International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Kir-Hareseth; Kir-Heres

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Kir-Hareseth; Kir-Heres


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kûr-har´ḗ-seth, -ha-rē´seth (קיר־חרשׂת, ḳı̄r-ḥăresh, ; in the King James Version reads Kir-haraseth (pausal form)); (חרשׂ קיר, ḳı̄r ḥeres, , ; in the King James Version reads Kir-haresh (pausal form)): Modern scholars unanimously identify this city with Kir of Moab. In Jehoram's invasion of Moab it alone withstood his attack; and on the city wall the king of Moab sacrificed his son ( ff). It was obviously the capital, i.e. Kir Moab. The name is generally taken to mean “city of the sun.” Cheyne, however, points out (EB, under the word): (1) that this explanation was unknown to the ancients; (2) that”kir” is nowhere suposed to mean “city,” except in the compound names Ḳir-ḥeres, Ḳir-ḥareseth, and Ḳir Moab; (3) that ḥeres, “sun,” nowhere has a feminine ending, and (4) that (Septuagint and Aquila.) indicates d and not r in the second part of the name (Δέσεθ, Déseth). He suggests, therefore, that we should possibly read הדשׁה קרית, ḳiryath ḥădhāshāh, “new city.”