Menu

1 Chronicles 6:41 — Word Study

Depth

WLCבֶּן־ אֶתְנִ֥י בֶן־ זֶ֖רַח בֶּן־ עֲדָיָֽה׃

BSAthe sonbên [descendant, offspring]

Word
Listen & take away1 Chronicles 6
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 41 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration ('a.da.Yah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Chronicles 6:41quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse lists the lineage of a Levite, showing his descent through three generations.
Who is speakingThe chronicler, documenting the genealogy of the Levites.
Where we areIn a genealogical section detailing the descendants of Levi.
The hard wordאֶתְנִ֥י, 'et.Ni
Take awayThe lineage is important for establishing identity and heritage.
2 commentators on this verse Jamieson, Ellicott & more — read them › clause The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 6:41

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Genealogy of the Levitesgenerated

40the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,
41the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
42the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,
43the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.

1 Chronicles 6:41 provides a record of the descendants of Levi, specifically focusing on the lineage of Ethni, Zerah, and Adaiah. This genealogical information is crucial for understanding the roles and responsibilities of the Levites within the Israelite community, as their lineage determined their service in the temple and their inheritance among the tribes of Israel.


Cross References


The Key Word בֶּן־, ben-generated

The word בֶּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and signifies a connection to family or lineage. It can refer to descendants, grandsons, or members of a tribe, emphasizing the importance of heritage in the biblical context.

In this verse, it establishes a clear familial relationship, indicating that Ethni is the father of Zerah, and Zerah is the father of Adaiah. This lineage is vital for understanding the priestly and Levitical roles in ancient Israel.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered consistently across translations, with all versions using the phrase the son of to denote lineage.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse is straightforward, with a series of phrases linked by the finite verb בֶּן־ (ben-), meaning 'son of'. Each phrase builds upon the last to detail the lineage: the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, and the son of Adaiah.

This construction emphasizes the direct lineage and succession, typical of genealogical records in the Hebrew Bible.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates the Hebrew בֶּן as καὶ, indicating a simple conjunction rather than a direct translation of 'son'. This choice reflects the Greek translators' approach to genealogical lists, focusing on the connections between names rather than the familial term itself.

The use of καὶ highlights the continuation of the lineage, maintaining the flow of the genealogical narrative.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Chronicles 6:41 lists the descendants of Ethni, Zerah, and Adaiah, showing their family connections. This genealogy is important for understanding the roles of the Levites in ancient Israel.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of the word 'son' in this context?

The word 'son' indicates a direct familial relationship, establishing the lineage and inheritance within the tribe of Levi.

Why is genealogy important in the Bible?

Genealogy establishes identity, heritage, and the roles of individuals within the community, particularly for the priestly class.

Who are Ethni, Zerah, and Adaiah?

Ethni is a Levite ancestor, Zerah is his son, and Adaiah is the son of Zerah, each playing a role in the Levitical lineage.

How does this verse fit into the larger narrative of 1 Chronicles?

This verse contributes to the overall genealogical records that establish the heritage and roles of the Levites, important for the religious and social structure of Israel.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this genealogy tell us about the importance of family in the biblical narrative?
  2. How can understanding these lineages help us appreciate the roles of the Levites in ancient Israel?
  3. What might this verse teach us about our own family connections and heritage?
  4. In what ways can we honor our own family histories in our spiritual lives?

Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 6:41 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah, No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 6 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(39-43) The pedigree of Asaph the Gershonite, traced back through thirteen names to Levi. That of Heman names twenty ancestors for the same period of time. This is one more illustration of the common usage of overleaping names in these genealogies.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 6 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

NETBNew English Translation2006

son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

RVARevised Version, American1894

the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The sonne of Ethni, the sonne of Zerah, the sonne of Adaiah,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(6:26) The son of Ethni, the son of Zerach, the son of 'Adayah.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Malkijah was the son of Ethni. Ethni was the son of Zerah. Zerah was the son of Adaiah.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The son of Athanai, the son of Zara, the son of Adaia.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clausenoun phrase · predicateבֶּןthe.sonnoun phraseאֶתְנִ֥יof.Ethninoun phraseבֶןthe.sonnoun phraseזֶ֖רַחof.Zerahnoun phraseבֶּןthe.sonעֲדָיָֽהof.Adaiah

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the content of this verse, with four out of six words matched. The differences in word order and conjunction usage in the Septuagint do not alter the essential lineage being conveyed.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

בֶּן־ אֶתְנִ֥י בֶן־ זֶ֖רַח בֶּן־ עֲדָיָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בֶּן־καὶזֶ֖רַחτῆςבֶּן־πόλεωςעֲדָיָֽה׃καὶ

