1224. Botsrah
Lexical Summary
Botsrah: Bozrah

Original Word: בָּצְרָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Botsrah
Pronunciation: bohts-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (bots-raw')
KJV: Bozrah
Word Origin: [the same as H1223 (בָּצרָה - fold)]

1. Botsrah, a place in Edom

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Bozrah

The same as botsrah; Botsrah, a place in Edom -- Bozrah.

see HEBREW botsrah

Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. בָּצְרָה proper name, of a location 1. city of Edom (fortress; (see Palmyrene proper name, of a location בצרא VogNo. 22 ᵐ5 βος(ς)ορρα; compare βοσορ; LagOnom. Sacr. 102, 232, 2nd ed. 137, 247 = βοστρα) Genesis 36:33 = 1 Chronicles 1:44; Isaiah 34:6; Isaiah 63:1 (in both "" (ארץ) אדום) Jeremiah 49:13,22; Amos 1:12.

2 of Moab Jeremiah 48:24, probably = II.בֶּצֶר 1; — on Micah 2:12 compare foregoing.

Topical Lexicon
Geographical Orientation

Bozrah designates two fortified cities east of the Jordan—one in Edom, the other in Moab. Both lie on key caravan routes south and southeast of the Dead Sea, commanding trade and military passages that linked Arabia with the Mediterranean basin.

Bozrah in the Patriarchal Records

In Genesis 36:33 and the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 1:44, Bozrah is introduced as the hometown of the early Edomite king Jobab son of Zerah: “When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.” The reference places Bozrah among the earliest royal cities descended from Esau, providing a concrete geographical witness to the fulfillment of Genesis 36:31 that Edom produced kings “before any king reigned over the Israelites.”

Royal Line of Edom

The mention of an Edomite king from Bozrah underlines the political organization of Edom before Israel’s own monarchy. This confirms God’s prophetic word to Rebekah (Genesis 25:23) that the older would be established first yet ultimately serve the younger. Bozrah therefore becomes a vivid reminder that divine election governs history, not merely human succession.

Prophetic Oracles of Judgment

The prophets uniformly portray Bozrah as a focus of divine wrath:

Isaiah 34:6 sets the scene for universal judgment: “For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.”

Jeremiah 49:13 soundly predicts permanent devastation: “Bozrah will become a desolation, a reproach, a ruin, and a curse.”

Amos 1:12 announces punitive fire: “I will send fire upon Teman to consume the citadels of Bozrah.”

These prophecies hinge on Edom’s violence and longstanding enmity toward Israel (Obadiah 10–14). Bozrah, emblematic of Edom’s pride, thus stands as a showcase of retributive justice.

Bozrah and the Concept of the Day of the Lord

Isaiah 63:1 contains the dramatic question, “Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments?” The returning Conqueror is the LORD Himself, whose garments are spattered with the lifeblood of His foes (Isaiah 63:3). The passage intertwines judgment with redemption: the same act that vindicates Zion crushes the enemies encircling her. The location underscores that the Day of the Lord extends beyond Israel’s borders to the nations allied against her.

The Moabite Counterpart

Jeremiah 48:24 includes a Bozrah among Moab’s cities. Though sharing the name, it suffers the same fate as Edom’s stronghold—loss of wealth, power, and population—again stressing that pride brings ruin whether in Edom or Moab (Proverbs 16:18). The dual usage of the name highlights the Omniscient reach of God’s judgment.

Archaeological and Historical Insights

The Edomite site is commonly identified with modern Buseirah in Jordan, where excavations reveal an Iron Age citadel, domestic quarters, and cultic areas. These finds corroborate the Old Testament picture of a well-defended urban center controlling trade routes. Yet no lasting habitation followed the Roman period, echoing the prophetic verdict of enduring desolation (Jeremiah 49:13).

Salvation Imagery Emerging from Judgment

Bozrah’s lurid scenes of slaughter ultimately serve a redemptive motif: God’s people are rescued precisely because their adversaries are overthrown. The blood-drenched Champion of Isaiah 63 prefigures Messiah’s final victory, making Bozrah a prophetic backdrop for Revelation 19:13-16 where Christ appears “clothed in a robe dipped in blood.”

Lessons for Ministry

1. God’s purposes encompass both nations and individuals; His word reaches remote fortresses as surely as royal palaces.
2. Pride and hostility toward God’s covenant people provoke inevitable judgment; repentance remains the singular hope (Jeremiah 49:11).
3. The same Lord who brings the sword also brings salvation; therefore preaching must declare both wrath and grace, lest hearers gain a truncated view of God.

Bozrah, once a bastion of Edomite power, now endures solely in Scripture and ruins—silent testimony that “the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Forms and Transliterations
בְּבָצְרָ֔ה בָּצְרָ֑ה בָּצְרָֽה׃ בָצְרָ֑ה בבצרה בצרה בצרה׃ מִבָּצְרָ֔ה מִבָּצְרָֽה׃ מבצרה מבצרה׃ ḇā·ṣə·rāh bāṣ·rāh ḇāṣərāh bāṣrāh bə·ḇā·ṣə·rāh bəḇāṣərāh bevatzeRah botzrah mib·bā·ṣə·rāh mibbāṣərāh mibbatzeRah vatzeRah
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Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 36:33
HEB: בֶּן־ זֶ֖רַח מִבָּצְרָֽה׃
NAS: of Zerah of Bozrah became king
KJV: of Zerah of Bozrah reigned
INT: the son of Zerah of Bozrah

1 Chronicles 1:44
HEB: בֶּן־ זֶ֖רַח מִבָּצְרָֽה׃
NAS: of Zerah of Bozrah became king
KJV: of Zerah of Bozrah reigned
INT: the son of Zerah of Bozrah

Isaiah 34:6
HEB: זֶ֤בַח לַֽיהוָה֙ בְּבָצְרָ֔ה וְטֶ֥בַח גָּד֖וֹל
NAS: has a sacrifice in Bozrah And a great
KJV: hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great
INT: sacrifice the LORD Bozrah slaughter great

Isaiah 63:1
HEB: חֲמ֤וּץ בְּגָדִים֙ מִבָּצְרָ֔ה זֶ֚ה הָד֣וּר
NAS: of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One
KJV: garments from Bozrah? this [that is] glorious
INT: of glowing garments Bozrah This is majestic

Jeremiah 48:24
HEB: קְרִיּ֖וֹת וְעַל־ בָּצְרָ֑ה וְעַ֗ל כָּל־
NAS: Kerioth, Bozrah and all
KJV: And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities
INT: Kerioth against Bozrah against and all

Jeremiah 49:13
HEB: וְלִקְלָלָ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה בָצְרָ֑ה וְכָל־ עָרֶ֥יהָ
NAS: the LORD, that Bozrah will become
KJV: the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation,
INT: curse will become Bozrah and all cities

Jeremiah 49:22
HEB: כְּנָפָ֖יו עַל־ בָּצְרָ֑ה וְֽ֠הָיָה לֵ֞ב
NAS: against Bozrah; and the hearts
KJV: his wings over Bozrah: and at that day
INT: his wings against Bozrah become and the hearts

Amos 1:12
HEB: וְאָכְלָ֖ה אַרְמְנ֥וֹת בָּצְרָֽה׃ פ
NAS: the citadels of Bozrah.
KJV: the palaces of Bozrah.
INT: will consume the citadels of Bozrah

8 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1224
8 Occurrences


bə·ḇā·ṣə·rāh — 1 Occ.
bāṣ·rāh — 3 Occ.
mib·bā·ṣə·rāh — 3 Occ.
ḇā·ṣə·rāh — 1 Occ.

1223
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