Original Word: תְּלַאשַּׂר
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Tla'ssar
Pronunciation: teh-lah-SAR
Phonetic Spelling: (tel-as-sar')
KJV: Telassar
NASB: Telassar
Word Origin: [of foreign derivation]

1. Telassar, a region of Assyria

Telassar

Or Tlassar {tel-as-sar'}; of foreign derivation; Telassar, a region of Assyria -- Telassar.

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
a city in Mesopotamia
NASB Translation
Telassar (2).

תְּלַאשָּׂ֑ר proper name, of a location apparently in Mesopotamia; — ׳ת 2 Kings 19:12 = תְּלַשָּׂ֑ר Isaiah 37:12 (abode of בְּנֵיעֶֿדֶן compare As Til-ašuri (Esarhaddon) Dl^{Par. 264 f.}; near Edessa Wkl^Geschichte. Babylonian u. Assyrian 269, 335 f.; see Schr^{KGF 199 f.}; identification not certain, compare Johns^{Ency. Bib. TELASSAR}.

תִּלְבּ֫שֶׁת see לבשׁ. ׳תִּלְּגַת מִּל see תִּגְלַת.

Biblical Mentions

Telassar appears only in 2 Kings 19:12 and Isaiah 37:12, both embedded in Sennacherib’s threat against Jerusalem. His envoys remind Judah that “the gods of the nations” (Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and “the sons of Eden in Telassar”) had not delivered their lands from Assyria. In both narratives Hezekiah responds by turning to the LORD in prayer rather than capitulating to intimidation.

Geographical Setting

Most scholars identify Telassar with the Neo-Assyrian site Til-Aššurri (Akkadian: “Mound of Assur”), a city on the upper Euphrates or its Khabur tributary, bordering the Aramean territory known as “Bit Adini” (“House of Eden” in the biblical text). Another minority view places it farther south in Babylonia. While its precise location remains debated, all proposed sites lie well within the corridor conquered by Assyrian kings during the ninth–eighth centuries BC, matching the biblical portrayal of Telassar as an Assyrian-subjugated city.

Historical Background

1. Aramean stronghold: Telassar belonged to a string of Aramean towns that flourished after the decline of Hittite power.
2. Assyrian conquest: Shalmaneser III campaigned in the region, and Sargon II later incorporated Bit Adini fully into the empire. By the time Sennacherib reigned (705–681 BC), Telassar was already an imperial possession—the very fact his spokesmen leveraged to demoralize Jerusalem.
3. “Sons of Eden”: The phrase evokes a once-prosperous, perhaps garden-like district that now lay in Assyrian chains. Its downfall served as Exhibit A of Assyrian might and of the impotence of local deities.

Theological Significance

1. The impotence of idols: Telassar’s gods could not save their devotees; therefore, Assyria asserted that Judah’s God could not save Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:12–13). Scripture counters by recording the LORD’s sovereign deliverance (2 Kings 19:35-37), vindicating true worship and exposing idolatry.
2. Contrast with the Eden motif: Telassar’s people were “sons of Eden,” yet far removed from the true Garden. Their fate highlights humanity’s exile from paradise when relying on false gods, pointing forward to restoration brought only by the LORD.
3. Assurance of divine protection: Hezekiah’s prayer, answered decisively by God, demonstrates that past defeats of pagan nations are no template for God’s covenant people. Telassar thus functions as a foil that magnifies the LORD’s unique power.

Ministry Implications

• Spiritual intimidation must be met with prayerful dependence on the living God, not capitulation to worldly power.
• Historical victories of hostile forces (e.g., Assyria over Telassar) do not predetermine the outcome for believers who trust the LORD.
• God’s past acts of deliverance fortify present faith; the memory of Telassar’s downfall underscores the wisdom of seeking refuge in the only true God.

Selected Scripture

“Have the gods of the nations delivered them—those whom my fathers destroyed—such as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar?” (2 Kings 19:12).

Related References

2 Kings 19:14-19; Isaiah 37:14-20; 2 Chronicles 32:20-22; Psalm 115:4-9; Isaiah 46:5-9.

See Also

Gozan; Haran; Rezeph; Sennacherib; Hezekiah.

בִּתְלַאשָּֽׂר׃ בִּתְלַשָּֽׂר׃ בתלאשר׃ בתלשר׃ biṯ·laś·śār bitlasSar biṯlaśśārInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts