Shur

Shur is a region and settlement named in 6 verses of the Bible. It is most likely region around Ar Ruwaysat (medium confidence; 2 other proposals below).

Location

Where scholars place it, most confident first. Confidence is OpenBible.info's score from the sources it surveys; it is not this site's judgment.

Verses

Genesis

• Genesis 16:7
  And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.Now the angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur.
• Genesis 20:1
  And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,
• Genesis 25:18
  And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.

Exodus

• Exodus 15:22
  So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 15:7
  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt.
• 1 Samuel 27:8
  And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)

Notes

1. Locations from the OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
2. Verses are those where at least one of ten English translations names this place, per OpenBible.info.