Socho

Socho (also spelled Socoh, Sochoh, or Shochoh; meaning: a fence or a hedge) was the name of two towns in Judah and one in Ephraim. The most significant was the Shephelah town of Socho in the lowland district (1 Chr. 4:18; 1 Kings 4:10), situated in the Valley of Elah — the setting for the famous confrontation between David and Goliath, where the Philistines camped at Socho opposite the Israelites at Azekah (1 Sam. 17:1). Rehoboam fortified it as part of his defensive network for Judah (2 Chr. 11:7), and the Philistines later captured it during Ahaz's reign (2 Chr. 28:18).

A second Socho lay in the hill country of Judah (Josh. 15:35, 48), and a third, Socoh, was in the district of Solomon's fifth administrative region in Ephraim (1 Kings 4:10). The repeated occurrence of the name reflects its common descriptive meaning rather than a single settlement.