תְּלַאשַּׂר
Telassar, a region of Assyria
Definition
Telassar is a proper noun referring to a specific region or city within the Assyrian Empire. The name appears in two parallel biblical passages, 2 Kings 19:12 and Isaiah 37:12, where it is listed among other conquered territories by the Assyrian king Sennacherib. In these contexts, Telassar is presented as a place whose gods were powerless to save its inhabitants from Assyrian conquest, serving as a rhetorical contrast to the power of the God of Israel. The name itself is of foreign, likely Assyrian, derivation, and its exact geographical location remains uncertain, though it is consistently associated with Assyrian dominion.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the context of Assyrian military conquests, appearing only in the two parallel historical/prophetic accounts of 2 Kings 19:12 and Isaiah 37:12. In both instances, the Assyrian field commander, the Rabshakeh, uses the conquest of Telassar and other regions as a taunt, arguing that since the gods of those places failed to deliver them, the God of Judah (Hezekiah's God) will also fail. Its usage is purely geographical and polemical, serving to heighten the dramatic tension before God's deliverance of Jerusalem.
Etymology
The Hebrew תְּלַאשַּׂר (Tᵉlaʼssar) is a transliteration of a foreign name, as noted in the biblical text itself ('of foreign derivation'). It is likely borrowed from an Assyrian (Akkadian) place name. The 'Tel-' prefix often indicates a 'mound' or 'ruin' in Semitic languages, suggesting it was an ancient settlement. The exact Assyrian original and its meaning are not definitively known, but its form marks it clearly as a location absorbed into the Assyrian imperial sphere.
Semantic Range
Telassar plays a significant theological role in the narrative of divine supremacy. By listing conquered cities like Telassar, the Assyrian taunt in 2 Kings 19:12 and Isaiah 37:12 sets up a direct challenge to Yahweh's power and reputation. The subsequent deliverance of Jerusalem demonstrates that the God of Israel is categorically different from the defeated gods of the nations; He is the sovereign Lord of history who defends His people and His name. Understanding this reference enriches the reading by highlighting the contrast between human arrogance and divine sovereignty.
In the ancient Near Eastern cultural context, a nation's defeat was understood as the defeat of its patron deity by the victor's god. By citing Telassar, the Assyrians were employing standard psychological warfare and theological propaganda, asserting the superiority of their gods (and by extension, their king) over all others. For the original Israelite audience, hearing of these recently conquered, familiar places would have made the Assyrian threat feel immediate and terrifying, amplifying the miracle of Jerusalem's survival.
There are no direct Hebrew synonyms for this proper place name. It is grouped with other conquered locations in the taunt: Gozan (H1470), Haran (H2771), and Rezeph (H7530).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →