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תֶּרַח

𐤕𐤓𐤇

Terach

H8646 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (proper name; core meaning not lexicalized)

Definition

Proper name referring primarily to Terach, the father of Abram (later Abraham), Nahor, and Haran in the patriarchal narratives of Genesis; also used as the name of a location encountered by the Israelites during the wilderness journeys. Semantically, the name operates as a personal and a place name without a clearly understood lexical meaning apart from its referential function.

Semantic Range

personal name (Terach, patriarchal ancestor), place name (desert encampment)

Root / Etymology

The etymology of תֶּרַח is uncertain. No plausible derivation from a known Hebrew root has been established, and it does not transparently correspond to any attested Semitic root. The name may be of non-Hebrew, possibly Northwest Semitic or Akkadian, origin.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, תֶּרַח primarily denotes the patriarchal figure identified as the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran in Genesis 11, anchoring genealogical narratives leading to early Israelite identity. His narrative role is limited, but significant in establishing ancestral lines. The place name תֶּרַח (Tarah) appears in Numbers 33:27-28 as one of the desert encampments listed in the itinerary of the Exodus; its precise location is unknown and its connection to the personal name (if any) is not established. Later English translations sometimes anglicize the name as 'Terah,' and in older translations as 'Tarah' for the location, though these do not reflect distinct lexical senses in Hebrew. The word lacks a common noun usage and is not associated with religious or ethnic group designation; it remains a proper name in both personal and geographic contexts. There is no evidence of re-interpretation or significant semantic shift across Hebrew Bible periods.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; Terach, the father of Abraham; also a place in the Desert; Tarah, Terah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

תרח (uncertain) (t-r-ḥ (uncertain)) — uncertain; proper name (non-lexicalized)

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8646-04 תֶּ֔רַח terach HNp Terah Terach 9
H8646-03 תָּֽרַח tarach HNp Terah Terach 2
H8646-01 בְּ/תָֽרַח betarach HR/Np at Terah in Terach 1
H8646-02 מִ/תָּ֑רַח mitarach HR/Np from Terah from Terach 1

Occurrences in Scripture

13 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8646-03 Genesis 11:24 תָּֽרַח tarach HNp Terah Terach
H8646-04 Genesis 11:25 תֶּ֔רַח terach HNp Terah Terach
H8646-04 Genesis 11:26 תֶ֖רַח terach HNp Terah Terach
H8646-04 Genesis 11:27 תֶּ֔רַח terach HNp Terah Terach
H8646-04 Genesis 11:27 תֶּ֚רַח terach-2 HNp Terah Terach
H8646-04 Genesis 11:28 תֶּ֣רַח terach HNp Terah Terach
H8646-04 Genesis 11:31 תֶּ֜רַח terach HNp Terah Terach
H8646-04 Genesis 11:32 תֶ֔רַח terach HNp Terah Terach
H8646-04 Genesis 11:32 תֶּ֖רַח terach-2 HNp Terah Terach
H8646-01 Numbers 33:27 בְּ/תָֽרַח betarach HR/Np at Terah in Terach
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