4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Chronicles 6:41בֵּן[the] son o[the] son ofבֵּןאֶתְנִיEthniEthniאֶתְנִיבֵּן[the] son o[the] son ofבֵּןזֶ֫רַחZerahZerahזֶ֫רַחבֵּן[the] son o[the] son ofבֵּןעֲדָיָ֫הAdaiahAdaiahעֲדָיָ֫הבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהאֶתְנָהwageswagesאֶתְנָהעָדָהto advanceto advanceעָדָהזֶ֫רַחdawningdawningזֶ֫רַחעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןנַ֫חַתNahathNahathנַ֫חַתשַׁמָּהShammahShammahשַׁמָּהיְרֹחָםJerohamJerohamיְרֹחָםבֵּןson: childson: childבֵּן
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 6:41

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

[the] son of Ethni [the] son of Zerah [the] son of Adaiah
בֶּן־ben- [the] son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
descendant, offspring
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

[the] son of Ethni [the] son of Zerah [the] son of Adaiah
אֶתְנִ֥י'et.Ni Ethni H867 Noun proper masculine
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶתְנִי n.pr.m. an ancestor of Asaph 1 Ch 6:26

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H867 אֶתְנִי

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

867 'Ethniy eth-nee'

perhaps from 866; munificence; Ethni, an Israelite:--Ethni.

see HEBREW for 0866

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶתְנִי (et.ni) — Ethni.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.6.21;

son of: Zerah (H2226J);

father of: Malchijah (H4441); also called Ethni at 1Ch.6.41;

Another name of ye.a.te.ray (יְאָֽתְרַי "Jeatherai" H2979)

§ Ethni = "my hire"

an ancestor of Asaph

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

eth'-ni ('ethni, "gift"):

An ancestor of Asaph, of the Gershom branch of the Levites (1Ch 6:41).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(munificent), a Gershonite Levite. (1 Chronicles 6:41)

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

strong

Nave's Topical Bible

→ An ancestor of Asaph 1Ch 6:41

[the] son of Ethni [the] son of Zerah [the] son of Adaiah
בֶן־ven- [the] son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

[the] son of Ethni [the] son of Zerah [the] son of Adaiah
זֶ֖רַחZe.rach Zerah H2226 Noun proper masculine
21× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Zerach was a man in the Bible, mentioned in Genesis and Numbers. He was a son of Simeon and had several brothers. The name Zerach means 'rising' and is also used for other people in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
Zerah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זֶ֫רַח (ze.rach) refers to several figures in the Old Testament, including a son of Judah and Tamar, a grandson of Esau, and a Cushite invader of Judah. The name means "rising" and is associated with various descendants and families, such as the Zarhites and Ezrahites. Notably, there is some overlap in the identities of Edomite leaders mentioned.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זֶ֫רַח n.pr.m.

son of Judah and Tamar

Edomites

Levites

head of Simeonite family

a Cushite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2226 זֶ֫רַח . son of Judah and Tamar

. Edomites

. Levites

. head of Simeonite family

. a Cushite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2226 Zerach zeh'-rakh

the same as 2225; Zerach, the name of three Israelites, also

of an Idumaean and an Ethiopian prince:--Zarah, Zerah.

see HEBREW for 02225

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זֶ֫רַח (ze.rach) — Zerah.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.36.13;

son of: Reuel (H7467);

brother of: Nahath (H5184), Shammah (H8048) and Mizzah (H4199)

§ Zerah or Zarah = "rising"

1) a son of Reuel and grandson of Esau, one of the dukes of the Edomites

2) twin brother of Pharez, sons of Judah and Tamar; descendants are called Zarhites, Ezrahites, and Izrahites

3) son of Simeon; also called 'Zohar'

4) a Gershonite Levite, son of Iddo of Adaiah

5) the Ethiopian or Cushite, invader of Judah in the reign of Asa who defeated the invaders; probably the same as the Egyptian king Usarken I, second king of the Egyptian 22nd dynasty or perhaps more probably Usarken II, his 2nd successor

6) another Edomite leader; possibly same as 1

זֶ֫רַח (ze.rach) — Zerah.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.36.33;

father of: Jobab (H3103H)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ze'-ra (zerach, meaning uncertain):

(1) In Ge 38:30; 46:12; Nu 26:20; Jos 7:1,18,24; 22:20; 1Ch 2:4,6; 9:6; Ne 11:24; Mt 1:3, younger twin-son of Judah and Tamar, and an ancestor of Achan. In Nu 26:20; Jos 7:17 f he is the head of the Zerahites (also 1Ch 27:11,13). the King James Version has "Zarah" in Ge 38:30; 46:12, and "Zarhites" for "Zerahites" in…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Zerah

Sunrise. (1.) An “Ethiopian,” probably Osorkon II., the successor of Shishak on the throne of Egypt. With an enormous army, the largest we read of in Scripture, he invaded the kingdom of Judah in the days of Asa (2 Chr. 14:9-15). He reached Zephathah, and there encountered the army of Asa. This is the only instance “in all the annals of Judah of a victorious encounter in the field with a first-class heathen power in full force.” The Egyptian host was utterly routed, and the Hebrews gathered “exceeding much spoil.” Three hundred years elapsed before another Egyptian army, that of Necho (B.C. 609), came up against Jerusalem.

