Tirzah
an ancient Canaanite city, whose king is enumerated among those overthrown in the conquest of the country. (Joshua 12:24) It reappears as a royal city, the residence of Jeroboam and of his successors, (1 Kings 14:17,18) and as the seat of the conspiracy of Menahem ben-Gaddi against the wretched Shallum. (2 Kings 15:16) Its reputation for beauty throughout the country must have been widespread. It is in this sense that it is spoken of in the Song of Solomon.
Eusebius mentions it in connection with Menahem, and identifies it with a “village of Samaritans in Batanea.” Its site is Telluzah, a place in the mountains north of Nablus .
(delight), youngest of the five daughters of Zelophehad. (Numbers 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Joshua 17:3) (B.C. 1450.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Tirzah
Tirzah tur'-za (tirtsah; Thersa): ⇒See a list of verses on TIRZAH in the Bible. (1) A royal city of the Canaanites, the king of which was slain by Joshua (12:24). It superseded Shechem as capital of the Northern Kingdom (1Ki 14:17, etc.), and itself gave place in turn to Samaria. Here reigned Jeroboam, Nadab his son, Baasha, Elah and Zimri (1Ki 15:21,33; 16:6,8-9,15). Baasha was buried in Tirzah. Here Elah was assassinated while "drinking himself drunk" in the house of his steward; here therefore probably he was buried. Zimri perished in the flames of his palace, rather than fall into Omri's hands. In Tirzah Menahem matured his rebellion against Shallum (2Ki 15:14). The place is mentioned in Song 6:4 the King James Version, where the Shulammite is said to be "beautiful .... as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem." The comparison may be due to the charm of its situation. The name may possibly be derived from ratsah, "to delight." Several identifications have been suggested. Buhl (Geographic des alten Palestina, 203) favors et-tireh, on the West of the plain of Makhneh, 4 miles South of Nablus…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Tirzah
!. Mentioned Jos 12=^ as one of the 31 places whose kings Joshua smote. Tirzah afterwards became tlie capital of Jerolioam I., presumably of his son Nadab, and certainly of the three adventurers, Baasha, Elah, and Zimri (1 K 14" 15-'- ss 1G«- »• »• "). In 1 K 14" the reading of the LXX (A) is Sapipd, i.e. Zercda, Jeroboam's birthplace. Baasha was buried at Tirzah ( 1 K 10''), probably Elah also, as it was there he was slain wliile drinking in the house of one of his oflioers (v."'-). The Omrides transferred the seat of govern- ment to Samaria (vv.-»- -"), but Tirzah retained its importance probably as a fortress, as it was there [if MT be correct, but cf. LXX and Buhl, p. 247] that Menahem gathered a force to attack Shallura (2 K 15'''). After this Tirzah drops out of history. In Ca 6* the Sliulammite is declared to be beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem. The Heb. custom of per.sonifying cities as women robs this comparison of the strangeness it would else have for us. It may be the fjlory and prestige of the capital that leu to the simile, quite as much as the circumstance that…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia