Genesis 2:14
"And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

The name of the third river is Hiddekel,.... A river which ran by Shushan in Persia, and retained its name in the times of Daniel, Dan 10:4 where it is called the great river; and it seems it bears the same name now among the Persians; at least it did an hundred and fifty years ago, when Rauwolff (m) travelled in those parts. The Targum of Jonathan here calls it Diglath, the same with the Diglito of Pliny (n); and according to him it is called Tigris, from its swiftness, either from the tiger, a swift creature, or from "to dart", in the Chaldee language; and

so Curtius (o) says, that in the Persian language they call a dart "tigris": and with this agrees the word "Hiddekel", which in the Hebrew language signifies sharp and swift, as a polished arrow is; and Jarchi says it is so called, because its waters are sharp and swift: though this is contradicted by some modern travellers (p) who say it is a slower stream than the Euphrates, and is not only very crooked, and full of meanders, but also choked up with islands, and great banks of stone: that is it which goeth towards the east of Assyria: a country which had its name from Ashur, a son of Shem, Gen 10:11 it became a famous kingdom and monarchy, Nineveh was the metropolis of it, which was built on the river Tigris or Hiddekel; and, as before observed, it ran by Shushan in Persia; and so, as Diodorus Siculus (q) says, it passed through Media into Mesopotamia; and which very well agrees with its being, according to Moses, one of the rivers of Eden. Twelve miles up this river, from Mosul, near which Nineveh once stood, lies an island, called the island of Eden, in the heart of the Tigris, about ten English miles in circuit, and is said to be undoubtedly a part of paradise (r): and the fourth river is Euphrates: or "Phrat", as in the Hebrew tongue. Reland (s) seems rightly to judge, that the syllable "eu", prefixed to it, is the Persian "au" or "cu", which in that language signifies "water"; so that "Euphrates" is no other than "the water of Phrat", so called from the fruitfulness of it; for its waters, as Jarchi says, fructify, increase, and fatten the earth; and who rightly observes that these names, and so those of other rivers, and of the countries here mentioned, are named by a prolepsis or anticipation, these being the names they bore when Moses wrote; unless it may be thought to be the Hebrew "Hu, the, that Phrat"; and which the Greeks have made an "eu" of. (After the global destruction of Noah's flood, it is doubtful that the location of these rivers could be determined with any degree of certainty today. Ed.) (m) Travels, part. 2. c. 9. p. 159. ed. Ray. (n) Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 27. (o) Hist. l. 4. c. 9. (p) De la Valle & Thevenot, apud Universal History, vol. 4. p. 248. (q) Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 99. (r) Cartwright's Preacher's Travels, p. 91. (s) Ut supra, (De Situ Paradisi) p. 45.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (12 words)

H8034 שֵׁם
Definition:

9name(√ unknown; Thesשׁמה, compare BaZMG xli (1887), 635; LagBN 160ושׁם, Arabicbrand, mark, compare RSK 213, 303 ff.Köii. 1. 104; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew (especiallyהַשֵּׁם=יהוה); PhoenicianשםLz 9name(√ unknown; Thesשׁמה, compare BaZMG xli (1887), 635; LagBN 160ושׁם, Arabicbrand, mark, compare RSK 213, 303 ff.Köii. 1. 104; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew (especiallyהַשֵּׁם=יהוה); PhoenicianשםLz

H5104 נָהָר
Definition:

10stream, river; — absolute׳נGenesis 2:10+; constructנְהַרDeuteronomy 1:7+; pluralנְהָרִיםIsaiah 18:274t., constructנַהֲרֵיIsaiah 18:12t; but oftenerנְהָר(וֺ)תIsaiah 19:623t.; constructנַהֲרוֺת2 Kings 10stream, river; — absolute׳נGenesis 2:10+; constructנְהַרDeuteronomy 1:7+; pluralנְהָרִיםIsaiah 18:274t., constructנַהֲרֵיIsaiah 18:12t; but oftenerנְהָר(וֺ)תIsaiah 19:623t.; constructנַהֲרוֺת2 Kings

H7992 שְׁלִישִׁי
Definition:

1331t., etc. (64 t., rarelyשְׁלִשִׁי); pluralשְׁלִשִׁים(third50, set of messengers, etc.)1 Samuel 19:21;2 Kings 1:134t.;בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית1 Kings 18:14t., etc. (33 t.; sometimesשְׁלִשִׁית,שְׁלִ 1331t., etc. (64 t., rarelyשְׁלִשִׁי); pluralשְׁלִשִׁים(third50, set of messengers, etc.)1 Samuel 19:21;2 Kings 1:134t.;בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית1 Kings 18:14t., etc. (33 t.; sometimesשְׁלִשִׁית,שְׁלִ

H2313 חִדֶּקֶל
Definition:

14;חִדָּ֑קֶלDaniel 10:4.Topical LexiconBiblical Occurrences•Genesis 2:14– “The name of the third river is the Tigris; it flows along the east side of Assyria.”•Daniel 10:4– “On the twenty-fourth day o 14;חִדָּ֑קֶלDaniel 10:4.Topical LexiconBiblical Occurrences•Genesis 2:14– “The name of the third river is the Tigris; it flows along the east side of Assyria.”•Daniel 10:4– “On the twenty-fourth day o

