ZAANAIM, ZAANANNIM zā ə nā’ yĭm, zā ə-năn’ ĭm (first form Judg 4:11 KJV only) (צְעַנִּים, H7587, צַעֲנַנִּ֖ים LXX^A Βεσανανιμ, LXX^B Βεσαμιειν, Josh 19:33). The Kethib to the Judges passage reads בַּצְעַנִּים, while the Qere reads same consonants as MT to Joshua. The Gr. tr. took the Judges passage to be from the root בצע, to cut off, break off, and rendered it ἀναπαυομένων (LXX^A) or πλεονεκτούντων (LXX^B). The word is used in construct with גְּבוּל, H1473, oak (ASV, RSV), plain (KJV). Some tr. “Oak of Zaananim,” but others think that the absence of the article would indicate it should be transliterated as a place name “Elon-Bezaananim.”

Perhaps a place on the southern border of Naphthali (Josh 19:33) near the site where Jael, Heber’s wife, had her tent and killed Sisera with the tent peg (Judg 4:11). Some, including Conder (following the LXX to Josh), identify it with Khirbet Bessum, three m. NE of Tabor. Others identify it with Lejjun, between Megiddo and Tell Abu Qedeis (=Kedesh?). However, tentative identification of other sites in Joshua 19:33 favors the suggestion that Zaanannim is Khan et-Tujjar on the road from Beth-shean to Damascus, about four m. SE of Adami (May, Oxford Bible Atlas, p. 141).