Tire
Summary
An archaic English term for an ornamental headdress worn on festive occasions in ancient Israel.
☩Definition
The word 'tire' is an old English term for a headdress or hair ornament. In Ezekiel 24:17, 23, it refers to a turban or ornamental head-covering worn during times of celebration. The same Hebrew word (pe'er) is translated elsewhere as 'bonnet' or 'ornament.'
☩Round Tires Like the Moon
In Isaiah 3:18, the phrase 'round tires like the moon' translates a different Hebrew word (saharonim), meaning 'crescents.' These were crescent-shaped ornaments worn by women on the head, similar to articles still hung on camel necks among the Arabs. Modern Samaritan women wear strings of coins that resemble these ancient ornaments.
☩Symbolic Significance
The tire held symbolic importance as a sign of festivity and joy. When Ezekiel was commanded not to mourn for his wife, he was specifically told to keep his tire upon his head, symbolizing the coming judgment when Israel would be too stunned to follow normal mourning customs. The word is connected to the priestly headdress and to bridal adornment.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Tire," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Tire," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Tire," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).