ZIMRI env.), a proper name in the O. T., which is derived from the root int, cary5ere, ally carpere vites = putare vites, `to prune ;' and also carpere fides=pulsare, cantare, 'to play ," sing.' It is very remarkable that the Greek tfraXen, also occurs in both these acceptations, which appear at first sight to be so very heterogeneous—to scrape, pull, pluck, and to sing. Compare the Latin car pere, which is etymologically connected, as well with the Greek ltprn, sickle, as with the English halp ; and the English colloquial and vulgar ex pressions, to scrape the violin," to pull away at the piano,' and to pull out a note.' If we con sider the striking coincidence of the Greek with the Hebrew, we are led to suppose that the link of the ideas is as we have stated, and cease to be sur prised that Ftirst translates the name 4-int by the German Winzer = vine-dresser, but Gesenius by cammne celebratus—i.e. a man celebrated by song, or a man of celebrity in general.
The Septuagint imitates the Hebrew sound by Zapppi, and Josephus (eIntiq. viii. 12. 5) by Zn Actsons.
Four men are called Zimri in the O. T. :— I. A son of Zerah, who was a son of Judah by Tamar (1 Chron. ii. 6).
2. The name of the Israelite slain, together with the Midianitish woman, in Shittim, by Phinehas, was ZIMRI, the son of Saki, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites (Num. xxv. 14).
3. King Saul begat Jonathan, who begat Merib baal, who begat Micah, who begat Ahaz, who begat Jehoadah, whose sons were Alemeth, Azma veth, and Zimx.r. Zimri begat Moza, etc. 0. Chron. viii. 36; ix. 42).
4. In the twenty-sixth year of Asa, king of Judah, Elah, the son of Baasha, began to reign over Israel in Tirzah. After he had reigned two
years, Zimiti, 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 perished in it for his sins in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for making Israel to sin (r Kings xvi. 1-20; 2 Kings ix. 3i).
5. The kings of Zusfiti, 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; Chron. 3z). It seems that in Jer. xxv. 25, +-in? is a contraction for 'Tin?. 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 ; Sept. Z1v), a desert on the south of Palestine, and westward from Idumaea, in which was situated the city of Kadesh-barnea (Num. xiii. 21 • Xx. I ; xxvii. 14). Its locality is therefore fixed bv the considerations which determine the site of Kadesh to the western part of the Arabah south of the Dead Sea.