Succothbenoth is a deity mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in the context of the religious practices of the Samaritans following the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The name "Succothbenoth" is found in 2 Kings 17:30, which states: "The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima."

Historical and Cultural Context

The reference to Succothbenoth occurs during a period of significant upheaval for the Israelites. After the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C., the Assyrians deported many Israelites and repopulated the region with people from various parts of their empire, including Babylon, Cuth, Hamath, and others. These new inhabitants brought with them their own religious practices and deities, leading to a syncretistic form of worship that combined elements of the worship of Yahweh with the worship of foreign gods.

Etymology and Interpretation

The name "Succothbenoth" is often translated as "booths of daughters" or "tents of daughters." The exact nature of this deity and the form of worship associated with it is not detailed in the biblical text, leading to various interpretations by scholars and theologians. Some suggest that the name may imply a form of worship involving sacred prostitution or fertility rites, common in some ancient Near Eastern religions. However, due to the lack of additional historical or archaeological evidence, the precise characteristics of Succothbenoth remain speculative.

Theological Significance

From a theological perspective, the mention of Succothbenoth in 2 Kings 17 serves as a critique of the religious syncretism that characterized the Northern Kingdom after the Assyrian conquest. The introduction of foreign deities like Succothbenoth is presented as a violation of the covenantal relationship between Yahweh and the people of Israel. The biblical narrative emphasizes the importance of exclusive worship of Yahweh and portrays the worship of other gods as a primary reason for the downfall of the Northern Kingdom.

Biblical Context

The broader context of 2 Kings 17 highlights the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. The chapter recounts the various sins of the Israelites, including idolatry and the adoption of pagan practices, which ultimately led to their exile. The introduction of deities such as Succothbenoth by the new inhabitants of Samaria is depicted as a continuation of these sinful practices, further alienating the people from the worship of the one true God.

Conservative Christian Perspective

From a conservative Christian viewpoint, the account of Succothbenoth serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of compromising one's faith and the importance of maintaining doctrinal purity. It underscores the biblical principle of monotheism and the call to worship God alone, as articulated in the First Commandment: "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). The narrative of Succothbenoth and other foreign deities in 2 Kings 17 is often used to illustrate the consequences of idolatry and the need for repentance and return to faithful worship.Succothbenoth

Occurs only in (2 Kings 17:30) It has generally been supposed that this term is pure Hebrew, and signifies the tents of daughters; which some explain as "the booths in which the daughters of the Babylonians prostituted themselves in honor of their idol," others as "small tabernacles in which were contained images of female deities." Sir H. Rawlinson thinks that Succoth-benoth represents the Chaldaean goddess Zerbanit , the wife of Merodach, who was especially worshipped at Babylon.

Tents of daughters, supposed to be the name of a Babylonian deity, the goddess Zir-banit, the wife of Merodach, worshipped by the colonists in Samaria (2 Kings 17:30). SUCCOTH-BENOTH

suk'-oth, suk'-oth-be'-noth, be'-noth (cukkoth benoth; Rhochchothbaineithei, Codex Alexandrinus (better) Sokchothbenithei):

1. The Meaning according to the Hebrew:

The name of an idol made by the Babylonians sent into exile at Samaria by an Assyrian king (Shalmaneser), and mentioned among the deities of the various nationalities there assembled (2 Kings 17:30). In Hebrew, Succoth-benoth means "booths of daughters," and has been explained as the chambers wherein the Babylonians placed women for prostitution; or booths or tabernacles in which images of certain goddesses were worshipped.

2. Sir H. Rawlinson's Identification of the Name:

The parallelism, however, requires a deity, like the Nergal of the Cutheans, the Ashima of the Hamathites, etc., and not a chamber or shrine. This consideration caused Sir H. to suggest an identification of Succoth-benoth with the Babylonian Zer-panitum (= Zer-banitum), whose name was probably pronounced Zer-panith, the spouse of Merodach (the god of Babylon), as the "seed-creatress." The difference in the first component, zer, was regarded as due to its possible Hamitic (= Sumerian) equivalent, or to a Semitic mistranslation, both of which explanations are now known to be untenable.

3. Is Succoth the Babylonian Sakut?:

As the people who made Succoth-benoth were Babylonians, we should expect here either a name of Merodach, the god of Babylon, or one of the deities identified with him. At present the only suggestion which can be made is that Benoth is for ban wath, i.e. ban'(i) mati, "creator of the land." Both the Semitic and the bilingual creation-stories speak of Merodach as the creator of the world, with its products, and the great cities of Babylonia; and "father Enlil," who bore the title "lord of the world," bestowed the same upon Merodach at the creation, thus identifying Merodach with himself. Now there is a group which may be read either Dikut, "the Judge," or Sakut, "the Counselor," and if we can read Succoth-benoth as Sakut(h)ban' wat(h), "the Counselor, creator of the land," a satisfactory explanation of this puzzling name will be furnished. The terminal -i of the Babylonian has been preserved in the ei, of the Greek. The adoption of such a descriptive name of Enlil-Merodach would form a compromise between abandoning their old objects of worship and accepting "the god of the land" (2 Kings 17:26).

T. G. Pinches

Succothbenoth (1 Occurrence)
...Succothbenoth (1 Occurrence). 2 Kings 17:30 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth,
and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, (KJV) ...
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Succoth-benoth (1 Occurrence)
Succoth-benoth. Succothbenoth, Succoth-benoth. Suc'coth-be'noth . ...
Succothbenoth, Succoth-benoth. Suc'coth-be'noth . Reference Bible.
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Succoth (18 Occurrences)

/s/succoth.htm - 16k

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