Bible Encyclopedia: Zoar

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ZOAR

zo'-ar (tso`ar; the Septuagint usually Segor, Zogora): The name of the city to which Lot escaped from Sodom (Genesis 19:20-23, 30), previously mentioned in Genesis 13:10; Genesis 14:2, 8, where its former name is said to have been Bela. In 19:22, its name is said to have been given because of its littleness, which also seems to have accounted for its being spared. The location of Zoar has much to do with that of the cities of the Plain or Valley of Siddim, with which it is always connected. In Deuteronomy 34:3, Moses is said to have viewed "the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, unto Zoar," while in Isaiah 15:5 and Jeremiah 48:4 (where the Septuagint reads unto "Zoar," instead of "her little ones") it is said to be a city of Moab. The traditional location of the place is at the south end of the Dead Sea. Josephus says (BJ, IV, viii, 4) that the Dead Sea extended "as far as Zoar of Arabia," while in Ant, I, xi, 4, he states that the place was still called Zoar. Eusebius (Onomasticon, 261) locates the Dead Sea between Jericho and Zoar, and speaks of the remnants of the ancient fertility as still visible. Ptolemy (v. 17, 5) regards it as belonging to Arabia Petrea. The Arabian geographers mention it under the name Zughar, Sughar, situated 1 degrees South of Jericho, in a hot and unhealthful valley at the end of the Dead Sea, and speak of it as an important station on the trade route between Akkabah and Jericho. The Crusaders mention "Segor" as situated in the midst of palm trees. The place has not been definitely identified by modern explorers, but from Genesis 19:19-30 we infer that it was in the plain and not in the mountain. If we fix upon the south end of the Dead Sea as the Vale of Siddim, a very natural place for Zoar and one which agrees with all the traditions would be at the base of the mountains of Moab, East of Wady Ghurundel, where there is still a well-watered oasis several miles long and 2 or 3 wide, which is probably but a remnant of a fertile plain once extending out over a considerable portion of the shallow south end of the Dead Sea when, as shown elsewhere (see DEAD SEA), the water level was considerably lower than now.

Robinson would locate it on the northeast corner of el-Lisan on the borders of the river Kerak, but this was done entirely on theoretical grounds which would be met as well in the place just indicated, and which is generally fixed upon by the writers who regard the Vale of Siddim as at the south end of the Dead Sea. Conder, who vigorously maintains that the Vale of Siddim is at the north end of the Dead Sea, looks favorably upon theory of W.H. Birch that the place is represented by the present Tell Shaghur, a white rocky mound at the foot of the Moab Mountains, a mile East of Beth-haram (Tell er-Rameh), 7 miles Northeast of the mouth of the Jordan, a locality remarkable for its stone monuments and well-supplied springs, but he acknowledges that the name is more like the Christian Segor than the original Zoar.

George Frederick Wright

Strong's Hebrew

1106b. Bela -- another name for Zoar
... another name for Zoar. Transliteration: Bela Short Definition: Bela. Word Origin
from bala Definition another name for Zoar NASB Word Usage Bela (2). ...
/hebrew/1106b.htm - 5k

6820. Tsoar -- "insignificance," a city at the SE end of the Dead ...
... "insignificance," a city at the SE end of the Dead Sea. Transliteration: Tsoar or
Tsoar Phonetic Spelling: (tso'ar) Short Definition: Zoar. ... Zoar. ...
/hebrew/6820.htm - 6k

Library

The Sea of Sodom
... which we quoted a little above, hath these words: "The length of it is five hundred
and eighty furlongs: and it is stretched out as far as Zoar of Arabia." Note ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 5 the sea of.htm

Lot's Flight from Sodom.
... Lot pleaded that he might take refuge in a little city, named Zoar, not very far
distant; and having obtained the angels' permission to do so, he took his wife ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the old testament/lots flight from sodom.htm

The Swift Destroyer
... come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun
was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the swift destroyer.htm

The History after the Flood.
... were five other cities in the territory of Ham, the son of Noah; the first called
Sodom, then Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Balah, which was also called Zoar. ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xxxi the history after the.htm

Letter cxxii. To Rusticus.
... [3119] Yet, as if to make up for the loss of a single woman, Lot's glowing
faith set free the whole city of Zoar. In fact when he ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxxii to rusticus.htm

God who Appeared to Moses is Distinguished from God the Father.
... It is thus: The sun was risen on the earth, and Lot entered into Segor (Zoar); and
the Lord rained on Sodom sulphur and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and ...
/.../chapter lvi god who appeared to.htm

Chapter xiv
... It cannot be denied that parenthetical explanations abound throughout the chapter:
eg, v.2, "the same is Zoar"; v.3, "the same is the Salt Sea"; v.7, "the same ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xiv.htm

How the Married and the Single are to be Admonished.
... Which thing Lot expresses well in his own person, when he flies from burning Sodom,
and yet, finding Zoar, does not still ascend the mountain heights. ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xxvii how the married.htm

Chapter xix
... there. Therefore the name of the place is called Zoar ("tiny place"). ... control.
This one is not unleashed until Lot has safely reached Zoar. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xix.htm

Chapter xiii
... part of it, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; in fact, it was as the garden
of Yahweh, or at least even as the land of Egypt, in the vicinity of Zoar ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xiii.htm

