Place Old Testament
Kir
Also known as Kir-hareseth =ESV, KJV; Kir Hareseth =NIV; Kir-haaseth, Kir-haresh, Kir-heres =KJV, Mizpeh =ESV, KJV; Mizpah =NIV
Kir, also known as Mizpeh, was a Moabite city that faced destruction by the Babylonians (Isaiah 15:1; Jeremiah 48:1, 23). Mentioned in 7 verses across 4 books, first at 1 Samuel 22:3.
Why it matters. A Moabite city, later destroyed by the Babylonians
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.181, 35.702 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Kir
Kir, also referred to as Mizpeh, was a city in Moab, east of the Dead Sea. It is mentioned several times in the prophetic books of Isaiah and Jeremiah in the context of God's judgment against Moab. Isaiah prophesied that Kir would be destroyed in a night (Isaiah 15:1), and Jeremiah foretold that Kir would face judgment and destruction by the Babylonians (Jeremiah 48:1, 23). The city was known for its fortifications, as the name "Kir" means "wall" or "fortress." According to 2Ki.3.25, during the campaign of the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom against Moab, they destroyed the cities and stopped up the springs of water, including those of Kir-hareseth, which may be another name for Kir. The exact location of Kir is uncertain, but it was likely situated in southern Moab, possibly near the modern-day town of Al-Karak.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 7 verses across 4 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.