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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comFausset Bible Dictionary: Jaazer
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Hebrew; Jaezzeer. A town E. of Jordan in Gilead (; -35; ). Taken by Israel from the Amorites on the way to Bashan (; ). Now the ruins es Szir, ten miles N.E. of Heshbon; a castle and a large walled pool, the "sea" of ; but Septuagint reads "the cities of Jaazer". Some error may be in the present text. The town gave its name to the surrounding district (; ). This conquest completed their acquisition of the Amorite kingdom. Soon after, Gad occupied it pastorally. Assigned to the Merarite Levites (), but occupied by Hebronites (Kohathites) in David's time ().
The plants of the Sibmah vine are said in to have come even unto Jaazer, 15 miles from Heshbon, near Sibmah, "they wandered through the wilderness in wild luxuriance," namely, that encompassing Moab, "they are gone over the sea," namely, the sea of Jaazer, but others the Dead Sea (-11). The vine spread itself round the margin of the sea, and reached beyond to the other side; a sad contrast to the coming desolation, when "the pagan lords" should "break down the principal plants"! "Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jaazer," i.e. such as Jaazer weeps with. Isaiah is touched with pity for Moab, though an alien. Ministers, in denouncing God's wrath against sinners, should do it with tender sorrow, not exultation. At Jaazer was the source of a river falling into Jordan, and marshes or pools still at times are at the source of the wady Szir.