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אוּר

𐤀𐤅𐤓

Ur

H218 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אוּר to be light, to flame, to give light (root only)

Definition

אוּר (ʼÛwr) is primarily a proper noun referring to the ancient location 'Ur', most notably the birthplace of Abram (later Abraham) as mentioned in the Genesis narrative. Additionally, the word appears as the personal name of an individual listed among the returning exiles (Neh 3:6). The place name's primary referent is an early city in southern Mesopotamia, while the personal name is rare and unrelated in function to the toponym.

Semantic Range

Ur (a prominent Mesopotamian city, especially associated with Abram's origin), a personal name of an Israelite in the post-exilic period

Root / Etymology

Root: אוּר, likely related to the root אוּר meaning 'to be light, to flame, to give light'. The toponym may originally derive from the Akkadian 'uru' (city) or from a Sumerian term designating a locale, but this is debated, and the Hebrew form preserves only the name as a loan. The personal name's etymology is uncertain but may either draw from the same root or be unrelated.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, אוּר is most notably the city from which Abram emigrates (Gen 11:28, 31; 15:7), typically referred to as 'Ur of the Kasdim/Chaldeans,' designating its location within southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq). Later, this became associated with the renowned ancient Sumerian city of Ur, although the precise identification is debated. The term does not denote a geographic or cultural entity within ancient Israel but rather an external point of origin in the patriarchal narratives. The personal name אוּר is attested only in Nehemiah 3:6, where it refers to an individual involved in Jerusalem's reconstruction after the Babylonian exile; here the name has no known narrative significance. In English translations, the place name is rendered 'Ur', preserving the original form. The tradition of using 'Chaldea' follows the biblical text's own specification of the location as 'Ur of the Kasdim/Chaldeans,' referencing the broader region of southern Mesopotamia. While some have drawn connections to the root meaning 'light' or 'flame', this connection is tenuous for the toponym and more properly belongs with related Hebrew verbs and nouns. Greek and Latin traditions similarly preserve the toponym as Our or Ur. The personal name in Nehemiah does not recur elsewhere and does not appear to carry significant semantic content beyond its function as a proper name. The term's meaning and significance are stable across the periods in which it appears—primarily patriarchal for the toponym and post-exilic for the personal name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as אוּר; Ur, a place in Chaldaea; also an Israelite; Ur.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אור (ʾ-w-r) — light, flame, giving light

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1160 בְּעוֹר light of
H215 אוֹר Cause to shine
H216 אוֹר in your light
H217 אוּר in the fire
H219 אוֹרָה radiance

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H218-02 מֵ/א֣וּר meur HR/Np from Ur from Ur 3
H218-03 אֽוּר ur HNp Ur Ur 1
H218-01 בְּ/א֥וּר beur HR/Np in Ur in Ur 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H218-01 Genesis 11:28 בְּ/א֥וּר beur HR/Np in Ur in Ur
H218-02 Genesis 11:31 מֵ/א֣וּר meur HR/Np from Ur from Ur
H218-02 Genesis 15:7 מֵ/א֣וּר meur HR/Np from Ur from Ur
H218-02 Nehemiah 9:7 מֵ/א֣וּר meur HR/Np from Ur from Ur
H218-03 1 Chronicles 11:35 אֽוּר ur HNp Ur Ur
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