Lexical Definition

‎שַׁרְאֶצֶר‎ Sharʼetser (shar-eh'-tser) Sharezer ^N:N-M-P
of foreign derivation

Sharezer.

• § Sharezer or Sherezer = "prince of fire"
• Sharetser, the name of an Assyrian and an Israelite

1) son of king Sennacherib of Assyria and murderer of his father
2) an Israelite whom the people sent to the house of God to pray in the time of the prophet Zechariah and king Darius

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.19.37
• son of: Sennacherib (סַנְחֵרִיב)
• brother of: Adrammelech (אֲדְרַמֶּלֶךְ) and Esarhaddon (אֵסַר־חַדּוֹן)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎שַׂרְאֶ֫צֶר‎ proper name, masculine in Assyrian (Babylonian) (van d. H. ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎, but see Baer, and Str^{ZMG xxxiii (1879), 302}; in Assyrian perhaps [Ašur, Bêl, or Nergal] šar-uƒur, [...] protect the king ! COT^{2Kgs 19:37}; Σαρασα(ρ)); —

1. son of Sennach., 2Kgs 19:37 = Isa 37:38 (Schr^{COT l.c.} Wkl^{KAT 3, 84} Stevenson^{Hast. DB. iv. 476}).

2. a returned exile Zech 7:2 (Stevenson^{ib. 477}). — compare also ‎׳‎‎נֵרְגַּל שׂ‎ p. 669.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Son of Sennacherib • Assyrian prince who assassinated his father Sennacherib

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Sharezer, along with his brother Adrammelech, assassinated their father, King Sennacherib of Assyria, and fled to the land of Ararat.

• A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.19.37;
• only referred to as Sharezer שַׁרְאֶצֶר;
• son of Sennacherib סַנְחֵרִיב;
• a brother of Adrammelech אֲדְרַמֶּלֶךְ and Esarhaddon אֵסַר־חַדּוֹן.

Sharezer, mentioned in 2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 37:38, was one of the sons of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. Along with his brother Adrammelech, Sharezer plotted against their father and assassinated him while he was worshiping in the temple of his god, Nisroch. After committing the murder, Sharezer and Adrammelech fled to the land of Ararat, which was located in modern-day Armenia. The assassination of Sennacherib occurred shortly after his campaign against Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah. The text does not provide any further details about Sharezer's life or his motivations for the assassination. However, the incident highlights the political instability and power struggles within the Assyrian royal family. The fact that Sharezer and his brother fled to Ararat suggests that they feared retribution or lacked support within Assyria. The assassination of Sennacherib marked the end of his reign and was a significant event in the history of Assyria and its relations with the kingdom of Judah.

All entries for Sharezer: שַׁרְאֶצֶר

Related Profiles:

• Sennacherib (father)
• Adrammelech (sibling)
• Esarhaddon (sibling)