### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **Châbôwr**, represented by `{{H2249}}`, is the proper name for **Chabor, a river of Assyria**. Derived from a root meaning "united," the term appears **3 times** across **3 unique verses** in the Bible. In every instance, it identifies a specific location where the exiled northern tribes of Israel were settled by the Assyrians.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H2249}}` serves as a key geographical marker for the Assyrian captivity. The accounts in 2 Kings and 1 Chronicles are consistent in naming **Habor** as a destination for the deported Israelites. The king of Assyria carried Israel away and **placed** `{{H3427}}` them there ([[2 Kings 17:6]], [[2 Kings 18:11]]). Specifically, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were **brought** `{{H935}}` to **Habor** `{{H2249}}` and the **river** `{{H5104}}` Gozan, where they remained [[1 Chronicles 5:26]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the context of judgment and displacement associated with Habor:
* `{{H1540}}` **gâlâh** (to denude... to exile): This verb defines the action of being **carried away** into captivity, which is the fate of the Israelites who were taken to **Habor** [[2 Kings 17:6]]. The word can also figuratively mean to reveal or uncover [[Isaiah 40:5]].
* `{{H3427}}` **yâshab** (to sit down... to dwell... to settle): This word describes the resettlement of the exiled Israelites. After being removed from their homeland, they were made to **dwell** in foreign locations like **Habor** [[2 Kings 17:6]].
* `{{H804}}` **ʼAshshûwr** (Assyria): This is the name of the empire that enacted the exile. The king of **Assyria** is identified as the one who captured Israel and moved the people to territories like **Habor** [[1 Chronicles 5:26]].
* `{{H5104}}` **nâhâr** (a stream... river): This word is used to describe the geography of Habor, which is situated by the "**river** of Gozan" [[2 Kings 18:11]]. It firmly places the location of exile within a specific region defined by its waterways.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H2249}}` is tied directly to the judgment and scattering of Israel.
* **A Site of Divine Judgment:** The exile to **Habor** is presented as an act initiated by God. The record states that "the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of" the king of **Assyria** `{{H804}}`, who then "carried them away" to places including **Habor** [[1 Chronicles 5:26]].
* **Marker of Captivity:** The name **Habor** functions as a symbol of Israel's displacement from the promised land. It is listed with other foreign locations, such as "the **cities** `{{H5892}}` of the Medes," underscoring the reality of the nation being scattered among others [[2 Kings 17:6]].
* **The Dissolution of the Tribes:** By specifying that tribes like the Reubenites and Gadites were brought to **Habor**, the narrative highlights the fracturing of Israel's national and tribal identity as a consequence of their captivity [[1 Chronicles 5:26]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2249}}` is more than a geographical footnote. As **Châbôwr**, it is a name inseparably linked to one of the most significant events in Israel's history: the Assyrian exile. Its rare but consistent usage across the historical books provides a concrete location for the judgment and displacement of God's people, serving as a somber reminder of the consequences of abandoning their covenant.
TRV