(2.) A son of Tamar (Gen. 38:30); called also Zara (Matt. 1:3).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(rising (of the sun)). A son of Reuel, son of Esau, (Genesis 36:13; 1 Chronicles 1:37) and one of the "dukes" or phylarchs of the Edomites. (Genesis 36:17) (B.C. after 1760.) Less properly, Zarah, twin son, with his elder brother Pharez, of Judah and Tamar. (Genesis 38:30; 1 Chronicles 2:4; Matthew 1:3) (B.C. about 1728.) His descendants were called Zarhites, Ezrahites and Izrahites. (Numbers 26:20; 1 Kings 4:31;

1. The son of Reuel, and grandson of Esau, Ge 36:13,17.

2. Son of Judah and Tamar, Ge 38:30; called Zara in Mt 1:3.

3. Son of Simeon, and founder of the Zarhites, Nu 26:13; called Zohar in Ge 46:10.

4. A Cushite king who invaded Judah with an immense army in the reign of Asa, 2Ch 14:9-13. It is not agreed by interpreters whether he came from Southern Arabia or from Egypt and Ethiopia. Many, however, follow Champollion, who identifies him with Osorchon and Osoroth of the Egyptian monuments and history, the son and successor of Shishak.

[the] son of Ethni [the] son of Zerah [the] son of Adaiah
בֶּן־ben- [the] son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

[the] son of Ethni [the] son of Zerah [the] son of Adaiah
עֲדָיָֽה׃'a.da.Yah Adaiah H5718 Noun proper masculine
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adaiah means Jehovah has adorned Himself, the name of eight Israelites, including a grandfather of king Josiah and a Levite. He is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:4 and was a native of Boscath.
Tyndale gloss
Adaiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עֲדָיָ֫הוּ (*Adayah*) means 'Jehovah has adorned Himself.' It refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a maternal grandfather of King Josiah and various Levites and priests. The name appears in contexts related to the Divided Monarchy and the Exile and Return, with multiple figures bearing this name across different genealogies.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֲדָיָ֫ה(וּ) n.pr.m. (י׳ has decked himself)

father of a Judaean captain

grandfather of Josiah

a Levite

a Benjamite

a priest

two with foreign wives

a Judahite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5718 עֲדָיָ֫ה(וּ), עֲדָיָה, עֲדָיָהוּ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5718 `Adayah ad-aw-yaw'

or mAdayahuw {ad-aw-yaw'-hoo}; from 5710 and 3050; Jah has

adorned; Adajah, the name of eight Israelites:--Adaiah.

see HEBREW for 05710

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֲדָיָ֫הוּ (a.da.yah) — Adaiah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Ki.22.1;

father of: Jedidah (H3040)

§ Adaiah = "Jehovah has adorned Himself"

1) maternal grandfather of king Josiah of Judah and native of Boscath in the lowlands of Judah

2) a Gershonite Levite and ancestor of Asaph

3) a Benjamite, son of Shimhi

4) a priest, son of Jehoram

5) ancestor of Maaseiah, one of the captains who supported Jehoiada

6) a descendant of Bani who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

7) a descendant of another Bani who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

8) a descendant of Pharez of the tribe of Judah

עֲדָיָ֫הוּ (a.da.yah) — Adaiah.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.8.21;

son of: Shimei (H8096N);

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-da'-ya, a-di'-a (`adhayah, "Yahweh hath adorned"):

(1) Apparently the seventh of the nine sons of Shimei, who is apparently the same with Shema, who is the fifth of the sons of Elpaal, who is the second of the two sons of Shaharaim and Hushim (1Ch 8:21). Shaharaim and his descendants are listed with the descendants of Benjamin, though his relations to Benjamin are not stated.

(2) A Levite; ancestor to David's singer Asaph, and a descendant of the fifth generation from Gershom (1Ch 6:41).

(3) The father of Maaseiah, who was one of the captains of hundreds associated with Jehoiada the priest in making Joash king (2Ch 23:1).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(adorned by Jehovah). Maternal grandfather of King Josiah, and native of Boscath in the lowlands of Judah. (2 Kings 22:1) (B.C. 648.) A Levite of the Gershonite branch, and ancestor of Asaph. (1 Chronicles 6:41) In v. (1 Chronicles 6:21) Heb Isa called IDDO. A Benjamite, son of Shimhi, (1 Chronicles 8:21) who is apparently the same as Shema in v. (1 Chronicles 8:13) A priest, son of Jehoram. (1 Chronicles 9:12; Nehemiah 11:12) Ancestor of Maaseiah, one of the captains who supported Jehoiada. (

5. Father of Maaseiah 2Ch 23:1

6. Two sons of Bani Ezr 10:29,39

7. Son of Joiarib Ne 11:5

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate