Bible Encyclopedias
Kir-Hareseth; Kir-Heres

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kûr - har´ḗ - seth , - ha - rē´seth ( קיר־חרשׂת , ḳı̄r - ḥăresh , Isaiah 16:7; in 2 Kings 3:25 the King James Version reads Kir-haraseth (pausal form)); ( חרשׂ קיר , ḳı̄r ḥeres , Jeremiah 48:31 , Jeremiah 48:36; in Isaiah 16:11 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 ( 2 Kings 3:25 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 Isaiah 16:7 (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."