Shiloh
/ˈʃaɪloʊ/
noun
Origin
Hebrew
שלה — to be tranquil, at rest, or secure
Overview
Meaning Now
- An ancient city in Samaria, Israel, which served as the primary sanctuary for the Israelites before the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.
- A place of peace or rest, often used in a figurative sense, derived from biblical associations.
Literal older meaning
place of peace, tranquil, or secure
Language path
Hebrew → Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
שִׁילֹה
Earliest period
11th century BCE
Journey
Shiloh was the central religious site for the Israelites during the period of the Judges, housing the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant until the latter was captured by the Philistines. It remained a significant, albeit diminished, site throughout biblical history.
Evolution
- Biblical Hebrew
שִׁילֹה
“a place of rest”
- Septuagint (Greek)
Σηλώ
“Shiloh”
Transliteration into Koine Greek.
- Vulgate (Latin)
Silo
“Shiloh”
Standardized Latin form used in Western ecclesiastical contexts.
- Middle English
Shiloh
“biblical location”
Adopted through religious texts into English vernacular.
Connections
Word parts
Shil-
root
rest or peace
-oh
suffix
locative or adjectival suffix
Related across languages
Ancient Greek
Σηλώ (Sēlṓ)
Shiloh
Latin
Shiloh
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Related to Shiloh
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.