H8152 H8152
Shinar: the ancient Mesopotamian region associated with Babel and Babylon, covering the plain of early human settlement and later exile.
Refers to the land of Shinar, the biblical name for southern Mesopotamia encompassing the territory of Babel and later Babylon. It first appears as the setting for humanity's earliest post-Flood urbanization (Gen 10:10; 11:2) and the Tower of Babel narrative. In prophetic texts it becomes a symbol of exile and divine judgment: Daniel was carried to the 'land of Shinar' (Dan 1:2), and Zechariah envisions wickedness transported there in a basket (Zech 5:11). The Septuagint typically renders it Sennaar, while Zechariah's Greek text substitutes 'Babylon' outright, confirming the identification ancient readers took for granted.
Senses
1. Shinar (place name) — The proper geographical name for the alluvial plain of southern Mesopotamia, identified with Sumer and later Babylonia. Genesis uses it for the territory of Nimrod's kingdom (Gen 10:10) and the site of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:2). It appears in the patriarchal narrative as the domain of King Amraphel (Gen 14:1, 9). Joshua 7:21 mentions a 'garment of Shinar' among Achan's plunder, attesting to the region's reputation for fine textiles. Prophetically, Isaiah 11:11 lists it as a land of Jewish diaspora, and Daniel 1:2 uses it as an archaic name for Babylon. The LXX rendering Sennaar preserves the Hebrew form, while Zechariah 5:11 translates directly as 'Babylon,' showing the equivalence was well understood. 8×
AR["شِنعاريّاً", "شِنْعَارَ", "وَ-مِنْ-شِنْعَارَ"]·ben["ও-শিনয়ার-থেকে", "শিনয়রের", "শিনারের", "শিন্যারের"]·DE["Schinar", "Shinar", "[ומשנער]", "[שנער]", "von-Schinar"]·EN["Shin'ar", "Shinar", "and-from-Shinar"]·FR["Schinear", "Shinar", "[ומשנער]"]·heb["ו-מ-שנער", "שנער"]·HI["और-शिनार-से", "शिनर", "शिनर-क", "शिनार", "शिनार-का", "शिनार-के"]·ID["Sinear", "dan-dari-Sinear"]·IT["Scinear", "Shinar", "[ומשנער]", "[שנער]"]·jav["Sinar", "Sinear", "Sinéar", "lan-saking-Sinar"]·KO["시날", "시날-에서", "시날로", "시날의", "시냠의"]·PT["Shin'ar", "Shinar", "e-de-Shin'ar"]·RU["Сеннаар", "Шинар", "Шинара", "и-из-Шинара"]·ES["Shinar", "Shinár", "Sinar", "de-Sinar", "y-de-Shinar"]·SW["Shinari", "na-kutoka-Shinari"]·TR["Shinar'ın", "ve-den-Shinar'dan", "Şinar'dan", "Şinar'in", "Şinar'ın"]·urd["اور-شنعار-سے", "شنعار", "شنعار-کا", "شنعار-کی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שִׁנְעָר n. pr. loc. Shinar = Babylonia (= Bab. Šumêr according to COT Gn 11:1 al., > denied by Hal Rev. Crit. 1883, 44 Jen ZK ii (1885), 419; Egypt; Sangar (WMMAs. u. Eur. 279), TelAm. Šanḫar (Wkl TelAm. 25) identif. with שׁ׳ by Mey Egyptiaca 63; cf., further, PinchesHast DB shinar);—אֶרֶץ שׁ׳ Gn 10:10; 11:2; Zc 5:11; Dn 1:2; מֶלֶךְ־שׁ׳ (Amraphel) Gn 14:1, 9; שׁ׳ alone Is 11:11 (as place of diaspora); אַדֶּרֶת שׁ׳ Jos 7:21; 𝔊 usually Σεν(ν)ααρ; Zc 5:11 (ἐν γῇ) Βαβυλῶνος.