Jerah
“Moon”
Summary
The fourth son of Joktan, a descendant of Shem, whose name means 'moon' and who is believed to have been the progenitor of an Arab tribe in southern Arabia.
☩Genealogy and Significance
Jerah was the fourth of the thirteen sons of Joktan, a descendant of Shem through Eber (Genesis 10:26; 1 Chronicles 1:20). The Joktanites are generally understood to have settled in southern Arabia, with their territory extending from Mesha to Mount Sephar (Genesis 10:30). The name Jerah means 'moon,' which has led some scholars to connect his descendants with Arabian moon worship or with place-names related to the moon in that region. The fortress Yerakh in the Mahra country, east of Hadramaut, may preserve this name. Though no district bearing this exact name has been conclusively identified, various locations in Yemen and Hijaz preserve similar names.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Jerah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Jerah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Jerah," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Jerah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).