Genesis 2:14

Hiddekel Tigris. The Assyrian name is "Idiklat," or "Diklat," the old Persian "Tigra," whence the Greek "Tigris" (modern Digle). It is mentioned in the Bible elsewhere only in Daniel 10:4 and Sir 24:25. This famous river rises not far from the source of the Euphrates, and flows at first east from Diarbekr and unites with the Bohtan Tsckai, after which it flows south-east. It approaches the Euphrates at Bagdad, but continues a separate course until it unites at Korna with that river, and enters the Persian Gulf as the Schatt-el-Arab. In earlier times the two rivers entered the sea at different points. The Tigris was so called from an old Persian word meaning "arrow," and probably because of its swiftness.

in front of Assyria The Hebrew expression rendered "in front of" generally denotes "to the east of," cf. Genesis 2:8; Genesis 4:16; Genesis 12:8 notes. The Hebrew standpoint is always that of a person facing east. That which is in front is east: towards his right hand is the south, towards his left the north, at his back the west. It is objected that Assyria was a country, through which the Tigris flowed, and that, as Assyrian territory lay on the east as well as the west bank of the Tigris, it would not be correct to describe the Tigris as "that which goeth towards the east of Assyria." Hence Sayce conjectures that we should here understand, not the country "Assyria," but the country's old capital "Asshur" which gave its name to the country, and which lay on the west bank of the Tigris. But Asshur, the city, is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible; presumably, therefore, it was little known to the Hebrews, and was not likely to be mentioned in a geographical description. On the other hand, "Asshur" is the regular Hebrew designation of the country "Assyria" 1 [4]; the mention here of "Assyria" is parallel to that of "Cush" in the preceding verse. There seems no sufficient reason for doubting that the name "Asshur" is here used, in its usual Biblical application, for the land of Assyria. If so, the geographical description of the Tigris may not be strictly accurate. Considering its remoteness from Palestine, this need not surprise us, especially in a writing dating from a period previous to the active Assyrian interference in the course of Israelite affairs.

[4] See Genesis 10:22. The "Asshur" of Ezekiel 27:23 is mentioned with "Sheba … and Chilmad."

Euphrates Heb. Prath. Assyrian "Puratu," old Persian Ufrâtû, whence the Greek and Latin "Euphrates." The Euphrates rises in the mountains near Erzerum, and, after following a tortuous course through the Taurus Mts., flows first in a southerly, and then, from Balis, in a S.E. direction, uniting with the Tigris before entering the Persian Gulf.

The Israelites seem to have regarded the Euphrates as "theriver par excellence." Hence "the River," as a proper name, in Exodus 23:31; 1 Kings 4:21; 1 Kings 4:24; Psalms 72:8; Psalms 80:11; Isaiah 8:7; Zechariah 9:10.