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Asshur
Asshur
אַשּׁוּר ash.shur
Asshur (Hebrew: אַשּׁוּר, ash.shur) is a biblical name; its Hebrew etymology is not securely established. Two men in scripture bear the name; the best attested belongs to the Patriarchal period. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears in the same passages as Abida.
Which Asshur?
Two men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Asshur
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Asshur
son of Shem
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 3 across 2 books
- Bearers
- 2 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 10:22 |
| Last appears | 1 Chronicles 1:17 |
| Cross-references | 76 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Aram attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Shem.
- Lud attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Shem.
- Arpachshad attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Shem.
- Elam attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Shem.
- Elam co-occurrence Appears with Elam in Genesis 10.
- Letushim co-occurrence Appears with Letushim in Genesis 25.
- Leummim co-occurrence Appears with Leummim in Genesis 25.
- Asshurim co-occurrence Appears with Asshurim in Genesis 25.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.22;
son of: Shem (H8035);
brother of: Elam (H5867C), Arpachshad (H0775), Lud (H3865) and Aram (H0758)
§ Asshur or Assyria = "a step"
1) the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians
2) the people of Assyria
3) the nation, Assyria
4) the land, Assyria or Asshur
Asshur was a son of Shem and is considered the father of the Assyrians (Gen.10.22; 1Ch.1.17).
The biblical story
Asshur is mentioned in the genealogies of Genesis 10 and 1 Chronicles 1, known as the Table of Nations. He was a son of Shem, one of the three sons of Noah. The Table of Nations records the spreading out of Noah's descendants after the flood, indicating the origins of various people groups. Asshur is associated with the Assyrians, an ancient Semitic people who inhabited the region of Mesopotamia. The Assyrians established a powerful empire that played a significant role in the history of the ancient Near East. The name Asshur is also used to refer to the chief deity of the Assyrian pantheon and the capital city of the Assyrian Empire.
Key verses
Asshur appears in 2 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
Genesis 10:22 -
The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.
1 Chronicles 1:17
Show all 2 references
Genesis (1)
- Genesis 10:22
1 Chronicles (1)
- 1 Chronicles 1:17