Bible Lexicons

Σιχάρ, see Συχάρ.

STRONGS NT 4965: Συχάρ Συχάρ (Rec.elz Σιχάρ), ἡ, Sychar, a town of Samaria, near to the well of the patriarch Jacob, and not far from Flavia Neapolis (Συχάρ πρό τῆς νέας πόλεως, Eusebius in his Onomast. (p. 346, 5 edition, Larsow and Parthey)) toward the E., the representative of which is to be found apparently in the modern hamlet al Askar (or Asker): John 4:5, where cf. Bäumlein, Ewald, Brückner (in De Wette (4th and following editions)), Godet; add, Ewald, Jahrbb. f. Biblical Wissensch. viii., p. 255f; Bädeker, Palestine, pp. 328, 337; (Lieut. Conder in the Palest. Explor. Fund for July 1877, p. 149f and in Survey of Western Palestine: 'Special Papers,' p. 231; Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, Appendix xv.). The name does not seem to differ from סוכר, a place mentioned by the Talmudists in סוכר עין 'the fountain Sucar' and סוכר עין בקעת 'the valley of the fountain Sucar'; cf. Delitzsch in the Zeitschr. f. d. luth. Theol. for 1856, p. 240ff Most interpreters, however, think that Συχάρ is the same as Συχέμ (which see 2), and explain the form as due to a softening of the harsh vulgar pronunciation (cf. Credner; Einl. in d. N. T. vol. i., p. 264f), or conjecture that it was fabricated by way of reproach by those who wished to suggest the noun שֶׁקֶר, 'falsehood', and thereby brand the city as given up to idolatry (cf. Habakkuk 2:18), or the word שִׁכֹּר, 'drunken' (on account of Isaiah 28:1), and thus call it the abode of μωροί, see Sir. 50:26, where the Shechemites are called λαός μωρός; cf. Test xii. Patr. (test. Levi § 7), p. 564 Σικημ, λεγομένη πόλις ἀσυνέτων. To these latter opinions there is this objection, among others, that the place mentioned by the Evangelist was very near Jacob's well, from which Shechem, or Flavia Neapolis, was distant about a mile and a half. (Cf. B. D. under the word ; also Porter in Alex.'s Kitto, ibid.)