Shinar was an ancient region in Mesopotamia, associated with the cities of Babylon and Uruk, and the site of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 10:10; 11:2; 14:1, 9; Josh. 7:21; Isa. 11:11; Dan. 1:2; Zech. 5:11).
Also known as Babylon
Shinar was an ancient territory first mentioned in Genesis as the location of several important cities including Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh (Genesis 10:10). This region became historically significant immediately after the Flood when people migrated to a plain in Shinar and built the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:2).
The area was ruled by powerful kings from an early period. Amraphel, king of Shinar, appears among the coalition of kings who fought against the cities of the plain during Abraham's time (Genesis 14:1,9). This demonstrates the region's significant political influence in the ancient Near East.
Shinar's wealth and craftsmanship were renowned. During the conquest of Canaan, Achan coveted and stole a beautiful robe from Shinar among other valuable items (Joshua 7:21). The quality of its goods made them highly desirable as plunder.
The region maintained its importance throughout biblical history. Isaiah mentioned Shinar among the places from which God would recover the remnant of His people (Isaiah 11:11). During the Babylonian exile, King Nebuchadnezzar took vessels from Jerusalem's temple to "the land of Shinar," to the house of his god (Dan.1.2).
In a prophetic vision, Zechariah saw wickedness being transported to Shinar, where a house would be built for it (Zechariah 5:11), suggesting the region's enduring association with rebellion against God.
Probably corresponds to ancient Sumer and Babylonia, encompassing the southern portion of modern Iraq between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Approximate location: 32.537, 44.421 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
(country of two rivers), the ancient name of the great alluvial tract through which the Tigris and Euphrates pass before reaching the sea—the tract known in later times as Chaldaea or Babylonia. It was a plain country, where brick had to be used for stone and slime for mortar. (Genesis 11:3) Among the cities were Babel (Babylon), Erech or Orech (Orchoe), Calneh or Calno (probably Niffer), and Accad, the site of which is unknown. It may be suspected that Shinar was the name by which the Hebrews originally knew the lower Mesopotamian country where they so long dwelt, and which Abraham brought with him from “Ur of the Chaldees.”
watch of him that sleeps
SHI'NAR, THE LAND OF (casting out? country of two rivers?), the region where the people, after the Flood, made bricks and used slime (bitumen) for mortar. Gen 11:2-3. "Shinar" was probably the Hebrew name for the plain of Mesopotamia, on the Euphrates and the Tigris. It would seem originally to have denoted the northern part of Babylonia, as "Chaldaea" denoted the southern part; but subsequently, like "Chaldaea," it was sometimes used for the whole. Gen 10:10; Isa 11:11; Dan 1:2; Zech 5:11. In Josh 7:21 it is rendered "Babylonish." Among its cities were Babel (Babylon), Erech or Orech (Orchoi), Calneh or Calno (probably Niffer), and Arrad.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
8 verses in 5 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H8152
His kingdom began in Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim
against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.
“To build a house for it in the land of Shinar,” he told me. “And when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its pedestal.”
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.