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Zoar

little; small

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Zoar

(smallness), one of the most ancient cities of the land of Canaan. Its original name was BELA. (Genesis 14:2,8) It was in intimate connection with the cities of the "plain of Jordan" --Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, See also (Genesis 13:10) but not Genesis10:19 In the general destruction of the cities of the plain Zoar was spared to afford shelter to Lot. (Genesis 19:22,23,30) It is mentioned in the account of the death of Moses as one (of the landmarks which bounded his view from Pisgah, (34:3) and it appears to have been known in the time both of Isaiah, (Isaiah 15:5) and Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 48:34) These are all the notices of Zoar contained in the Bible. It was situated in the same district with the four cities already mentioned, viz. in the "plain" or "circle" of the Jordan, and the narrative of (Genesis 19:1)... evidently implies that it was very near to Sodom. vs. (Genesis 19:15; 23:27) The definite position of Sodom is, and probably will always be, a mystery; but there can be little doubt that the plain of the Jordan was at the north side of the Dead Sea and that the cities of the plain must therefore have been situated there instead of at the southern end of the lake, as it is generally taken for granted they were. [SODOM] (But the great majority of scholars from Josephus and Eusebius to the present of the Dead Sea.)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Zoar

A city on the south-east side of the Dead sea, was destined, with the other four cities, to be consumed by fire from heaven; but at the intercession of Lot it was preserved, Genesis 14:2; 19:20-23,30. It was originally called Bela; but after Lot entreated the angel's permission to take refuge in it, and insisted on the smallness of this city, it had the name Zoar, which signifies small.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

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, 23). It was originally called Bela (14:2, 8). It is referred to by the prophets Isaiah (15:5) and 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.

Thesaurus

Zoar (12 Occurrences)
...ZOAR. ... The location of Zoar has much to do with that of the cities of the Plain
or Valley of Siddim, with which it is always connected. ...
/z/zoar.htm - 14k

Zo'ar (10 Occurrences)
Zo'ar. Zoar, Zo'ar. Zoba . Multi-Version Concordance Zo'ar (10 Occurrences).
Genesis 13:10 Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the ...
/z/zo'ar.htm - 9k

Cities (427 Occurrences)
... sit'-iz, plan, (kikkar ha-yarden): Included Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and
Zoar. ... Ptolemy (v.17, 5) reckons Zoar as belonging to Arabia Petrea. ...
/c/cities.htm - 91k

Ciccar
... sit'-iz, plan, (kikkar ha-yarden): Included Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and
Zoar. ... Ptolemy (v.17, 5) reckons Zoar as belonging to Arabia Petrea. ...
/c/ciccar.htm - 14k

Luhith (2 Occurrences)
... Made of boards, a Moabitish place between Zoar and Horonaim (Isaiah 15:5; Jeremiah
48:5). Int. ... Eusebius, Onomasticon places Luhith between Areopolis and Zoar. ...
/l/luhith.htm - 8k

Bela (14 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A thing swallowed. (1.) A city on the shore of the Dead
Sea, not far from Sodom, called also Zoar. ... BELA. be'-la. See ZOAR. ...
/b/bela.htm - 13k

Siddim (3 Occurrences)
... place mentioned in Genesis 14:3-8 as being the scene of encounter between Chedorlaomer
and his allies with the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar...
/s/siddim.htm - 14k

Nimrim (2 Occurrences)
... In each case it is mentioned in association with Zoar and Horonaim. It is therefore
probably to be sought to the Southeast of the Dead Sea. ...
/n/nimrim.htm - 8k

Gomorrah (25 Occurrences)
... Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,
like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. ...
/g/gomorrah.htm - 17k

Gomor'rah (23 Occurrences)
... that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,
like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar...
/g/gomor'rah.htm - 13k

Bible Concordance

Zoar (12 Occurrences)

Genesis 13:10 Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Genesis 14:2 that they made war with Bera, king of Sodom, and with Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar).
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Genesis 14:8 The king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar) went out; and they set the battle in array against them in the valley of Siddim;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Genesis 19:22 Hurry, escape there, for I can't do anything until you get there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Genesis 19:23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Genesis 19:30 Lot went up out of Zoar, and lived in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to live in Zoar. He lived in a cave with his two daughters.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Genesis 23:8 and he speaketh with them, saying, 'If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar;
(YLT)

Genesis 25:9 And Isaac and Ishmael his sons bury him at the cave of Machpelah, at the field of Ephron, son of Zoar the Hittite, which 'is' before Mamre --
(YLT)

Deuteronomy 34:3 and the South, and the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, to Zoar.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Isaiah 15:5 My heart cries out for Moab! Her nobles flee to Zoar, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for they go up by the ascent of Luhith with weeping; for in the way of Horonaim, they raise up a cry of destruction.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Jeremiah 48:4 Moab is broken; her cry has gone out to Zoar.
(BBE)

Jeremiah 48:34 From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath Shelishiyah: for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Zoar

Zoar: A City of the Moabites, Near the Jordan River

Zoar: King of, Fought Against Chedorlaomer

Zoar: Not Destroyed With Sodom and Gomorrah

Zoar: Territory of

Related Terms

Zo'ar (10 Occurrences)

Cities (427 Occurrences)

Ciccar

Luhith (2 Occurrences)

Bela (14 Occurrences)