jazer Summary and Overview

(Jehovah helps). [JAAZER]

JA'ZER , Josh 21:39, or JAA'ZER, Num 21:32, a city of the Ammonites, near the river Jabbok, the ruins of which are still visible at Sar, about 15 miles from Hesban. Sea of, Jer 48:32, may be a lake existing in ancient times near the city of Jazer. There are round pools of water near Sar, but scholars have not agreed what the Sea of Jazer refers to.

Hebrew Jaezzeer. A town E. of Jordan in Gilead (Numbers 32:1,3-35; 1 Chronicles 26:31). Taken by Israel from the Amorites on the way to Bashan (Numbers 21:32, 33). Now the ruins es Szir, ten miles N.E. of Heshbon; a castle and a large walled pool, the "sea" of Jeremiah 48:32; but Septuagint reads "the cities of Jaazer". Some error may be in the present text. The town gave its name to the surrounding district (Joshua 13:25; 2 Samuel 24:5). This conquest completed their acquisition of the Amorite kingdom. Soon after, Gad occupied it pastorally. Assigned to the Merarite Levites (Joshua 21:39), but occupied by Hebronites (Kohathites) in David’s time (1 Chronicles 26:31). The plants of the Sibmah vine are said in Isaiah 16:8 to have come even unto Jaazer, 15 miles from Heshbon, near Sibmah, "they wandered through the wilderness in wild luxuriance," namely, that encompassing Moab, "they are gone over the sea," namely, the sea of Jaazer, but others the Dead Sea (Psalm 80:8-11). The vine spread itself round the margin of the sea, and reached beyond to the other side; a sad contrast to the coming desolation, when "the pagan lords" should "break down the principal plants"! "Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jaazer," i.e. such as Jaazer weeps with. Isaiah is touched with pity for Moab, though an alien. Ministers, in denouncing God’s wrath against sinners, should do it with tender sorrow, not exultation. At Jaazer was the source of a river falling into Jordan, and marshes or pools still at times are at the source of the wady Szir.