Meaning
Qir-hareseth; Kir-heres kur-har'-seth, -ha-re'-seth> (qir-charesh, Isa 16:7; in 2Ki 3:25 the King James Version reads Kir-haraseth (pausal form)); (qir cheres, Jer 48:31, Jer 48:36; in Isa 16:11 the King James Version reads Kir-haresh (pausal form)): Modern scholars unanimously identify this city with Kir of Moab. In Jehoram's invasion of Moab it alone withstood his attack; and on the city wall the king of Moab sacrificed his son (2Ki 3:25). It was obviously the capital, i.e. Kir Moab. The name is generally taken to mean "city of the sun." Cheyne, however, points out (EB, under the word):
(1) that this explanation was unknown to the ancients;
(2) that"kir" is nowhere suposed to mean "city," except in the compound names Kir-heres, Kir-hareseth, and Kir Moab;
(3) that cheres, "sun," nowhere has a feminine ending, and
(4) that Isa 16:7 Septuagint and Aquila.) indicates "d" and not "r" in the second part of the name (Deseth). He suggests, therefore, that we should possibly read qiryath chadhdshah, "new city."
W. Ewing
