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Zur meaning

Zur in Biblical Hebrew
צור
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Zur.html

🔼The name Zur: Summary

Meaning
Rock
Etymology
From the noun צור (sur), rock.
Related names
• Via צור (sur): Abel-mizraim, Beth-zur, Elizur, Helkath-hazzurim, Izri, Jezer, Mizraim, Pedahzur, Tyre, Zarethan, Zer, Zererath, Zereth, Zereth-shahar, Zeri, Zeror, Zeruiah, Zuriel, Zurishaddai

🔼The name Zur in the Bible

In the Bible the name Zur is applied to two men and one city:

  • Zur is the father of the Midianite woman Cozbi, who, together with Zimri became the personification of sexual transgression during the Peor incident (Numbers 25:15).
  • The other Zur is a man from Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:30).
  • The town we know as Tyre is called Zur in Hebrew.

🔼Etymology of the name Zur

The name Zur has to do with a group of five different roots that are all spelled the same: צור (sur). These roots all have different linguistic sources but were perhaps readily incorporated into the Hebrew language due to similar or related meanings, more or less:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
צור
  • Verb צור (sur I) probably means to lean or incline. Noun צואר (sawwa'r) means neck and צורון (sawwaron) means necklace.
  • Verb צור (sur II) means to confine, secure or besiege. Noun מצור (masor) means siege and מצורה (mesura) means stronghold. This verb relates to verb צרר (sarar I).
  • Verb צור (sur III) means to be an adversary. It relates to צרר (sarar II).
  • Verb צור (sur IV) means to form or fashion. Noun צורה (sura) means form and noun ציר (sir) means image. This verb relates to יצר (yasar).
  • Verb צור (sur V) probably relates to verb צרר (sarar III) and probably means to be sharp. The important noun צור (sur) means rock, and is equivalent to the Greek noun πετρα (petra), from which comes the name Peter.
צרר
  • Verb צרר (sarar I) means to bind and relates to צור (sur II). Adjective צר (sar) means narrow. Nouns צר (sar) and צרה (sara) mean distress and yield denominative verb צרה (sara), meaning to suffer distress. Noun צרור (seror) means bundle or parcel. Noun מצר (mesar) means distress.
  • Verb צרר (sarar II) means to show hostility and relates to verb צור (sur III). Noun צר (sar) means adversary. Noun צרה (sara) means vexer or rival-wife. Denominative verb צרר (sarar) means to create a rival wife.
  • Verb צרר (sarar III) probably means to be sharp and relates to צור (sur V). Nouns צר (sar), צר (sor) and צרור (seror) mean flint or pebble.
יצר

Verb יצר (yasar) means to fashion or form and relates to צור (sur IV). Noun יצר (yeser) denotes that what is formed, and noun יצרים (yesurim) means forms or members.

צרה

Verb צרה (srh) probably describes the bleeding of an odoriferous tree. Noun צרי (sari) denotes a kind of costly balsam.

— See the full Dictionary article —

🔼Zur meaning

BDB Theological Dictionary, NOBSE Study Bible Name List and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names agree: The name Zur means Rock.