Zerah
“Rising of the sun or dawning”
Summary
A name borne by several biblical figures, most notably the twin son of Judah and Tamar, and an Ethiopian king defeated by King Asa of Judah.
☩Zerah, Son of Judah
Zerah was the twin son of Judah by his daughter-in-law Tamar, born shortly after his brother Pharez. During birth, Zerah's hand emerged first and was marked with a scarlet thread, but Pharez was actually delivered first. Zerah's descendants were called Zarhites, Ezrahites, and Izrahites, and the family line continued through the time of Zerubbabel. He appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel.
☩Zerah the Ethiopian
This Zerah was an Ethiopian or Cushite king who invaded Judah with an enormous army of one million soldiers and three hundred chariots during the reign of King Asa, around 939 BC. The invasion advanced as far as the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah before Asa engaged them in battle. After Asa's prayer of faith acknowledging dependence on God, the Lord struck the Ethiopian army with a devastating defeat. The Hebrews pursued them to Gerar and carried away much spoil, representing an unparalleled victory over a major foreign power.
☩Other Figures Named Zerah
Several other biblical persons bore this name: a son of Reuel and grandson of Esau who became an Edomite chief; a son of Simeon (also called Zohar); and two Levites mentioned in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles. The father of Jobab, one of the early kings of Edom, may have been from the Edomite Zerah's family.
Related Verses20 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Zerah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Zerah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Zerah," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Zerah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 5.George Morrish, "Zerah," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).