Nisroch
“Uncertain, possibly related to 'nesher' (eagle) or a corruption of Asshur”
Summary
Nisroch was an Assyrian idol in whose temple at Nineveh King Sennacherib was assassinated by his own sons.
☩The Assassination of Sennacherib
Nisroch is mentioned only twice in Scripture, both recording the same event: the assassination of the Assyrian king Sennacherib. After Sennacherib's army was miraculously destroyed while besieging Jerusalem, he returned to Nineveh and was worshipping in the temple of his god Nisroch when his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. They escaped to Armenia, and his son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king.
☩Identity of the Deity
The exact identity of Nisroch remains uncertain as the name does not appear in any known Assyrian inscriptions. Some scholars, noting the Hebrew word for 'eagle' (nesher), have suggested connection with the eagle-headed figures found on Assyrian monuments. Others believe the name is a corruption of Asshur, the chief Assyrian deity, or possibly Nusku, a fire god. The Septuagint renders the name differently in Kings and Isaiah, suggesting early textual uncertainty.
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Nisroch," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Nisroch," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).