אֻזֵּן שֶׁאֱרָה
𐤀𐤆𐤍 𐤔𐤀𐤓𐤄
Uzen Sheerah
H242 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Uzzen-Sheerah is a proper noun denoting a specific locality, traditionally transliterated as Uzzen-Sheerah. In the context of biblical geography, it refers to a settlement or village associated with a woman named Sheerah, a descendant of Ephraim. The name forms a compound: the first element, 'Uzzen', likely means 'portion, allotment, or settlement'; the second element is the personal name Sheerah.
Semantic Range
portion, allotment, settlement, village of Sheerah, (proper noun) locality named for or established by Sheerah
Root / Etymology
A compound derived from the root אָזַן ('ʾ-z-n'), which can have the meaning 'to hear, ear' but in place-names is likely connected to 'portion, allotment or settlement' (cf. Arabic uzn, 'portion'). שֶׁאֱרָה (Sheerah) is a personal name, elsewhere described as an Ephraimite woman (1 Chron 7:24). Thus, the place-name means 'portion/settlement of Sheerah.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Uzzen-Sheerah appears only in 1 Chronicles 7:24, named as a location built or settled by Sheerah, an otherwise little-known female descendant in the genealogy of Ephraim. The name reflects a rare instance where a locality in biblical tradition is associated with a female founder. English translations historically rendered 'Uzzen-sherah' without connecting it to the practices of naming tribal lands or settlements after prominent individuals. The word is unique in the Hebrew Bible and does not recur in later periods or sources. Geographical identification of the site is uncertain and has not been recovered archaeologically. The construction using a personal name with a topographical or possessive element ('Uzzen') is similar to other place-names in the Hebrew Bible, but its etymological nuance points to the 'portion' or 'settlement' given to or established by Sheerah, not merely a 'plot' in modern English sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָזַן and שֶׁאֱרָה; plot of Sheerah (i.e. settled by him); Uzzen-Sheerah, a place in Palestine; Uzzen-sherah.
Bantu Hebrew
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אזן, שאר (ʾ-z-n, š-ʾ-r) — to allot, assign, portion; personal name Sheerah
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H242-01 |
שֶׁאֱרָֽה | sheerah | HNp |
Sheerah | allotment of Sheerah | 1 |
H242-02 |
אֻזֵּ֥ן | uzen | HNp |
Uzzen | Sheerah’s Allotment-Settlement | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H242-02 |
1 Chronicles 7:24 | אֻזֵּ֥ן | uzen | HNp |
Uzzen | Sheerah’s Allotment-Settlement |
H242-01 |
1 Chronicles 7:24 | שֶׁאֱרָֽה | sheerah-2 | HNp |
Sheerah | allotment of Sheerah |