🔼The name Bezer: Summary
- Meaning
- Fortress, Ore
- Etymology
- From the noun בצר (beser), ore or fortified enclosure, from the verb בצר (basar), to protect and extract.
🔼The name Bezer in the Bible
The name Bezer is applied to one man and one city. Bezer the man was a son of Zophah, son of Helem of Asher (1 Chronicles 7:37). Bezer the city was one of six cities of refuge which Moses appointed for a manslayer to flee to (Deuteronomy 4:43, Joshua 20:8).
Bezer was one of three of these cities of refuge located east of the Jordan, and particularly in the territory of the tribe of Reuben, although it was secondarily assigned to the Levites (1 Chronicles 6:78).
🔼Etymology of the name Bezer
The name Bezer is identical to the noun בצר (beser), which probably denotes precious ore, but in effect denotes something that is harvested after a period of maturation:
בצר
The verb בצר (basar) means to separate and protect for extraction (usually by placing a wall around it: hence the word "bazaar"). Noun בצרון (bissaron) means stronghold and noun מבצר (mibsar) fortification. Noun בצרה (bosra) means enclosure, noun בציר (basir) means vintage and noun בצר (beser) probably denotes precious ore (a vineyard operation is not unlike a mining operation). Nouns בצרה (bassara) and בצרת (bassoret) denote destitution or scarcity and probably refer to residue that remains after the extraction of commodities.
🔼Bezer meaning
For a meaning of the name Bezer, both NOBSE Study Bible Name List and BDB Theological Dictionary read Fortress. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Gold Ore and Defense.