Bible Dictionary
Jattir
Jattir was a town in the hill country of Judah. It was assigned to the priests, and David sent part of the spoil from his victory over the Amalekites to its inhabitants.
Definition
Jattir was a town in the hill country of Judah and one of the cities given to the Aaronic priests.
Biblical Usage
David sent part of the spoil from his victory over the Amalekites to the inhabitants of Jattir. The town was assigned to the children of Aaron.
Historical Background
Jattir is identified with Khirbet Attir, an important ruin in the southern hill country, though the supplied material presents the identification as geographical evidence rather than certainty.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Pre-eminent, a city in the mountains of Judah (Josh. 15:48; 21:14).
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(pre-eminent), a town of Judah in the mountain districts, (Joshua 15:48) one of the group containing Socho, Eshtemoa, etc. See also (Joshua 21:14; 1 Samuel 30:27; 1 Chronicles 6:57) By Robinson it is identified with ’Attir, six miles north of Molada and ten miles south of Hebron.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>jat'-er (yattir, and yattir): A town in the hill country of Judah, mentioned in conjunction with Shamir and Socoh (Jos 15:48); one of the cities given to the "children of Aaron the priest" (Jos 21:14; 1Ch 6:57). David after his victory over the Amalekites sent a present of the spoil from Ziklag "to them that were in Jattir" (1Sa 30:27).</p><p>It is now Khirbet `Attir, an important ruin, in the extreme South of the hill country, 5 miles Southeast of edh Dhariyeh and 20 miles Southeast of Belt Jibrin. This must Correspond to the "very large village Jethira" which is mentioned in Eusebius, Onomasticon (119 27; 133 3; 134 24, etc.) as 20 miles Southeast of Eleutheropolis (i.e. Beit Jibrin). The site is full of caves. See PEF, III, 408, Sh XXV.</p><p>E. W. G. Masterman</p>