617. Assir
Lexical Summary
Assir: Assir

Original Word: אַסִּיר
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Acciyr
Pronunciation: ah-SEER
Phonetic Spelling: (as-sere')
KJV: Assir
NASB: Assir
Word Origin: [the same as H616 (אַסִּיר - prisoners)]

1. prisoner
2. Assir, the name of two Israelites

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Assir

The same as 'acciyr; prisoner; Assir, the name of two Israelites -- Assir.

see HEBREW 'acciyr

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from asar
Definition
an Isr. name
NASB Translation
Assir (4).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
אַסִּיר proper name, masculine son of Korah Exodus 6:24; 1 Chronicles 6:7; called son of Ebiasaph v.1 Chronicles 6:8; v.1 Chronicles 6:22.

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Symbolism

The name is built on the idea of captivity. In the Old Testament it functions both as a personal name and, once, as an epithet (“the captive”) applied to a king whose life was literally defined by exile. Thus every occurrence carries the dual thought of bondage and the possibility of gracious preservation.

Occurrences and Contexts

Exodus 6:24 – Listed among “the clans of the Korahites.”
1 Chronicles 6:22-23 – Twice repeated in the Levitical genealogy that descends from Kohath through Korah.
1 Chronicles 6:37 – Appears again within the same Levitical line, confirming the continuity of service generations later.
1 Chronicles 3:17 – Rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as “Jehoiachin the captive,” marking the Babylonian deportation of the Davidic king.

Assir son of Korah: Grace after Judgment

Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron and was swallowed by the earth (Numbers 16). Yet “the sons of Korah did not die” (Numbers 26:11). Assir, the first-named of those sons (Exodus 6:24), stands as living evidence that God’s judgment can be accompanied by mercy toward future generations. His descendants became gatekeepers and musicians, authoring Psalms 42; 44–49; 84–85; 87–88. From a line that once challenged God-appointed leadership arose servants who led the congregation in worship—an enduring testimony that divine grace can transform a legacy of rebellion into one of praise.

Levitical Continuity and Worship Ministry

The repeated appearance of the name in 1 Chronicles 6 shows deliberate emphasis on priestly succession. By the time of Samuel, and later of David, Korahite descendants were entrusted with guarding the thresholds of the Tent of Meeting and the Temple (1 Chronicles 9:19). Generations after the wilderness wanderings, Assir’s line was still faithfully standing at the door of God’s house, reminding Israel that covenant faithfulness is measured in centuries, not merely moments.

Assir in the Royal Genealogy: Hope in Exile

In 1 Chronicles 3:17 the same Hebrew word is applied to Jehoiachin, “the captive.” Far from an editorial accident, the Chronicler links the motif of captivity to the Davidic promise. Even in Babylonian exile, the line of Messiah is traced, demonstrating that no foreign power can sever God’s covenant. Matthew 1:12 will later pick up the same branch (“Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel”) to underscore that the royal promise survived captivity and reached its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Theological Reflections

1. Judgment and Mercy: Assir’s Korahite pedigree illustrates Romans 11:22 long before Paul wrote it—severity toward sin, kindness toward those who continue.
2. Worship Born of Deliverance: The Psalms of the sons of Korah overflow with longing for God’s presence (Psalm 42:1-2) precisely because their family history knew separation from it.
3. Captivity and Covenant: Jehoiachin’s designation as “the captive” highlights the darkest hour of David’s throne, yet anchors the reader’s hope that “The LORD remains faithful forever” (Psalm 146:6).
4. Ministry Application: Every believer, once “a prisoner of sin” (Galatians 3:22), is called—like Assir’s descendants—to guard the holy things of God and lead His people in worship.

Summary

Strong’s 617 weaves together strands of rebellion and redemption, exile and expectation. Whether standing at the Tabernacle gates or languishing in a Babylonian prison, the bearers of this name bear witness to the God who disciplines yet preserves, who judges yet restores, and who ultimately brings captive hearts into joyful service before His throne.

Forms and Transliterations
אַסִּ֔יר אַסִּ֔ר אַסִּ֥יר אסיר אסר וְאַסִּ֥יר ואסיר ’as·sir ’as·sîr ’assir ’assîr asSir veasSir wə’assîr wə·’as·sîr
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 6:24
HEB: וּבְנֵ֣י קֹ֔רַח אַסִּ֥יר וְאֶלְקָנָ֖ה וַאֲבִיאָסָ֑ף
NAS: of Korah: Assir and Elkanah
KJV: of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah,
INT: the sons of Korah Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph

1 Chronicles 3:17
HEB: וּבְנֵי֙ יְכָנְיָ֣ה אַסִּ֔ר שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֖ל בְּנֽוֹ׃
KJV: of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel
INT: the sons of Jeconiah Assir Shealtiel his son

1 Chronicles 6:22
HEB: קֹ֥רַח בְּנ֖וֹ אַסִּ֥יר בְּנֽוֹ׃
NAS: Korah his son, Assir his son,
KJV: Korah his son, Assir his son,
INT: Korah his son Assir his son

1 Chronicles 6:23
HEB: וְאֶבְיָסָ֥ף בְּנ֖וֹ וְאַסִּ֥יר בְּנֽוֹ׃
NAS: Ebiasaph his son and Assir his son,
KJV: his son, and Assir his son,
INT: Ebiasaph his son and Assir his son

1 Chronicles 6:37
HEB: תַּ֙חַת֙ בֶּן־ אַסִּ֔יר בֶּן־ אֶבְיָסָ֖ף
NAS: the son of Assir, the son
KJV: the son of Assir, the son
INT: of Tahath the son of Assir the son of Ebiasaph

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 617
5 Occurrences


’as·sîr — 4 Occ.
wə·’as·sîr — 1 Occ.

616
Top of Page
Top of Page