ZIMRI (zYm'ri), (Heb..17, zinz-ree', musical), a proper name in the Old Testament.
The Septuagint imitates the Hebrew sound by ZazOpt, zanz-bree', and Josephus (Antig. viii:12, 5) by ZaAcipu, zam-ah'race.
1. A son of Zerah, who was a son of Judah by Tamar (1 Chron. ii :6). (B. C. after 1874.) 2. The name of the Israelite slain, together with the Midianitish woman, in Shittim, by Phine has. He was the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites (Num. xxv: 14). (B. C. 1171.) 3. King Saul begat Jonathan, who begat Merib baal, who begat Micah, who begat Ahaz, who be gat Jehoadah, whose sons were Alemeth, Azma veth, and Zimri. Zimri begat Moza, etc.(' Chron. viii:36; ix:42). (B. C. about 945.) 4. In the twenty-sixth year of Asa, king of Judah, Elah, the son of 13aasha, began to reign over Israel in Tirzah. After he had reined two years, Zimri, the captain of half his chariots, con spired against him when he was in Tirzah, drunk, in the house of his steward. Zimri went in and smote and killed him, and reigned in his stead, about B. C. 928; and he slew all the house of Baasha, so that no male was left. Zimri reigned only seven days at Tirzah. The people who were encamped at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, heard that Zimri had slain the king. They made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel in the camp. Omri besieged Tirzah and took it. Zimri, seeing that the city was taken, went into the king's palace, set it on fire, and per ished in it for his sins in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for making Israel to sin (i Kings xvi:1-20; 2 Kings ix :31).
5. The kings of Zimri, mentioned in Jer. xxv: 25, seem to have been the kings of the Zimranites, the descendants of Zimran, son of Abraham by Keturah (Gen. xxv :2 ; 1 Chron. :32; Jer. xxv: 6. The town Zabram, mentioned by Ptolemy as situated between Mecca and Medina, perhaps had its name from the tribe of Zimran. C. H. F. B.
ZIN (zin), (Heb. Iseen, a crag), a desert on the south of Palestine, and westward from Idumea, in which was situated the city of Kadesh-barnea (Num. xx :1 • xxvii:14; xxxiii:36; Deut. xxxii: 51). It was the limit of Edom on the west and of Judah on the southeast (Josh. xv:I-3). Its local ity is therefore fixed by the considerations which determine the site of Kadesh to the western part of the Arabah south of the Dead Sea.
ZINA (zi'na)', (Heb. zee-naw' , probably abundance), the second son of Shimei Chron.
xxiii:Io), the Gershonite. B. C. 1043. ( See ZIZAH ).
ZION (zi'on), tsee-yone' , sunny, from Ps.ii:6; xlviii:2; lxix:35; lxxxiv:7; 1XXXVii :2, 5; xcix: 2; CX1Vii :I2 ; CX1iX :2 ; Is. i :8;
iii :16, 17; viii :18 ; x :32 ; xii :6 ; xviii :7 ; xxviii :16, xxxi :4, 9; xxxvii :22 ; x1:9; xli :27 ; 1i:3, ; lix : 20; 1Xi :3 ; 1XiV :10 ; Jer. xxvi :18 (so Alex.) ; Joel iii :17, 21; Obad. 17; Zech. ii :to; ix :13.
(1) Situation. One of the hills on which Jerusalem was built; the most southwestern and highest. It was originally a Jebusite fortress, which David captured (2 Sam. v:7; I Chron. xi: 5; Josh. xv :63 ; Judg. i :21). Here he brought the ark, and made the hill sacred (2 Sam. vi :10 12) : the ark was later taken to Moriah (1 Kings viii :1 •, 2 Chron. iii:1; v :2). David's palace was erected here, and he and fourteen of the kings who succeeded him were buried in the royal tomb (i Kings ii:to; xi:43; xiv :31). As Da vid's palace was here it was called the "city of David' (2 Chron. v:2), and from the fact that the Tabernacle was pitched on the hill by David it was called the "holy hill," and "the hill of the Sanctuary" (Ps. ii:6).
(2) Name of Jerusalem. It was frequently used for the whole of the city (Is. viii :18; x:24; xxx: 19; xxxiii :14 ; Ps. xlviii:2, II, 12; comp. Rom. ix:33; xi:26; I Pet. ii:6; Rev. xiv:i), and the inhabitants of the city were called "sons of Zion" (Is. i :27 ; Zech. ii:7, to; ix :9, 13; Zeph. :14. 16; Joel ii :23 ; Matt. xxi :5 ; John xii :Is).
Figurative. Zion is used as the tive of the city of God, the spiritual city (Heb. xii :22, 28; Gal. iv:26; Rev. iii:t2; xxi :2, to).
ZIOR (zi'or), (Heb. Isee-ore' , smallness), a mountain town of Judah (Josh. xv :54), not identified.
ZIPH (ziph), (Hcb. zeef, a flowing).
1. Eldest son of Jehaleleel (i Chron. iv :16). (B. C. after 1618.) 2. The name of a city in the tribe of Judah (Josh. xv :55) ; and of a desert in its vicinity (I Sam. xxiii:14, 15). It was fortified by Reho boam (2 Chron. xi:8). It is mentioned by Jerome (Onomast. s. v.), but had not been since noticed till Dr. Robinson found the name in the Tell Zif (Hill of Zif), which occurs about four miles and a half southeast from Hebron, and is a round eminence about a hundred feet high, situated in a plain. A site also called Zif lies about ten minutes east of this, upon a low hill or ridge be tween two small wadies, which commence here and run towards the Dead Sea. There is now lit tle to be seen besides broken walls and founda tions, mostly of unhewn stones, but indicative of solidity.
This spot was the scene of the farewell be tween David and Jonathan, the sparing of Saul by David, and the relenting of Saul (I Sam. xxiii: 19; xxvi:1).
3. A town on the south of Judah (Josh. xv: 24). Sitc not known.