Serah
“Perhaps 'abundance' or 'overflow'”
Summary
The daughter of Asher who uniquely appears in genealogical lists typically reserved for males, suggesting something extraordinary about her history.
☩Biblical Record
Serah was the daughter of Asher, the son of Jacob, making her one of Jacob's granddaughters. She is mentioned in the genealogies when Jacob's family went down to Egypt around 1864 BC. Unusually, she appears again in the census taken nearly 250 years later in Numbers, either indicating remarkable longevity or that she had become an important clan designation.
☩Rabbinical Traditions
The exceptional mention of a female in these patriarchal lists has sparked considerable Jewish tradition. Rabbinic legends hold that Serah was the one who gently broke the news to Jacob that Joseph was alive, singing it to him so he would not be shocked. As a reward for this piety, she was said to have been translated alive to paradise, like Enoch.
Related Verses5 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Serah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Serah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).