Kir-Hareseth, Kir-Heres
Kir-Hareseth, Kir-Heres
kur-hare-seth, -ha-reseth (, kr-haresh, Isa 16:7; in 2Ki 3:25 the King James Version reads Kir-haraseth (pausal form)); ( , kr heres, Jer 48:31, Jer 48:36; in Isa 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 (2Ki 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) thatkir is nowhere suposed to mean city, except in the compound names Kir-heres, Kir-hareseth, and Kir Moab; (3) that heres, sun, nowhere has a feminine ending, and (4) that Isa 16:7 (Septuagint and Aquila.) indicates d and not r in the second part of the name (, Deseth). He suggests, therefore, that we should possibly read , kiryath hadhashah, new city.