7449. Resen

Lexical Summary

Resen: Resen

Original Word: רֶסֶן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Recen
Pronunciation: REH-sen
Phonetic Spelling: (reh'-sen)
KJV: Resen
NASB: Resen
Word Origin: [the same as H7448 (רֶסֶן - bridle)]

1. Resen, a place in Assyrian

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Resen

The same as recen; Resen, a place in Assyrian -- Resen.

see HEBREW recen

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as resen
Definition
a city in Assyr.
NASB Translation
Resen (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

II. רֶ֫סֶן proper name, of a location in Assyria, near Nineveh Genesis 10:12; Δασεμ (probably = rêš êni, head of spring; compare Dl^{Pa 261} COT^{Genesis 10:12}).

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Setting

Genesis 10 situates Resen within the catalogue of post-Flood nations. Nimrod, the emblematic “mighty hunter before the LORD,” expanded northward “to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; this is the great city” (Genesis 10:11-12). The phrase “the great city” appears to group Nineveh and its satellite towns into a single urban complex, placing Resen strategically on the commercial and military route stretching along the Tigris.

Geographical and Archaeological Considerations

Ancient texts outside Scripture do not mention Resen by name, yet its location “between Nineveh and Calah” fixes it within modern northern Iraq. Surveys along the Tigris identify several large mounds—including Karamles, Selmiyah, and Khorsabad—as possible candidates. These sites reveal:

• Fortified tells dating from the third millennium B.C.
• Architectural parallels to early Assyrian urban grids.
• Evidence of intensive agriculture that could sustain a subsidiary capital.

While definitive identification remains elusive, the biblical placement underscores Resen’s role as a buffer and support city in Nimrod’s emerging imperial network.

Historical Significance

1. Nexus of Early Empire: By bridging Nineveh (political-religious center) and Calah (military-administrative hub), Resen helped knit together the first recognizable Mesopotamian empire after the Flood narrative.
2. Cultural Exchange: Caravans moving through Resen would have disseminated language, technology, and religious ideas, accelerating the spread of Mesopotamian culture across the Fertile Crescent.
3. Prototype of Greater Nineveh: Later Assyrian kings, notably Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal, replicated Nimrod’s tri-city model, expanding Nineveh’s suburbs in nearly identical fashion. Resen thus foreshadows the imperial sprawl castigated by prophets such as Nahum.

Theological Themes

• Human Ambition and Divine Oversight: Genesis 10 chronicles rapid urbanization, hinting at both God-given creativity and the seeds of pride that will climax at Babel (Genesis 11). Resen is therefore part of a continuum illustrating mankind’s quest for security apart from covenantal trust.
• Judgment and Mercy Foreshadowed: Resen’s proximity to Nineveh links it to later episodes of divine compassion (Jonah) and judgment (Nahum). These bookends highlight the patience and holiness of God in dealing with Gentile powers.
• The “Great City” Motif: From Resen’s inclusion in Nimrod’s conglomerate to the “great city” of Revelation 18, Scripture traces the rise and fall of world systems that exalt human prowess over divine rule.

Lessons for Contemporary Faith and Ministry

1. Urban Mission Strategy: Resen exemplifies the secondary cities that sustain larger metropolises. Modern gospel outreach must not overlook such hubs that influence surrounding regions.
2. Transience of Earthly Power: Like Resen, many once-formidable cities now lie in ruins. Believers draw perspective from the impermanence of political might and the permanence of God’s kingdom (Hebrews 12:28).
3. Cultural Discernment: The spread of technology and ideology through Resen parallels today’s digital pathways. Churches must engage culture thoughtfully, neither retreating nor assimilating uncritically.

Related Biblical References

• Genesis 10:8-12 – Nimrod’s expansion and city-building.
• Jonah 3:3 – Nineveh described as “an exceedingly great city.”
• Nahum 2:8 – Prophecy against the Assyrian capital and its satellites.
• Matthew 12:41 – Jesus cites the repentance of “the men of Nineveh,” implicitly including the urban complex that Resen once formed.

Potential Sermon Outlines

The Vanishing Cities: Resen as a Mirror of Modern Ambition

I. Foundations of Power (Genesis 10:11-12)

II. Fragility of Human Glory (Psalm 49:12)

III. Lasting City of God (Hebrews 13:14)

Mission between the Giants: Reaching the “Resens” of Our Day

I. Strategic Positioning (Acts 16:11-12)

II. Multiplying Impact through Secondary Centers (2 Timothy 2:2)

III. Whole-City Transformation (Revelation 21:24-26)

Concluding Reflection

Although Scripture mentions Resen only once, the city contributes significantly to the biblical portrait of early post-Flood civilization, the rise of empire, and the enduring tension between human achievement and divine sovereignty. Its silent ruins call today’s believers to invest in that “city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

Forms and Transliterations

רֶ֔סֶן רסן re·sen resen

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 10:12
HEB: וְֽאֶת־ רֶ֔סֶן בֵּ֥ין נִֽינְוֵ֖ה
NAS: and Resen between Nineveh
KJV: And Resen between Nineveh and Calah:
INT: and Resen between Nineveh

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7449
1 Occurrence

re·sen — 1 Occ.