חִירָה
𐤇𐤉𐤓𐤄
Chirah
H2437 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Chirah, a personal name referring to an individual from the region of Adullam; specifically, an Adullamite. The name likely evokes the sense of 'splendor' or 'brightness,' but in the biblical context serves only as a proper name, without lexical development beyond its use as such.
Semantic Range
(proper name) Chirah, likely 'splendid' or 'shining'; solely a personal name, not an appellative or title
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חור (ḥ-w-r), which in some contexts carries meanings such as 'to be white' or 'to shine.' The specific formation חִירָה is a proper noun, likely inferring splendor or brightness, though the etymological path is not entirely certain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חִירָה (Chirah) appears in Genesis 38 as a personal name, designating a friend of Judah from Adullam. The text identifies him as an Adullamite, distinguishing his regional background within the broader context of Canaan but not asserting Israelite or Judahite identity. As a personal name, its meaning is not elaborated in narrative; the root notion of brightness or splendor is speculative and based on linguistic comparison rather than on any descriptive passage. The English rendering 'Hirah' is a direct transliteration, but does not communicate the implicit connotations that may have existed in ancient Hebrew naming patterns. There are no indications of religious, ethnic, or political status beyond the label 'Adullamite.' Later translations sometimes treat the term as a reference entry for geographical association, but in all appearances within the Hebrew Bible, it functions solely as an individual name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָוַר in the sense of splendor; Chirah, an Adullamite; Hirah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חור (ḥ-w-r) — to be white, to shine, to be radiant
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1032 | בֵּית חוֹרוֹן | Horon |
| H1133 | בֶּן־חוּר | Chur |
| H2352 | חוּר | Holes |
| H2353 | חוּר | Chur |
| H2354 | חוּר | Chur |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2437-01 |
חִירָֽה | chirah | HNp |
was Hirah | Chirah | 1 |
H2437-02 |
וְ/חִירָ֛ה | vechirah | HC/Np |
and Hirah | and Chirah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2437-01 |
Genesis 38:1 | חִירָֽה | chirah | HNp |
was Hirah | Chirah |
H2437-02 |
Genesis 38:12 | וְ/חִירָ֛ה | vechirah | HC/Np |
and Hirah | and Chirah |