The meaning of Hazar in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
ha'-zar (chatsar, construct of chatser, "an enclosure," "settlement," or "village"): Is frequently the first element in Hebrew place-names.
1. Hazar-addar:
Hazar-addar (Hebrew chatsar 'addar), a place on the southern boundary of Judah (Numbers 34:4), is probably identical with Hazron (Joshua 15:3), which, in this case, however, is separated from Addar (the King James Version "Adar"). It seems to have lain somewhere to the Southwest of Kadesh-barnea.
2. Hazar-enan:
Hazar-enan (Hebrew chatsar 'enan, "village of springs": enan is Aramaic; Once (Ezekiel 47:17) it is called Enon), a place, unidentified, at the junction of the northern and eastern frontiers of the land promised to Israel (Numbers 34:9 f.; compare Ezekiel 47:17; Ezekiel 48:1). To identify it with the sources of the Orontes seems to leave too great a gap between this and the places named to the South. Buhl (GAP, 66 f.) would draw the northern boundary from Nahr el-Qasimiyeh to the foot of Hermon, and would locate Hazar-enan at Banias. The springs there lend fitness to the name; a condition absent from el-Chadr, farther east, suggested by von Kesteren. But there is no certainty.
3. Hazar-gaddah:
Hazar-gaddah (Hebrew hatsar-gaddah), a place in the territory of Judah "toward the border of Edom in the South" (Joshua 15:21, Joshua 15:27). Eusebius, Onomasticon (s.v. "Gadda") places it in the uttermost parts of the Daroma, overlooking the Dead Sea. This might point to the site of Masada, or to the remarkable ruins of Umm Bajjaq farther south (GAP, 185).
4. Hazar-hatticon:
Hazar-hatticon (the Revised Version (British and American) HAZER-HATTICON; Hebrew chatser ha-tikhon, "the middle village"), a place named on the ideal border of Israel (Ezekiel 47:16). The context shows that it is identical with Hazar-enan, for which this is apparently another name. Possibly, however, it is due to a scribal error.
5. Hazarmaveth:
Hazarmaveth (Hebrew chatsarmaweth), the name of a son of Joktan attached to a clan or district in South Arabia (Genesis 10:26; I Chronicles 1:20). It is represented by the modern Chadramaut, a broad and fruitful valley running nearly parallel with the coast for about 100 miles, north of el-Yemen. The ruins and inscriptions found by Glaser show that it was once the home of a great civilization, the capital being Sabata (Genesis 10:7) (Glaser, Skizze, II, 20, 423 ff.).
6. Hazar-shual:
Hazar-Shual (Hebrew chatsar shu'al), a place in the South of Judah (Joshua 15:28) assigned to Simeon (Joshua 19:3; I Chronicles 4:28). It was reoccupied after the exile (Nehemiah 11:27). Sa'weh on a hill East of Beersheba has been suggested; but there is no certainty.
7. Hazar-susah:
Hazar-susah (Hebrew chatsar cucah, Joshua 19:5), Hazar-susim (Hebrew chatsar cucim, I Chronicles 4:31). As it stands, the name means "station of a mare" or "of horses," and it occurs along with Beth-marcaboth, "place of chariots," which might suggest depots for trade in chariots and horses. The sites have not been identified.
W. Ewing
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