Azur is primarily known as the father of Hananiah, the false prophet from Gibeon who opposed the prophet Jeremiah. He is also mentioned in Nehemiah and Ezekiel as the name of other individuals. The name Azur means 'one who helps' and appears several times in the Old Testament associated with various people.
1That same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people:
Azur's son Hananiah broke the symbolic yoke that Jeremiah was carrying and claimed that God would crush Babylon's power within two years—a prophecy that proved to be false.
1That same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people:
3Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD's house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from this place and carried to Babylon.
4And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon."
11and Hananiah said in the presence of all the people, "This is what the LORD says: In just this way, within two years, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations." And the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.
Jeremiah prophesied that Hananiah, son of Azur, would die in the same year because he had preached rebellion against the Lord. Hananiah died two months later.
16Therefore this is what the LORD says: I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you will die, because you have spoken rebellion against the LORD."
Another Azur is mentioned in Ezekiel as the father of Jaazaniah, one of the twenty-five men whom Ezekiel saw in a vision at the entrance to the Lord's house and who gave evil counsel in Jerusalem.
1Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD's house, the one that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.