Sirah, also called the Cistern of Sirah, was a place near Hebron where Joab killed Abner in revenge for the death of his brother Asahel (2Sam. 3:26).
Also known as Cistern of Sirah
Sirah, also known as the Cistern of Sirah, is mentioned in the account of the murder of Abner by Joab (2Sam. 3:26). Abner, who had been the commander of Saul's army, had recently defected to David's side after a dispute with Ish-bosheth, Saul's son. Joab, David's military commander, held a grudge against Abner for killing his brother Asahel in battle (2Sam. 2:18-23).
When Abner left David's presence at Hebron, Joab sent messengers after him and brought him back from the Cistern of Sirah. Upon Abner's return, Joab took him aside and stabbed him to death in revenge for his brother's killing (2Sam. 3:27).
The exact location of Sirah is not specified in the biblical text, but it was apparently a well-known landmark near Hebron. The name "Sirah" may be derived from the Hebrew word "sur," meaning "to turn aside" or "to depart," possibly indicating a place where travelers would stop or turn off the main road.
David, who had not authorized Abner's murder, mourned his death and publicly cursed Joab and his family for their treachery (2Sam. 3:28-39). This incident highlights the complex political situation during the early years of David's reign and the challenges he faced in uniting the kingdom under his rule.
Approximate location: 31.550, 35.100 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Retiring, a well from which Joab’s messenger brought back Abner (2 Sam. 3:26). It is now called ‘Ain Sarah, and is situated about a mile from Hebron, on the road to the north.
(the turning), The well of, from which Abner was recalled by Joab to his death at Hebron. (2 Samuel 3:26) only. It was apparently on the northern road from Hebron. There is a spring and reservoir on the western side of the ancient northern road, about one mile out of Hebron, which is called Ain Sara.
SI'RAH, THE WELL OF (retreat), the place from which Abner was recalled by Joab, who put him to death at Hebron. 2 Sam 8:26. It is now called 'Ain Sarah, a spring about 1 mile from Hebron, and a little to one side of the main road.
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.
1 verse in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5626
As soon as Joab had left David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David was unaware of it.
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.