Genesis 10:12

12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

Genesis 10:12 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 10:12

And Resen, between Nineveh and Calah
This was another city built by Ashur, situated between those two cities mentioned: the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem call it Talsar, or Thalassar, see ( Isaiah 37:12 ) The conjecture of Bochart F2 is more probable, that it is the Larissa of Xenophon, situated on the Tigris; though Junius thinks it is either Bassora, or Belcina, which Ptolemy


FOOTNOTES:

F3 places on the Tigris, near Nineveh:

the same is a great city:
which Jarchi interprets of Nineveh, called a great city, and was indeed one, being sixty miles in circumference, ( Jonah 1:2 ) ( 3:3 ) but the construction of the words carries it to Resen, which might be the greatest city when first built; and, if understood of Larissa, was a great city, the walls of it being one hundred feet high, and the breadth twenty five, and the compass of it eight miles. Benjamin of Tudela says F4, that in his time Resen was called Gehidagan, and was a great city, in which were 5000 Israelites; but according to Schmidt, this refers to all the cities in a coalition, Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, and Resen, which all made that great city Nineveh; or were a Tetrapolis, as Tripoli was anciently three cities, built by the joint interest of the Aradians, Sidonians, and Tyrians, as Diodorus Siculus F5 relates.


F2 Phaleg. l. 4. c. 23.
F3 Ut supra. (Geograph. l. 5. c. 19.)
F4 Itinerarium, p. 75.
F5 Bibliothec. l. 16. p. 439.

Genesis 10:12 In-Context

10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.
13 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.
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