Kir
“Wall, or fortress”
Summary
A region in Mesopotamia subject to Assyria, identified as the original homeland of the Arameans (Syrians) and the place to which Tiglath-pileser deported the people of Damascus.
☩Identity and Location
Kir was a region or country subject to the Assyrian empire, mentioned in connection with Elam and the prophetic judgments against various nations. The meaning of the word ("wall" or "fortress") suggests it may have been a general term for a walled or fortified place rather than a specific geographical location. Various proposals have been made for its identification: the region around the river Cyrus (Kur) which flows through Georgia into the Caspian Sea; the area of Kurena or Kurna in southern Media; or possibly in Armenia. The association with Elam in Isaiah suggests a location on the eastern side of the Tigris-Euphrates region, consistent with Assyrian practice of relocating captives far from their homelands.
☩Homeland of the Syrians
The prophet Amos revealed that Kir was the original homeland of the Arameans before they migrated to Syria, just as Israel came from Egypt and the Philistines from Caphtor. This divine revelation demonstrated that God sovereignly directs the movements of all nations, not only Israel. The mention of Kir in parallel with Egypt and Caphtor as points of origin for different peoples underscores God's universal providence over human history. Though little specific historical information survives about the Aramean migration from Kir, it was evidently well known in prophetic tradition as their ancestral territory.
☩Place of Exile
When Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria conquered Damascus at the request of Ahaz king of Judah, he carried the Syrian population away captive to Kir. This deportation fulfilled the prophecy of Amos that "the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir." The Assyrians were returning the Arameans to their place of origin, completing a historical cycle. This exile effectively ended the Aramean kingdom of Damascus as an independent power. The mention of soldiers from Kir (along with Elam) "uncovering the shield" against Jerusalem in Isaiah suggests that conquered peoples from these regions later served as mercenaries in Assyrian armies.
Related Verses10 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Kir," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Kir," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Kir," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Kir," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).