Kir, a city or region in Mesopotamia, possibly Elam, was the place where the Arameans were exiled and from where they originally came (2Ki.16.9; Amo.9.7).
Kir is mentioned in the Bible as a city or region in Mesopotamia, distinct from the Moabite city of the same name. It is associated with the Arameans, who were a Semitic people that inhabited parts of Syria and Mesopotamia. According to 2Ki.16.9, during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah, the king of Assyria captured Damascus and exiled its inhabitants to Kir. The prophet Amos also mentions that the Arameans originally came from Kir before settling in Damascus (Amo.9.7). Some scholars suggest that Kir may be located in the region of Elam, east of Babylonia, based on its association with Elam in Isaiah 22:6. However, the exact location of Kir remains uncertain.
Approximate location: 33.124, 45.931 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
4 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H7024
So the king of Assyria responded to him, marched up to Damascus, and captured it. He took its people to Kir as captives and put Rezin to death.
Elam takes up a quiver, with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovers the shield.
I will break down the gates of Damascus; I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven and the one who wields the scepter in Beth-eden. The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir,” says the LORD.
“Are you not like the Cushites to Me, O children of Israel?” declares the LORD. “Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.