16

16 He took the city elders and had them punished with wilderness thorns and briers to teach them a lesson,

OET-RV JDG 8:17

17 then they went to Penuel and tore down the tower and executed the city leaders.

OET-LV JDG 8:13

13 And_ Gidˊōn the _son _of Yōʼāsh/(Joash) _he _returned from the_battle from_to_the _ascent _of (the)_Heres.

OET-LV JDG 8:14

14 And_he _captured a _young _man one_of _the _men _of Şukkōt and_he_enquired _of _him and_he _wrote _down to_him/it DOM the _officials _of Şukkōt and_DOM its _of_elders seventy and_seven man.

OET-LV JDG 8:15

15 And_he _came to the _men _of Şukkōt and_he/it _said HERE Zeⱱaḩ and_Tsalmunnāˊ whom you(pl)_taunted me to_say is_the_palm _of Zeⱱaḩ and_Tsalmunnāˊ now in_hand _of_your that/for/because/then/when we _will _give to_men _of_your (the)_weary bread.

OET-LV JDG 8:16

16 And_he/it _took DOM the _elders _of the_city and_DOM the _thorns _of the _wilderness and_DOM the_briers and_he _taught (is)_in_them DOM the _men _of Şukkōt.

OET-LV JDG 8:17

17 And_DOM the _tower _of Pənū^ʼēl he _tore _down and_he _killed DOM the _men _of the_city.

Jump to OET JDG 8:5–9 section.

Jump to OET JDG 8:13–17 section.

Finally, Succoth is mentioned with regard to Solomon’s building projects. The metal casting for the important fixtures and implements of the temple was performed in the area between Succoth and Zarethan (1 Kgs 7:46; 2 Chr 4:17). It is possible that Succoth of the monarchical period was destroyed by Shishak of Egypt.

Show passage in OET: KI1 7:46

OET-RV KI1 7:46

46 The king had them cast in the clay in the Yarden (Jordan) valley between Sukot and Tseretan.

OET-LV KI1 7:46

46 In_the _valley _of the _Yardēn/(Jordan) he_throw _them the_king in_the _thickness _of the_soil between Şukkōt and_between Tsₑrətān/(Zarethan).

Show passage in OET: CH2 4:17

OET-RV CH2 4:17

17 The king had them cast in the clay between Sukot and Tseredah down by the Yarden (Jordan) River.

OET-LV CH2 4:17

17 In_the _valley _of the _Yardēn/(Jordan) he_throw _them the_king in_the _thickness _of the_soil between Şukkōt and_between Tsərēdāh/(Zeredah).

Jump to OET KI1 7:46 section.

Jump to OET CH2 4:17 section.

It has been proposed that the place-name occurs in two other passages: as the staging area for David’s forces in the battle with Ammon, when the ark and the army were “living in shelters (sukkoth)” (2 Sm 11:11), and as the staging area for Ben-hadad’s troops in his war against Samaria (1 Kgs 20:12, 16 OET KI1 20:12 · OET KI1 20:16).

Show passage in OET: SA2 11:11

OET-RV SA2 11:11

11 “The sacred chest and the warriors from Yisrael (Israel) and Yehudah (Judah) are living in tents,” Uriyah replied. “And my master, Yoav, and my master’s servants are camping out in the open. So I couldn’t just go to my house to eat and to drink and to sleep with my wife. By your life and by the life of your spirit, I couldn’t do that.”

OET-LV SA2 11:11

11 And_ ʼŪriy^yāh _he/it _said to Dāvid the_box and_Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) and_Yəhūdāh/(Yihudah) are_dwelling in_booths and_master _of_my Yōʼāⱱ and_the _servants _of my_master on the _face _of the_field are_encamping and_I will _I _go to house _of_my to_eat and_to_drink and_to_lie with wife _of_my life _of _you(pl)_of_by_the and_by_the _life _of your _self _of_your if I _will _do DOM the_thing (the)_this.

Show passage in OET: KI1 20:12; KI1 20:16

OET-RV KI1 20:12

12 Ben -Hadad received that message while he was in the huts drinking with the other kings, and he immediately ordered his men to get into position so they got ready to attack the city.

OET-RV KI1 20:16

16 They exited the city at midday, while Ben-Hadad and the other kings were still getting drunk in their huts.

OET-LV KI1 20:12

12 And_he/it _was just_as _heard DOM the_message the_this and_he was_drinking he and_the_kings in_booths and_he/it _said to servants _of_his set _yourselves and_they _set _themselves on the_city.

OET-LV KI1 20:16

16 And_they _went _out at_noontide(s) and_Ben- hₐdad was_drinking drunken in_booths he and_the_kings thirty and_two king[s] who _was_helping DOM_him/it.

Jump to OET SA2 11:11 section.

Jump to OET KI1 20:12 section. · OET KI1 20:16 section.

2. Town in Egypt mentioned as the first station of the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt (Ex 12:37; 13:20; Nm 33:5-6); it appears between Rameses and Etham.

Show passage in OET: EXO 12:37

OET-RV EXO 12:37

37 Then the Israelis walked from Ra’meses toward Sukot—about 600,000 strong men on foot, not counting women and children.

OET-LV EXO 12:37

37 And_ the _people _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) _they _set _out from_Raˊməşēş to_Şukkōt were_about_six hundred(s) thousand foot _soldier[s] the_men apart_beside from_little _one[s].

Show passage in OET: EXO 13:20

OET-RV EXO 13:20

20 The people travelled on from Sukot and camped at Etam on the edge of the wilderness.

OET-LV EXO 13:20

20 And_they _set _out from_Şukkōt and_they _encamped at_ʼĒtām on_the _edge _of the _wilderness.

Show passage in OET: NUM 33:5–6

OET-RV NUM 33:5

5 After leaving Ra’meses, the Israelis went to Sukot and camped there.

OET-RV NUM 33:6

6 Then they left Sukot and camped at Eytam at the edge of the wilderness.

OET-LV NUM 33:5

5 And_ the _people _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) _they _set _out from_Raˊməşēş and_they _encamped at_Şukkōt.

OET-LV NUM 33:6

6 And_they _set _out from_Şukkōt and_they _encamped at_ʼĒtām which is_on_the _edge _of the _wilderness.

Jump to OET EXO 12:37 section.

Jump to OET EXO 13:20 section.

Jump to OET NUM 33:5–6 section.

Egyptian sources, texts of the Anastasi collection, refer to a place that is most likely the same as biblical Succoth. An Edomite tribe is recorded as bringing their herds in from the desert to pasture them in the Delta, passing by the strong point at Tkw [Old Egyptian for Succoth] (Papyrus Anastasi VI, 54). The military garrison there was commanded by a “commander” of (archer) troops, and the fort was named after Pharaoh Mernephta (Papyrus Anastasi, VI, 55).

Scholarly opinion usually places Succoth at Tell el-Maskhuta, a site near the mouth of the Wadi Tumeilat. See map.