2588. chanuth

Lexical Summary

chanuth: Shop, Store, or Market

Original Word: חָנוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: chanuwth
Pronunciation: khan-OOTH
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-nooth')
KJV: cabin
NASB: vaulted cell
Word Origin: [from H2583 (חָנָה - camped)]

1. (properly) a vault or cell (with an arch)
2. (by implication) a prison

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

cabin

From chanah; properly, a vault or cell (with an arch); by implication, a prison -- cabin.

see HEBREW chanah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from chanah
Definition
a cell, vault
NASB Translation
vaulted cell (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[חָנוּת] noun feminine cell (as having curved or vaulted roof, arched; see Thes Gf, and compare Aramaic vaulted room) — הַחֲנֻיּוֺת Jeremiah 37:16 ("" בֵּית הַבּוֺר).

Topical Lexicon

Definition and Conceptual Scope

חָנוּת refers to a vaulted cell, an underground storage-like chamber within an ancient prison compound. It denotes a confined, arched space designed not merely for detention but for restricting light, movement, and fresh air, intensifying the punitive experience.

Scriptural Usage

Jeremiah 37:16 records the single canonical occurrence: “So Jeremiah entered the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell, and he remained there a long time”. The prophet is first beaten (Jeremiah 37:15) and then lowered into this חָנוּת, highlighting a deliberate escalation from public humiliation to prolonged isolation.

Historical Background

1. Location: The “house of Jonathan the scribe” (Jeremiah 37:15) likely occupied a prominent spot near the royal complex in Jerusalem, functioning both as an administrative center and an improvised prison.
2. Architecture: Archaeological parallels show barrel-vaulted side rooms hewn below street level, accessible by a single hatch or narrow stair. Moist, poorly ventilated, and sometimes partially flooded, these cells quickly weakened the body.
3. Political Climate: Zedekiah’s final years were marked by factional fear as Babylon tightened its siege (Jeremiah 32:2; Jeremiah 34:2). Imprisoning Jeremiah in a חָנוּת allowed officials to silence a dissenting voice without a public trial, thus avoiding open conflict with pro-Babylon sympathizers.

Theological Significance

1. Suffering of the Righteous: The prophet’s descent into the cell typifies the pattern seen in Joseph’s pit (Genesis 37:24), David’s cave (1 Samuel 22:1), and ultimately the tomb of Christ (Matthew 27:60). God’s servants are often enclosed before being vindicated.
2. Divine Presence in Confinement: Though unseen by human eyes, the Lord who promised, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you” (Jeremiah 1:8), proves His faithfulness in the darkest recesses. The cell becomes a theatre for God’s sustaining grace.
3. Word of God Unchained: From within these cramped walls Jeremiah continues his prophetic ministry (Jeremiah 38:1-3). The episode anticipates Paul’s testimony, “The word of God is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:9).

Pastoral and Homiletical Applications

• Encouragement amid Isolation: Modern believers facing hospital rooms, prisons, or social ostracism may take courage from Jeremiah’s endurance.
• Integrity under Pressure: The prophet refuses to retract God’s message despite confinement, modeling steadfast witness (Acts 4:19-20).
• Prayer for the Persecuted: The narrative underlines the responsibility of the covenant community to remember those “in prison as if you were bound with them” (Hebrews 13:3).

Christological and Redemptive Foreshadowing

The vaulted cell points forward to the burial chamber of Jesus. Both settings involve stone, darkness, and watchful guards; both are temporary, for the Lord delivers His servant (Jeremiah 38:13) and raises His Son (Matthew 28:6), declaring triumph over human injustice and death itself.

Related Terms and Images

• בּוֹר (“pit”) – a broader term often paired with חָנוּת in Jeremiah 37:16.
• מַחֲסֶה (“refuge”) – the spiritual antithesis, underscoring that true safety is found in God rather than human architecture (Psalm 46:1).
• חֶסֶד (“steadfast love”) – the covenant motive behind every divine rescue (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Summary

חָנוּת embodies more than an architectural niche; it encapsulates a theology of suffering, endurance, and deliverance. In the single verse where it appears, the word anchors a rich narrative of prophetic faithfulness that reverberates through the entire sweep of redemption history.

Forms and Transliterations

הַֽחֲנֻ֑יוֹת החניות ha·ḥă·nu·yō·wṯ hachaNuyot haḥănuyōwṯ

Englishman's Concordance

Jeremiah 37:16
HEB: הַבּ֖וֹר וְאֶל־ הַֽחֲנֻ֑יוֹת וַיֵּֽשֶׁב־ שָׁ֥ם
NAS: into the dungeon, that is, the vaulted cell; and Jeremiah
KJV: into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah
INT: cistern about is the vaulted stayed there

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2588
1 Occurrence

ha·ḥă·nu·yō·wṯ — 1 Occ.