קִיר חֶרֶשׂ
𐤒𐤉𐤓 𐤇𐤓𐤔
Qir Cheres
H7025 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating a fortified city in Moab; literally 'Wall (or Fortress) of Pottery' or 'Masonry Wall.' Used in biblical texts to refer specifically to a prominent Moabite urban center, notable for its strength and construction—likely a major stronghold or administrative or cultic center within Moabite territory. The expression combines the generic noun 'wall/fortress' with a term meaning 'earthenware' or 'potter's clay,' suggesting either construction material or symbolic association with pottery production in the city.
Semantic Range
fortified city, walled stronghold, city associated with pottery or earthenware, proper name for Moabite urban center, literal 'Wall of Pottery,' variant feminine form 'Wall of Pottery/Clay'
Root / Etymology
From קִיר (qîr, 'wall, fortress, city') + חֶרֶשׂ (ḥeres, 'pottery, earthenware, potsherd'); in the variant feminine form, חֲרֶשֶׂת (ḥaresheth), reflecting either a different grammatical gender or an alternate dialectal form. The root of קִיר is ק-י-ר ('to wall, build a wall'), and of חֶרֶשׂ is ח-ר-שׂ ('potter's clay, pottery').
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name קִיר חֶרֶשׂ and its variants (קִיר חֲרֶשֶׂת, 'Qir-hareseth') occur in prophetic passages (e.g., Isaiah 16:7, Jeremiah 48:31,36) where the city is depicted as a principal location within Moab, sometimes as the last stronghold resisting foreign incursion. The name may point either to the construction material of the city’s fortifications (possibly using baked bricks or earthenware) or to an association with a prominent pottery industry. In historical context, it identifies a specific Moabite city, often equated with later Carakmoba in classical sources. Standard English translations vary widely in rendering, sometimes preserving a transliterated form ('Kir-hareseth,' 'Kir-heres'), sometimes using descriptive labels ('fortress of pottery'). The word distinctly marks a non-Israelite, Moabite urban space, and its biblical usage reflects both geographic and political dimensions, emphasizing the city's strategic importance as the last refuge of Moabite royalty or as a site of national mourning. Greek and Latin versions sometimes translate rather than transliterate, further complicating interpretation. Related terms: קִיר ('wall, city'), חֶרֶשׂ ('pottery'). Distinct from analogous Israelite cities such as Lachish or Jerusalem, Kir-hareseth is only referenced in the prophetic judgment oracles against Moab.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (feminine of the latter word) קִיר חֲרֶשֶׂת; from קִיר and חֶרֶשׂ; fortress of earthenware; Kir-Cheres or Kir-Chareseth, a place in Moab; Kir-haraseth, Kir-hareseth, Kirharesh, Kir-heres.
Bantu Hebrew
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קיר חרשׂ (q-y-r; ḥ-r-ś) — to wall, build a wall; pottery, earthenware, clay vessel
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7025-07 |
קִיר | qir | HNp |
Kir | wall | 3 |
H7025-05 |
חֶ֖רֶשׂ | cheres | HNp |
Heres | potsherd | 2 |
H7025-02 |
חֲרָ֑שֶׂת | charaset | HNp |
Kir-hareseth | Wall of Pottery | 1 |
H7025-03 |
חָֽרֶשׂ | chares | HNp |
Hares | earthenware | 1 |
H7025-01 |
בַּ/קִּ֖יר | baqir | HRd/Np |
in-the-wall | in the Wall-of-Pottery fortress | 1 |
H7025-06 |
לְ/קִ֥יר | leqir | HR/Np |
for Kir | to Wall-of-Pottery | 1 |
H7025-04 |
חֲרֶ֛שֶׂת | chareset | HNp |
Hareseth | Wall of Pottery | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
10 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7025-01 |
2 Kings 3:25 | בַּ/קִּ֖יר | baqir | HRd/Np |
in-the-wall | in the Wall-of-Pottery fortress |
H7025-02 |
2 Kings 3:25 | חֲרָ֑שֶׂת | charaset | HNp |
Kir-hareseth | Wall of Pottery |
H7025-07 |
Isaiah 16:7 | קִיר | qir | HNp |
Kir | wall |
H7025-04 |
Isaiah 16:7 | חֲרֶ֛שֶׂת | chareset | HNp |
Hareseth | Wall of Pottery |
H7025-06 |
Isaiah 16:11 | לְ/קִ֥יר | leqir | HR/Np |
for Kir | to Wall-of-Pottery |
H7025-03 |
Isaiah 16:11 | חָֽרֶשׂ | chares | HNp |
Hares | earthenware |
H7025-07 |
Jeremiah 48:31 | קִֽיר | qir | HNp |
Kir | wall |
H7025-05 |
Jeremiah 48:31 | חֶ֖רֶשׂ | cheres | HNp |
Heres | potsherd |
H7025-07 |
Jeremiah 48:36 | קִֽיר | qir | HNp |
Kir | wall |
H7025-05 |
Jeremiah 48:36 | חֶ֔רֶשׂ | cheres | HNp |
heres | potsherd |