ZURIEL (zū'rĭ-ĕl, Heb. tsûrî’ēl, whose rock is God). A son of Abihail, prince of the Merarite Levites in the wilderness (Num.3.35).
ZURIEL zŏŏr’ ĭ əl (
צוּרִיאֵ֖ל,
God is a rock). A Levite; son of Abihail; chief of the Merarites in the wilderness (
Num 3:35).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)
(tsuri’-el, "my rock is El (God)"): Prince of the house of Merari (Nu 3:35).
The word tsur, "rock," occurs also in the compound names Elizur (Nu 1:5), Zurishaddai (Nu 1:6, etc.) and Pedahzur (Nu 1:10). Gray, Numbers 6, says that a Sabean name Suri’addana is found in an inscription said to be of the 8th century BC, or somewhat carrier (Hommel, Ancient Hebrew Tradition, 320), and bartsur, in a Zinjirli inscription of the 8th century BC (Panammu Inscr., 1. 1), and that possibly the Old Testament place-name "Beth-zur" should be added (Jos 15:58; 1Ch 2:45; 2Ch 11:7; Ne 3:16).