H1931 הוּא
Definition:

23Kt, seeהוּא.הוּאmasculineהִיאfeminine(plural masculineהֵ֫מָּה,הֵם; feminineהֵ֫נָּה,הֵן[the latter only with prefixes]; see these words),pronoun of the 3rd person singular,he, she, used also(in both 23Kt, seeהוּא.הוּאmasculineהִיאfeminine(plural masculineהֵ֫מָּה,הֵם; feminineהֵ֫נָּה,הֵן[the latter only with prefixes]; see these words),pronoun of the 3rd person singular,he, she, used also(in both

H1980 הָלַךְ
Definition:

26+;הָלָ֑ךְ2 Samuel 8:6+; 3 pluralהָֽלְכוּGenesis 14:24+;(הֶ)הָֽלְכוּאJoshua 10:24(Ges§ 23, 3; 138, 3 b Köi. 414 f.), etc.;Imperfectrarelya.3masculine singularיִהֲלֹךְJeremiah 9:34t. Job, Psalms;וַיַּ 26+;הָלָ֑ךְ2 Samuel 8:6+; 3 pluralהָֽלְכוּGenesis 14:24+;(הֶ)הָֽלְכוּאJoshua 10:24(Ges§ 23, 3; 138, 3 b Köi. 414 f.), etc.;Imperfectrarelya.3masculine singularיִהֲלֹךְJeremiah 9:34t. Job, Psalms;וַיַּ

Possible Meanings:
  • toll (semantic_range)
H6926 קִדְמָה
Definition:

1in front of, over against(compare NöZMG xxxiii (1879), 532),Genesis 2:14(i.e. from standpoint of writer; really, on geographic grounds, = west of; yet see Died. 6),Genesis 4:16(both J),2on the east o 1in front of, over against(compare NöZMG xxxiii (1879), 532),Genesis 2:14(i.e. from standpoint of writer; really, on geographic grounds, = west of; yet see Died. 6),Genesis 4:16(both J),2on the east o

Possible Meanings:
  • former time (semantic_range)
H0804 אַשּׁוּר
Definition:

Or iashshur {ash-shoor'}; apparently from'ashar(in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its e Or iashshur {ash-shoor'}; apparently from'ashar(in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its e

Possible Meanings:
  • step (semantic_range)
  • going (semantic_range)
H5104 נָהָר
Definition:

10stream, river; — absolute׳נGenesis 2:10+; constructנְהַרDeuteronomy 1:7+; pluralנְהָרִיםIsaiah 18:274t., constructנַהֲרֵיIsaiah 18:12t; but oftenerנְהָר(וֺ)תIsaiah 19:623t.; constructנַהֲרוֺת2 Kings 10stream, river; — absolute׳נGenesis 2:10+; constructנְהַרDeuteronomy 1:7+; pluralנְהָרִיםIsaiah 18:274t., constructנַהֲרֵיIsaiah 18:12t; but oftenerנְהָר(וֺ)תIsaiah 19:623t.; constructנַהֲרוֺת2 Kings

H7243 רְבִיעִי
Definition:

1429t.,רְבִעִי1 Chronicles 24:8;1 Chronicles 26:11; pluralרְבִיעִים2 Kings 15:12,רְבִעִים2 Kings 10:30;feminineabsoluteרְבִיעִית1 Kings 6:13t.,רְבִיעִתLeviticus 19:29,רְבִעִית1 Kings 6:37; 6t. +1 King 1429t.,רְבִעִי1 Chronicles 24:8;1 Chronicles 26:11; pluralרְבִיעִים2 Kings 15:12,רְבִעִים2 Kings 10:30;feminineabsoluteרְבִיעִית1 Kings 6:13t.,רְבִיעִתLeviticus 19:29,רְבִעִית1 Kings 6:37; 6t. +1 King

Possible Meanings:
  • fourth (semantic_range)
H1931 הוּא
Definition:

23Kt, seeהוּא.הוּאmasculineהִיאfeminine(plural masculineהֵ֫מָּה,הֵם; feminineהֵ֫נָּה,הֵן[the latter only with prefixes]; see these words),pronoun of the 3rd person singular,he, she, used also(in both 23Kt, seeהוּא.הוּאmasculineהִיאfeminine(plural masculineהֵ֫מָּה,הֵם; feminineהֵ֫נָּה,הֵן[the latter only with prefixes]; see these words),pronoun of the 3rd person singular,he, she, used also(in both

H6578 פְרָת
Definition:

14.׳נְהַר פGenesis 15:18; (both secondary phrases in J),׳נְהַר פalso2 Samuel 8:3(Qr, seeנָהָר),Jeremiah 46:2,6,10;Deuteronomy 1:7;Deuteronomy 11:24;Joshua 1:4(D),2 Kings 23:29;2 Kings 24:7;1 Chronicle 14.׳נְהַר פGenesis 15:18; (both secondary phrases in J),׳נְהַר פalso2 Samuel 8:3(Qr, seeנָהָר),Jeremiah 46:2,6,10;Deuteronomy 1:7;Deuteronomy 11:24;Joshua 1:4(D),2 Kings 23:29;2 Kings 24:7;1 Chronicle

Possible Meanings:
  • Euphrates (semantic_range)

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