אֲשׁוּרִי
𐤀𐤔𐤅𐤓𐤉
Ashuri
H805 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An inhabitant of Ashur or member of the group identified as 'Ashurites'. Most directly, the term designates persons linked by descent or residence to a group, territory, or clan named Ashur, whose precise historical and geographic identification is debated. In the only secure biblical context (2 Samuel 2:9), it refers to a people-group or population in the area of Gilead during the early monarchy period, likely distinct from later Assyrians.
Semantic Range
Ashurite, member of the Ashur group or clan, inhabitant of Ashur (a district); possibly the Asshurim as a tribal designation; not to be confused with Assyrian (inhabitant of Assyria) except in later periods or different contexts
Root / Etymology
From the root אַשּׁוּר (Ashur); derived as a gentilic (demonymic-forming) adjective by the addition of ִי, used for creating national, tribal, or geographic identities, i.e., 'of Ashur' or 'Ashurite'. Strong connection to the proper name אַשּׁוּר, used both for a descendant of Shem (Gen 10:11) and, more famously, as the name of the ancient Assyrian city, but in this context referring to a regional or clan designation in the land east of the Jordan.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears with certainty only in 2 Samuel 2:9, where it is listed among regions loyal to Ish-bosheth, son of Saul. The Ashurites here are grouped with other Gileadite and northern Transjordanian entities, possibly suggesting a sub-clan or district within eastern Israelite territory, rather than a reference to the northern Mesopotamian Assyrians. Some scholars relate 'Ashurite' here to the Asshurim (Genesis 25:3), a clan linked to the descendants of Abraham by Keturah, but the evidence is inconclusive. English Bible translations often render the term as 'Ashurites' or sometimes 'Asshurites', but the precise referent—whether a district, clan, or ethnic group—remains uncertain. In post-biblical and later usage, forms of this root would refer to the Assyrian empire and its inhabitants, but no such imperial context is present in the biblical text. The term should not be conflated with Assyrians unless contextually indicated. No evidence links this term directly to Judahites or later Judeans.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or אַשּׁוּרִי; from a patrial word of the same form as אַשּׁוּר; an Ashurite (collectively) or inhabitant of Ashur, a district in Palestine; Asshurim, Ashurites.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אשור (ʾ-š-w-r) — to go straight, be upright; to walk, travel; Ashur as a personal or place name
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H805-02 |
הָ/אֲשׁוּרִ֖י | haashuri | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Ashurites | the Ashurite | 1 |
H805-01 |
אַשּׁוּרִ֥ם | ashurim | HNp |
Asshurim | Ashurites | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H805-01 |
Genesis 25:3 | אַשּׁוּרִ֥ם | ashurim | HNp |
Asshurim | Ashurites |
H805-02 |
2 Samuel 2:9 | הָ/אֲשׁוּרִ֖י | haashuri | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Ashurites | the Ashurite |