Easton's Bible Dictionary

Zizah — Zuzims

Zizah

Zizah — a Gershonite Levite (1 Chronicles 23:11).

Zoan

Zoan — (Old Egypt. Sant= “stronghold,” the modern San). A city on the Tanitic branch of the Nile, called by the Greeks Tanis. It was built seven years after Hebron in Palestine (Numbers 13:22). This great and important city was the capital of the Hyksos, or Shepherd kings, who ruled Egypt for more than 500 years. It was the frontier town of Goshen. Here Pharaoh was holding his court at the time of his various interviews with Moses and Aaron. “No trace of Zoan exists; Tanis was built over it, and city after city has been built over the ruins of that” (Harper, Bible and Modern Discovery). Extensive mounds of ruins, the wreck of the ancient city, now mark its site (Isaiah 19:11, Isaiah 19:13; Isaiah 30:4; Ezekiel 30:14). “The whole constitutes one of the grandest and oldest ruins in the world.”

This city was also called “the Field of Zoan” (Psalm 78:12, Psalm 78:43) and “the Town of Rameses” (q.v.), because the oppressor rebuilt and embellished it, probably by the forced labour of the Hebrews, and made it his northern capital.

Zoar

Zoar — small, a town on the east or south-east of the Dead Sea, to which Lot and his daughters fled from Sodom (Genesis 19:22, Genesis 19:23). It was originally called Bela (Genesis 14:2, Genesis 14:8). It is referred to by the prophets Isaiah (Isaiah 15:5) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 48:34). Its ruins are still seen at the opening of the ravine of Kerak, the Kir-Moab referred to in 2 Kings 3, the modern Tell esh-Shaghur.

Zobah

Zobah — =Aram-Zobah, (Psalm 60, title), a Syrian province or kingdom to the south of Coele-Syria, and extending from the eastern slopes of Lebanon north and east toward the Euphrates. Saul and David had war with the kings of Zobah (1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:3; 2 Samuel 10:6).

Zohar

Zohar — brightness. (1.) The father of Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23:8).

(2.) One of the sons of Simeon (Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15).

Zoheleth

Zoheleth — the serpent-stone, a rocky plateau near the centre of the village of Siloam, and near the fountain of En-rogel, to which the women of the village resort for water (1 Kings 1:5-9). Here Adonijah (q.v.) feasted all the royal princess except Solomon and the men who took part with him in his effort to succeed to the throne. While they were assembled here Solomon was proclaimed king, through the intervention of Nathan. On hearing this, adonijah fled and took refuge in the sanctuary (1 Kings 1:49-53). He was afterwards pardoned.

Zoheleth projects into or slightly over-hangs the Kidron valley. It is now called ez-Zehwell or Zahweileh.

Zoheth

Zoheth — snatching (?), one of the sons of Ishi (1 Chronicles 4:20).

Zophah

Zophah — spreading out, a son of Helem (1 Chronicles 7:35), a chief of Asher.

Zophar

Zophar — chirping, one of Job’s friends who came to condole with him in his distress (Job 2:11. The LXX. render here “king of the Mineans” = Ma’in, Maonites, Judges 10:12, in Southern Arabia). He is called a Naamathite, or an inhabitant of some unknown place called Naamah.

Zophim, Field of

Zophim, Field of — field of watchers, a place in Moab on the range of Pisgah (Numbers 23:14). To this place Balak brought Balaam, that he might from thence curse the children of Israel. Balaam could only speak the word of the Lord, and that was blessing. It is the modern Tal’at-es-Safa. (See PISGAH.)

Zorah

Zorah — place of wasps, a town in the low country of Judah, afterwards given to Dan (Joshua 19:41; Judges 18:2), probably the same as Zoreah (Joshua 15:33). This was Samson’s birthplace (Judges 13:2, Judges 13:25), and near it he found a grave (Judges 16:31). It was situated on the crest of a hill overlooking the valley of Sorek, and was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:10). It has been identified with Sur’ah, in the Wady Surar, 8 miles west of Jerusalem. It is noticed on monuments in the fifteenth century B.C. as attacked by the Abiri or Hebrews.

Zuph

Zuph — honeycomb, a Kohathite Levite, ancestor of Elkanah and Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1); called also Zophai (1 Chronicles 6:26).

Zuph, Land of

Zuph, Land of — (1 Samuel 9:5, 1 Samuel 9:6), a district in which lay Samuel’s city, Ramah. It was probably so named after Elkanah’s son, Zuph (1 Chronicles 6:26, marg.).

Zur

Zur — rock. (1.) One of the five Midianite kings whom the Israelites defeated and put to death (Numbers 31:8).

(2.) A Benjamite (1 Chronicles 8:30).

Zuriel

Zuriel — rock of God, chief of the family of the Merarites (Numbers 3:35) at the time of the Exodus.

Zurishaddai

Zurishaddai — rock of the Almighty, the father of Shelumiel, who was chief of the tribe of Simeon when Israel was encamped at Sinai (Numbers 1:6; Numbers 2:12).

Zuzims

Zuzims — restless; sprouting, were smitten “in Ham” by Chedorlaomer and his allies (Genesis 14:5). Some have identified this tribe with the Zamzummims (q.v.).