Lexical Summary Gozan: Gozan Original Word: גּוֹזָן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Gozan Probably from guwz; a quarry (as a place of cutting stones); Gozan, a province of Assyria -- Gozan. see HEBREW guwz NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a city and area in Mesopotamia NASB Translation Gozan (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs גּוֺזָן proper name, of a location (Assyrian Guzana COT 2 Kings 17:6 DlPa 184) city and district of Mesopotamia, on or near the middle course of the Euphrates, through which the river Chabur (חָבוֺר) flowed; thither some of the exiled Israelites were brought [by Sargon B.C. 722-21]: גּוֺזָן 2 Kings 19:12 = Isaiah 37:12; חָבוֺר נְהַר גּוֺזָן 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 18:11; וְחָבוֺר וְהָרָא וּנְ הַר גּוֺזָן 1 Chronicles 5:26 where Chabur is separated entirely from the river of Gozan (see חבור). גוח see גיח. גּוֺי see below גוה. גְּוִיָּה see below גוה. Topical Lexicon Overview Gozan designates a district in northern Mesopotamia associated with the upper reaches of the Khabur River, repeatedly named as a place of exile for the northern tribes of Israel during the Assyrian domination of the eighth and seventh centuries BC. Although once a thriving center of its own, Scripture remembers Gozan chiefly as the foreign land where God dispersed His covenant people because of persistent idolatry. Geographical Setting The region lay along the Khabur (ancient Habor) River, a major tributary of the Euphrates in what is now northeastern Syria and northwestern Iraq. Contemporary archaeology identifies the principal city of the district with Guzana (modern Tell Halaf). Fertile irrigated plains and intersecting trade routes made Gozan attractive to Assyria both economically and militarily; its distance from the Levant rendered it an ideal resettlement zone for deported populations. Biblical Narrative 2 Kings 17 records the first major deportation of Israelites after the fall of Samaria: “In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria, settling them in Halah, on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.” (2 Kings 17:6) Soon afterward, Sargon II consolidated the policy (2 Kings 18:11). A previous wave had already reached the area under Tiglath-pileser III when the eastern tribes were taken (1 Chronicles 5:26). The Assyrian chronicler Sennacherib later cited the destruction of Gozan’s surrounding nations to intimidate Judah: “Did the gods of the nations that my fathers destroyed deliver them—the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar?” (2 Kings 19:12; Isaiah 37:12) Historical Significance 1. Instrument of Divine Judgment: The exile to Gozan validated the covenant warnings pronounced in Deuteronomy 28. God remained faithful to His word by employing Assyria as the rod of His anger. Archaeological Correlations Cuneiform records from Nineveh and inscriptions found at Tell Halaf mention “Guzana” as an Assyrian provincial capital, governed by appointed officials after 732 BC. These texts confirm large-scale population transfers and list cities parallel to the biblical order—Halah, Habor, and Gozan—affirming the reliability of Kings and Chronicles. Theological Reflections • Sovereignty and Holiness: Gozan illustrates the lengths to which God will go to preserve His holiness, even scattering His own people when they persist in rebellion. Ministry Application 1. Call to Repentance: Teaching the exile to Gozan challenges modern believers to confront complacency and heed God’s warnings before discipline escalates. Key References 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 18:11; 2 Kings 19:12; 1 Chronicles 5:26; Isaiah 37:12 Forms and Transliterations גּוֹזָ֔ן גּוֹזָ֖ן גוזן gō·w·zān gōwzān goZanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 17:6 HEB: וּבְחָב֛וֹר נְהַ֥ר גּוֹזָ֖ן וְעָרֵ֥י מָדָֽי׃ NAS: [on] the river of Gozan, and in the cities KJV: [by] the river of Gozan, and in the cities INT: and Habor the river of Gozan the cities of the Medes 2 Kings 18:11 2 Kings 19:12 1 Chronicles 5:26 Isaiah 37:12 5 Occurrences |
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