<strong>NIBHAZ</strong> (nĭb'hăz, Heb. <em>nivhaz</em>). A god whose image in the form of a dog was made and worshiped by the Avvites when the Samaritan race was being formed (<bibleref ref="2Kgs.17.31">2Kgs.17.31</bibleref>).<br /><br />

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<strong>NIBHAZ</strong> <strong>nĭb’ hăz</strong> (<span class="hebrew">נִבְחַ֖ז</span>). An idol of the Syrian Avvites which they worshiped with Tartak and introduced into Samaria (<bibleref ref="2Kgs.17.31">2 Kings 17:31</bibleref>). The Avvites were brought to Samaria by Sargon after 722 <span class="small-caps">b.c.</span> Montgomery (ICC <em>Commentary on Kings</em>, pp. 474, 479) explains the word as identical with <span class="hebrew">מִזְבֵּחַ</span>, <span class="gknumber">H4640</span>, “altar,” the pronunciation having been changed by assimilation. It could mean then a deified altar. J. Gray (“Nibhaz,” <em>The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible</em>, III, 546) notes that the deification of the altar is paralleled by the deification of the house of God attested in the Aram. papyri from Elephantine.<br /><br />

Jewish tradition, according to Montgomery (op. cit., p. 474) attempted an abusive etymology. Assuming that the root of the word meant “bark like a dog,” it was inferred that the idol was the likeness of a dog.<br /><br />

<h2>International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)</h2>

Given as the name of an idol of the Avvites, introduced by them into Samaria (<bibleref ref="2Kgs.17.31">2Ki 17:31</bibleref>), but otherwise unknown. The text is supposed to be corrupt.<br /><br />