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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Zeri

Zeri meaning

Zeri in Biblical Hebrew
צרי
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Zeri.html

🔼The name Zeri: Summary

Meaning
Fashioner
Rockish
Balsam
Etymology
From the verb יצר (yasar), to fashion or form.
From the noun צור (sur), rock, or צר (sar), flint or pebble.
From the noun צרי (sari), a costly balsam.
Related names
• Via יצר (yasar), צור (sur) and צרי (sari): Abel-mizraim, Beth-zur, Elizur, Helkath-hazzurim, Izri, Jezer, Mizraim, Pedahzur, Tyre, Zarethan, Zer, Zererath, Zereth, Zereth-shahar, Zeror, Zeruiah, Zur, Zuriel, Zurishaddai

🔼The name Zeri in the Bible

There's only one Zeri in the Bible. He is one of the six musical sons of the famous poet Jeduthun, who played harp in the temple in service of king David and under the directions of their father (1 Chronicles 25:3).

Note that in 1 Chronicles 25:11 this Zeri is called יצרי (Izri), and also note that the name Zeri is spelled the same as the ethnonym Zurite (which is someone from Zur, also known as Tyre).

🔼Etymology of the name Zeri

The name Zeri comes from any of the below:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
צור
  • Verb צור (sur I) probably means to lean or incline. Noun צואר (sawwa'r) means neck and צורון (sawwaron) means necklace.
  • Verb צור (sur II) means to confine, secure or besiege. Noun מצור (masor) means siege and מצורה (mesura) means stronghold. This verb relates to verb צרר (sarar I).
  • Verb צור (sur III) means to be an adversary. It relates to צרר (sarar II).
  • Verb צור (sur IV) means to form or fashion. Noun צורה (sura) means form and noun ציר (sir) means image. This verb relates to יצר (yasar).
  • Verb צור (sur V) probably relates to verb צרר (sarar III) and probably means to be sharp. The important noun צור (sur) means rock, and is equivalent to the Greek noun πετρα (petra), from which comes the name Peter.
צרר
  • Verb צרר (sarar I) means to bind and relates to צור (sur II). Adjective צר (sar) means narrow. Nouns צר (sar) and צרה (sara) mean distress and yield denominative verb צרה (sara), meaning to suffer distress. Noun צרור (seror) means bundle or parcel. Noun מצר (mesar) means distress.
  • Verb צרר (sarar II) means to show hostility and relates to verb צור (sur III). Noun צר (sar) means adversary. Noun צרה (sara) means vexer or rival-wife. Denominative verb צרר (sarar) means to create a rival wife.
  • Verb צרר (sarar III) probably means to be sharp and relates to צור (sur V). Nouns צר (sar), צר (sor) and צרור (seror) mean flint or pebble.
יצר

Verb יצר (yasar) means to fashion or form and relates to צור (sur IV). Noun יצר (yeser) denotes that what is formed, and noun יצרים (yesurim) means forms or members.

צרה

Verb צרה (srh) probably describes the bleeding of an odoriferous tree. Noun צרי (sari) denotes a kind of costly balsam.

— See the full Dictionary article —

The letter י (yod) upon which our name ends, may either create an adjective (rocky), a possessive form (my form), or may be a remnant of יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton יהוה, YHWH, or Yahweh.

🔼Zeri meaning

NOBSE Study Bible Name List doesn't treat Zeri separately but reads Fashioner for Izri, which is probably a better translation of the name Zeri.

Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names also doesn't treat Zeri separately, and lists it as a variant spelling of the name Jezer, for which Jones reads Frame, Form.

BDB Theological Dictionary doesn't translate this name and lists it under the verb צרה (srh), and particularly, the noun צרי (sari), denoting a costly Balsam.