Assir

In the priestly genealogies of the Hebrew Bible, the name Assir represents a Levite of the clan of Kohath. The text of Exodus 6:24 lists Assir as one of the three sons of Korah, alongside Elkanah and Abiasaph, designating them as the families of the Korahites. In 1 Chronicles 6:22-23, the lineage of Kohath is presented with Assir as the son of Korah, followed by Elkanah, Ebiasaph, and a second descendant named Assir. Later in the same chapter, 1 Chronicles 6:37 traces the lineage of the temple singer Heman back through Tahath, Assir, Ebiasaph, and Korah. Historically and linguistically, the Hebrew name Assir translates literally to captive or prisoner.

One way to read these Levitical genealogies is that they record two distinct individuals named Assir, one being the son of Korah and the other his great-grandson. However, some biblical scholars suggest that the similarity of names in these lists might reflect ancient scribal variations or different arrangements of the same lineage over time. A separate interpretive challenge arises in the royal lineage of Judah. In 1 Chronicles 3:17, the text mentions the sons of Jeconiah, the captive, Shealtiel his son. Translators and commentators are divided on whether the Hebrew word assir here is a proper noun naming a son of Jeconiah, or an adjective describing King Jeconiah himself as a prisoner during the Babylonian exile.

In Jewish rabbinic tradition, the sons of Korah, including Assir, are celebrated as individuals who refused to join their father's rebellion against Moses and were consequently spared from judgment. Within Christian commentary, these genealogical lists are often studied to understand the continuity of the priesthood and the Davidic line through the disruption of the exile, with some commentators viewing the presence of the word assir in both lines as a narrative reminder of God's presence with His people during times of captivity.

AI-generated reference entry, grounded in the passages where this term appears — history and Scripture stated as such, interpretation labeled as interpretation. Not a substitute for the text itself.