Word Study for H805 (אֲשׁוּרִי)

ʼĂshûwrîy /ash-oo-ree'/ Ask about this word

Rootor אַשּׁוּרִי · from a patrial word of the same form as אַשּׁוּר

Meaningan Ashurite (collectively) or inhabitant of Ashur, a district in Palestine

KJV usageAsshurim, Ashurites.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼĂshûwrîy — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼĂshûwrîy, represented by H805, refers to an Ashurite or an inhabitant of Ashur, a district in Palestine. It is used collectively to describe this people group. This term is rare, appearing only 2 times in 2 unique verses in the Bible, but each instance provides a distinct context for understanding who the Ashurites were.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two biblical appearances of H805 place the Ashurites in both a genealogical and a political context. First, in Genesis, they are identified by their lineage as the Asshurim, listed as one of the sons of Dedan H1719, who descended from Jokshan Genesis 25:3. Later, in the book of Samuel, the Ashurites are mentioned as a distinct territory over which a king was made, alongside other well-known regions like Gilead H1568, Jezreel H3157, and the tribes of Ephraim H669 and Benjamin H1144 2 Samuel 2:9.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the identity and role of the Ashurites:

H1719 Dᵉdân: Defined as "Dedan, the name of two Cushites and of their territory," this is the direct patriarch of the Asshurim, establishing their ancestral line Genesis 25:3.
H4427 mâlak: This verb, meaning "to reign; inceptively, to ascend the throne," is used to describe the action of making a king over the Ashurites, defining their status as a political entity within a larger kingdom 2 Samuel 2:9.
H1568 Gilʻâd: As a "region East of the Jordan," the mention of Gilead alongside the Ashurites helps to situate them geographically as part of the territories consolidated under a single ruler 2 Samuel 2:9.

Theological Significance

The significance of H805 lies in how it defines a people through both ancestry and geography.

Patriarchal Lineage: The reference in Genesis 25:3 anchors the Ashurites within the broader table of nations, identifying them by their descent from a specific patriarch, Dedan H1719. This establishes their ethnic and familial identity.
Territorial Significance: The mention in 2 Samuel 2:9 elevates the Ashurites from a mere name in a genealogy to a recognized political and geographical entity. They were a people with a land, considered a component of the kingdom of Israel H3478 at that time.

Summary

In summary, ʼĂshûwrîy H805 provides a concise identity for a specific biblical people group. Though its use is limited, it effectively illustrates how scripture defines peoples through two critical lenses: their place in the genealogical record of nations and their role as a distinct territory on the political landscape of ancient Israel.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

אַשּׁוּרִם
אֲשׁוּרִי

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis and 2 Samuel (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Genesis

2 Samuel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.