Or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4) {aw-yar'}; from uwr a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post) -- Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW uwr
H5892. iyr
I. עִיר noun [masculine] excitement; — of terror, ׳ע וּבֶהָלוֺת Jeremiah 15:9; of rage (si vera lectio), בְּעִיר אָבוֺא לֹא Hosea 11:9, but St proposes לְבָעֵר compare We Oort Now GASm. — בָּעִיר Psalm 73:20 see עור
Hiph`il — II, III. עִיר see below
II. עִיר1092 noun feminineGenesis 10:12 (AlbrZAW xvi.40 f.) city, town (√ unknown; Late Hebrew id.;? Phoenician ער Lzb345; Sabean ער fortified height (compare
3) PräZMG xxvi (1872), 437, עהרן ערן, city CISiv. pp. 94, 95, 173); — ׳ע absolute Genesis 4:17 +, construct 24:10 +; הָעִ֫ירָה 1 Kings 14:12 + 7t.; suffix עִירִי 2 Samuel 19:38 2t., etc.; plural עָרִים Isaiah 6:11 +, עֲיָרִים Judges 10:4 (text error, or word-play, compare GFM); construct עָרֵי Genesis 10:29 +; suffix עָרַי Zechariah 1:17, עָרֵיכֶם Isaiah 1:7 +, etc.; —
1 city, town, abode of men Genesis 4:17 (J) and often; גְּדֹלָה 10:12 (J), +, or קְטַנָּה Ecclesiastes 9:14 (compare Genesis 19:20); especially
a. fortified: בְּצֻרוֺת עָרִים 2 Samuel 20:6 +, etc., see מִבְצָר בָּצַר,; מִבְצַרצֹֿר עִיר Joshua 19:29 (P) fortified city (of) Tyre, ׳ע מָצוֺר Psalm 31:22 +, etc., see מְצוּרָה מָצוֺר, below צוּר (Micah 7:12 see מָצוֺר); ׳ע עָזלָֿנוּ Isaiah 26:1, מָעוּזּוֺ עָרֵי 17:9; ׳ְ וּבְרִיחַ דְּלָתַיִם 1 Samuel 23:7; ׳ע חוֺמָה Leviticus 25:29, compare 25:30 (P), 1 Kings 4:13; on Hosea 10:14 see I. עַם 2b (1 Samuel 9:14 read ᵐ5 הַשֵּׁעַר We Dr and others).
b. opposed to הַמְּרָזִי כֹּפֶר 1 Samuel 6:18, הַמּ ׳עָרֵי Deuteronomy 3:5, ׳ע הַמְּרָזוֺת Esther 9:19; distinguished from dependencies חֲצֵרִים Joshua 13:23 +?
c. עָרֶיה are dependent towns Joshua 13:17 (P), Jeremiah 19:15.
d. הַמַּמְלָכָה עָרֵי Joshua 10:2 (JE) royal cities (i.e. with a king, compare Tel Amarna al šarri), so singular 1 Samuel 27:5, opposed to עָרֵי הַשָּׁדֶה 27:5 rural towns; ׳ע הַמְּלוּכָה 2 Samuel 12:26 (but read ׳ע הַמַּיִם We Bu Kit Löhr HPS, see 2 below).
e. מִסְכְּנוֺת עֶרֵי Exodus 1:11 storage-cities, so 1 Kings 9:19 2 Chronicles 8:6, 4; 17:12; for ׳מ ׳ע נַפְתָּלִי16:4 read probably עֵלוֿגו ׳כִּנְרוֺת (as 1 Kings 15:20; Be Kit Buhl); compare ׳ע הֶרֶכֶב 9:19; 10:26 2 Chronicles 8:6; 9:25; 1:14; ׳ע הַמָּרָשִׁים 1 Kings 9:19 2 Chronicles 8:6.
f. ׳ע (הַ)מִקְלָט (P) asylum-cities Numbers 35:11, 13, 14; Joshua 20:2, compare Numbers 35:25-26, 27, 28, 32, ׳ע לְמִקְלָט 35:12; ׳ע הָרֹצֵחַ מִקְלַט Joshua 21:13 + 4t. 21.
g. ׳ע (הָ)אֱלֹהִים = Jerusalem: Psalm 46:5; 87:3, compare 48:2; 48:9; ׳ע ׳י Isaiah 60:14; Psalm 101:8; ׳ע ׳י צְבָאוֺת 48:9.
h. city = inhabitants 1 Samuel 4:13; 5:12; Isaiah 22:2; Ruth 1:19, so 2 Samuel 20:22 (reading הָעִיר for הָעָם ᵑ0) ᵐ5 We Dr and others (compare also following).
i. combinations are: ׳ע רֹכְלִים Ezekiel 17:4 city of merchants; ׳ע מוֺשָׁב Psalm 107:4; 107:7; 107:36 city for dwelling; especially of character or condition: ׳ע הַצֶּדֶק Isaiah 1:26, הָאֱמֶת ׳ע Zechariah 8:3; ׳ע הַקּדֶשׁ Isaiah 48:2; 52:1; Nehemiah 11:1, 18, compare Daniel 9:24, all of Jerusalem; קָדְשֶׁ֑ךָ עָרֵי Jeremiah 5:17 of Judaean cities; of foreign cities, ׳ע תְּהִלָּךְ 49:25, הַהֻלָּלה ׳הָעEzekiel 26:17, ׳הָע הָעַלִּיזָה Zephaniah 2:15; of Jerusalem also ׳הָע הַיּוֺנָה 3:1 oppressive city, ׳ע (הַ)דָּמִים bloody city Ezekiel 22:2; 24:6, 9 and (of Nineveh) Nahum 3:1.
2 of fortress in a city especially דָּוִד עִיר 2 Samuel 5:7, 9; 6:10 + often (see דָּוִד); ׳ע הַבָּ֑עַל כֵית 2 Kings 10:25 (crpt; Klo proposes דְּבִיר for ׳ע, compare Kmp Benz Kit); ׳ע הַמַּיִם 2 Samuel 12:27 (so read also 12:26, see 1d).
3 apparently fortified place, of any size, עַדֿ נוֺצְרִים מִמִּגְּדַּל בְּכָלעָֿרֵיהֶם מִבְצָר עִיר 2 Kings 17:9 18:8; compare Numbers 13:9 (P; but on compare of ver. see Di); perhaps also ׳ע עֲמָלֵק 1 Samuel 15:5 (HPS). — Hosea 7:4 see עור
Hiph`il
הַהֶרֶס עִיר see הֶרֶס.