Seir (Place) — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

1. Mountain range of Edom extending from the Dead Sea southward to the Gulf of Aqaba. Mt Seir was bordered by the great valley of Arabah on the west and by desert on the east. Seir is the modern Jebel esh-Shera.

Seir was formerly inhabited by the Horites, whose defeat to King Kedorlaomer is recorded in Genesis 14:4-6. The Horites were later dispossessed from this region by Esau (Dt 2:12); however, a remnant of Horite chiefs was listed among the descendants of Esau living in Seir (Gn 36:20-30). As this area was given by the Lord as an inheritance to Esau (Jos 24:4), the Israelites were warned not to provoke the sons of Esau to war as they passed through Seir on their wilderness travels (Dt 2:1-8). During Israel’s occupation of Palestine, they were drawn into a number of battles against the people of Seir. A band of Simeonites destroyed the Amalekites dwelling in Seir and resettled it with their own people (1 Chr 4:42). Jehoshaphat, king of Judah (872–848 BC), gained an incredible victory over the allied armies of Ammon, Moab, and Seir (2 Chr 20:10-23). King Amaziah of Judah (796–767 BC) routed an army from Seir in the valley of Salt (25:11-14). And finally, the prophet Ezekiel pronounced a curse of destruction on the inhabitants of Seir for their antagonism against Israel (Ez 35:1-15).

Show passage in OET: GEN 14:4–6

OET-RV GEN 14:4

4 They had been subject to King Kedorla’omer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

OET-RV GEN 14:5

5 Then in the fourteenth year, Kedorla’omer and the kings who were with him went and attacked the Refaim in Ashterot -Karnayim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh -Kiryatayim,

OET-RV GEN 14:6

6 and the Horim in the hill country of Se’ir as far as El Paran, which is near the wilderness.

OET-LV GEN 14:4

4 Two _plus ten year[s] they _had _served DOM Kedorlaomer and_three teen year they _rebelled.

OET-LV GEN 14:5

5 And_in_four- teen year Kedorlaomer and_the_kings who with_him/it he _came and_they _defeated DOM the_Rəfāʼīm in_ˊAshtərot- qarnayim and_DOM the_Zuzites in_Ḩām and_DOM the_ʼĒymīm in_Shaveh Qiryātayim.

OET-LV GEN 14:6

6 And_DOM the_Ḩorīte[s] in_their _hill _of_country of _Sēˊīr to ʼĒl Pāʼrān which is_at the_wilderness.

Show passage in OET: DEU 2:12

OET-RV DEU 2:12

12 The Horim had previously lived in Se’ir, but Esav’s (Esau’s) descendants had killed them and taken over their land, just like the Israelis did later in the land that Yahweh had given them to possess.)

OET-LV DEU 2:12

12 And_in_Sēˊīr the_Ḩorī they _dwelt formerly_before and_the _sons of _ˊĒsāv they_dispossessed _them and_they_destroyed _them from_their_face/front and_they _lived in_place _of _them just_as Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) it _did to_the _land _of its _possession _of_his which YHWH he _gave to/for_them.

Show passage in OET: GEN 36:20–30

OET-RV GEN 36:20

20 These were the sons of Se’ir the Hori who were inhabiting that area: Lotan, Shoval, Tsivoen, Anah,

OET-RV GEN 36:21

21 Dishon, Etser, and Dishan. Those were the chiefs of the Horim, Se’ir’s sons, in the Edom region.

OET-RV GEN 36:22

22 Lotan’s sons were Hori and Homam, and his sister was Timna.

OET-RV GEN 36:23

23 Shoval’s sons were Alvan, Manahat, Eyval, Shefo, and Onam.

OET-RV GEN 36:24

24 Tsivoen’s sons were Ayah and Anah. This is the same Anah who discovered some hot springs while he was out in the desert grazing his father’s donkeys.

OET-RV GEN 36:25

25 Anah’s children were his son Dishon and his daughter Oholivamah.

OET-RV GEN 36:26

26 Dishon’s sons were Hemdan, Eshban, Yitran, and Keran.

OET-RV GEN 36:27

27 Etser’s sons were Bilhan, Za’avan, and Akan.

OET-RV GEN 36:28

28 Dishan’s sons were Uts (Uz) and Aran.

OET-RV GEN 36:29

29 These were the chiefs of the Horim: Chief Lotan, Chief Shoval, Chief Tsivoen, Chief Anah,

OET-RV GEN 36:30

30 Chief Dishon, Chief Etser, Chief Dishan. Those were the chiefs of the Horim, according to their clans in the Se’ir region.

