🔼The name Mizar: Summary
- Meaning
- Small Place
- Etymology
- From the noun מצער (mis'ar), small thing, from the verb צער (sa'ar), to be or become small or insignificant.
🔼The name Mizar in the Bible
The name Mizar occurs only once in the Bible. It's the name of a mountain which, following Psalm 42:6, appears to be associated to Mount Hermon, which in turn was situated in Amorite country, to the east of the Jordan.
The Psalmist exclaims that he remembers YHWH from the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
Since Hermon was proverbially known for its grandeur, it may be that the Psalmist evoked Mount Mizar (= small thing, see below) to express the various geographical extremes between which he will remember the Lord: from the low Jordan valley, to the most significant mountains (Hermon), to the most insignificant mountain (Mizar); deep calls out to deep.
🔼Etymology of the name Mizar
The name Mizar is identical to the noun מצער (mis'ar), meaning a small or insignificant something:
צער
The verb צער (sa'ar) means to be or become small or insignificant. Adjective צעיר (sa'ir) may mean small or young, younger, youngest. Noun צעירה (se'ira) means youth, young or subservient person. Noun מצער (mis'ar) refers to any place or agent of smallness; a small town, one's humble beginnings, a few men, a little while.
🔼Mizar meaning
For a meaning of the name Mizar, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Small and BDB Theological Dictionary proposes Littleness. As by rare exception, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names forgoes treating this name.