OET-LV GEN 36:20

20 These were_the _sons _of Sēˊīr the_Ḩorīte the _inhabitants _of the_earth/land Lōţān and_Shōⱱāl and_Tsiⱱˊōn and_ˊAnāh.

OET-LV GEN 36:21

21 And_Diyshōn and_ʼEʦer and_Diyshān these were_the _chiefs _of the _Ḩorīte[s] the _sons _of Sēˊīr in_land of _ʼEdōm.

OET-LV GEN 36:22

22 And_ the _sons _of Lōţān _they _were Ḩorī and_Hemam and_was_the _sister _of Lōţān Timnāˊ.

OET-LV GEN 36:23

23 And_these were_the _sons _of Shōⱱāl ˊAlvān and_Mānaḩat and_ˊĒyⱱāl Shəfō and_ʼŌnām.

OET-LV GEN 36:24

24 And_these were_the _sons _of Tsiⱱˊōn/(Zibeon) and_ʼAy^yāh and_ˊAnāh he was_ˊAnāh who he _found DOM the _hot_springs in_wilderness when_he_was _pasturing DOM the_donkeys of_Tsiⱱˊōn his/its_father.

OET-LV GEN 36:25

25 And_these were_the _children _of ˊAnāh Diyshōn and_ʼĀhₑlīⱱāmāh the _daughter _of ˊAnāh.

OET-LV GEN 36:26

26 And_these were_the _sons _of Diyshān Hemdan and_ʼEshbān and_Yitrān/(Ithran) and_Kərān/(Cheran).

OET-LV GEN 36:27

27 These were_the _sons _of ʼEʦer Bilhān and_Zaˊₐvān and_Akan.

OET-LV GEN 36:28

28 These were_the _sons _of Diyshān ˊŪʦ and_ʼArān.

OET-LV GEN 36:29

29 These were_the _chiefs _of the _Ḩorīte[s] chief Lōţān chief Shōⱱāl chief Tsiⱱˊōn chief ˊAnāh.

OET-LV GEN 36:30

30 Chief Diyshōn chief ʼEʦer chief Diyshān these were_the _chiefs _of the _Ḩorīte[s] to_chiefs _of_their in_land of _Sēˊīr.

Show passage in OET: JOS 24:4

OET-RV JOS 24:4

4 Then I gave Ya’akov (Jacob) and Esav (Esau) to Yitshak, and I gave Esav the hill country of Se’ir but Ya’akov and his sons went down to Mitsrayim (Egypt).

OET-LV JOS 24:4

4 And_I _gave to_Yiʦḩāq DOM Yaˊₐqoⱱ/(Jacob) and_DOM ˊĒsāv and_I _gave to_ˊĒsāv DOM the _mountain _of Sēˊīr to_take _possession _of it and_Yaˊₐqoⱱ and_sons _of_his they _went _down Miʦrayim/(Egypt).

Show passage in OET: DEU 2:1–8

OET-RV DEU 2:1

2 “Then we turned and went back into the wilderness towards the Red Sea as Yahweh had told us to do, and we spent a long time wandering around Mt. Se’ir.

OET-RV DEU 2:2

2 “Then Yahweh told me,

OET-RV DEU 2:3

3 ‘You’ve all been wandering around this hilly area for long enough—now turn and go towards the north

OET-RV DEU 2:4

4 and tell the people, “You’ll all be crossing the border into Se’ir where your relatives, Esav’s (Esau’s) descendants, live. They’ll be afraid of you but you’ll all need to stay very alert.

OET-RV DEU 2:5

5 Don’t attack them because I won’t give you any of their land—not even a footprint size piece because I’ve given Mt. Se’ir to Esav as their inheritance.

OET-RV DEU 2:6

6 Any food or drink you get from them must be paid for with cash

OET-RV DEU 2:7

7 because your god Yahweh has blessed all of your labour—he’s always been aware of your travel through that vast wilderness. Your god Yahweh has helped you for those forty years so you’ve all had everything you need.” ’

OET-RV DEU 2:8

8 “So we passed by our relatives, Esav’s descendants who live in Se’ir. We travelled along the Yarden (Jordan) valley plain from Eylot and Etsyon-Gever, then north through the Moav (Moab) wilderness.

OET-LV DEU 2:1

2 And_we _turned and_we _set _out to_the_wilderness the_way _of the_sea _of reed[s] just_as YHWH he _had _spoken to_me and_we _went _around DOM the _hill _country _of Sēˊīr days many.

OET-LV DEU 2:2

2 And_ YHWH _he/it _said to_me to_say.

OET-LV DEU 2:3

3 Is_enough _of to/for_you(pl) going _round DOM the _hill_country the_this turn to/for_you(pl) northward_to.

OET-LV DEU 2:4

4 And_DOM the_people command to_say you(pl) are_about _to _pass in_the _territory _of your(pl)_relatives _of_your(pl) the _descendants _of ˊĒsāv who_are_dwelling in_Sēˊīr and_they _will _be _afraid from_you(pl) and_you(pl)_will _take _heed exceedingly.

OET-LV DEU 2:5

5 Do _not engage _in _strife with_them if/because not I _will _give to/for_you(pl) any_of_their _land up _to a _treading _place _of the_sole _of a _foot if/because a _possession to_ˊĒsāv I _have _given DOM the _hill _country _of Sēˊīr.

OET-LV DEU 2:6

6 Food you(pl)_will _buy from_with_them for_silver and_you(pl)_will _eat and_also water you(pl)_will _buy from_with_them for_silver and_you(pl)_will _drink.

OET-LV DEU 2:7

7 If/because YHWH god _of_your he_has _blessed _you in_all _of the _work _of your _hand _of_your he _has _known walking_your DOM the_wilderness the_big/great(sg) the_this this forty year[s] YHWH god _of_your has_been_with _you not you _have _lacked anything.

OET-LV DEU 2:8

8 And_we _passed _away from_with relatives _of_our the _descendants _of ˊĒsāv who_were_dwelling in_Sēˊīr from_the _way _of the _wilderness _plain from_ʼĒylōt and_from_ˊEʦyon- geⱱer and_we _turned and_we _passed _along the _way _of the _wilderness _of Mōʼāⱱ.

Show passage in OET: CH1 4:42

OET-RV CH1 4:42

42 Then five hundred of their men who were descendants of Shim’on (Simeon) went to Mt. Se’ir, led by Yishei’s sons Pelatyah, Nearyah, Refayah, and Uziel.

OET-LV CH1 4:42

42 And_some_of _them of the _descendants _of Shimˊōn they _went to_the _mountain _of Sēˊīr men five hundred(s) and_Pəlaţ^yāh and_Nəˊar^yāh and_Rəfā^yāh and_ˊUzziy^ʼēl the _sons _of Yishˊī/(Ishi) were_at_head _of_their.

Show passage in OET: CH2 25:11–14

OET-RV CH2 25:11

11 Then Amatsyah took courage and led his army out to the Salt Valley, where they slaughtered ten thousand Edomi soldiers.

OET-RV CH2 25:12

12 Yehudah rounded up another ten thousand and herded them to the top of a cliff, where they drove them over to kill them.

OET-RV CH2 25:13

13 However, during that time, the warriors that Amatsyah had sent back to Yisrael raided Yehudah’s cities all the way from Shomron (Samaria) to Beyt -Horon. They’d killed three thousand people and taken back a large amount of plunder.

OET-RV CH2 25:14

14 After King Amatsyah returned from fighting the Edomim, he brought back their idols and set them up to be his gods—bowing down to them and offering sacrifices.

OET-LV CH2 25:11

11 And_ʼAmaʦ^yāh he _strengthened _himself and_he _led _out DOM people _of_his and_he/it _went the _Valley _of Salt and_he _struck _down DOM the _people _of Sēˊīr ten _of thousand(s).

OET-LV CH2 25:12

12 And_ten _of thousand(s) alive the _people _of Yəhūdāh they _took _captive and_they_brought _them to_the _top _of the _cliff and_they_threw _them from_the _top _of (the)_cliff and_all _of_of _them they _were _split _open.

OET-LV CH2 25:13

13 And_the _sons of_the _troop which ʼAmaʦ^yāh he _had _turned _back from_going with_him/it to_battle and_they _made _a _raid on_the _cities _of Yəhūdāh from_Shomrōn and_unto Bēyt Ḩōrōn and_they _struck _down from_them three _of thousand(s) and_they _plundered plunder much.

OET-LV CH2 25:14

14 And_he/it _was after ʼAmaʦ^yāh came from_when _defeated DOM the_ʼEdōmites and_he/it _brought DOM the _gods _of the _people _of Sēˊīr and_he_set _them _up to_him/it to_gods and_before_face _of_them he _bowed _down and_to_them he _made _smoke.

Jump to OET GEN 14:4–6 section.

Jump to OET DEU 2:12 section.

Jump to OET GEN 36:20–30 section.

Jump to OET JOS 24:4 section.

Jump to OET DEU 2:1–8 section.

Jump to OET CH1 4:42 section.

Jump to OET CH2 25:11–14 section.

2. Place defining part of the northern boundary of the land assigned to Judah’s tribe (Jos 15:10). It was positioned west of Kiriath-jearim and northeast of Beth-shemesh. Mt Seir is perhaps the ridge on which the modern town of Saris is built.