חֹרִי
Chori, the name of two men
Definition
Chori is a proper name referring to two distinct individuals in the Old Testament. First, it designates a son of Lotan, a descendant of Seir the Horite, listed among the clans of Edom (Genesis 36:22, 30; 1 Chronicles 1:39). Second, it is the name of the father of Shaphat, who was one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan from the tribe of Simeon (Numbers 13:5). The name is identical to the gentilic term 'Horite,' referring to the pre-Edomite inhabitants of Mount Seir, but in these instances, it functions as a personal name.
Biblical Usage
The name Chori is used exclusively as a personal name in the Old Testament. It appears in genealogical lists in Genesis and 1 Chronicles, establishing lineage and tribal connections within the Edomite and Simeonite histories. In Numbers, it identifies the paternal lineage of the spy Shaphat. All four occurrences are in narrative contexts that document ancestry and tribal affiliation.
Etymology
The name חֹרִי (Chori) is identical to the gentilic noun חֹרִי (H2752), meaning 'Horite,' a member of the cave-dwelling people who inhabited the region of Mount Seir before the descendants of Esau (the Edomites) displaced them (Genesis 36:20-21). It is likely derived from the Hebrew word חֹר (chor), meaning 'hole' or 'cave,' describing their dwelling places. As a personal name, it may have indicated ancestral connection to this people group.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not theologically loaded, its bearers appear in contexts significant for understanding God's covenant and the history of Israel's neighbors. The Horite Chori in Genesis is part of the genealogy of Esau (Edom), showing the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that many nations would come from him. The Simeonite Chori, father of a spy, connects to the pivotal narrative of Israel's faithlessness at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 13-14). It reminds readers that even minor figures in genealogies are part of God's larger historical tapestry.
In the ancient Near East, personal names often reflected ethnicity, geography, or family history. Bearing the name Chori ('Horite') likely signified a recognized ancestral link to the indigenous population of Seir. For the Simeonite spy's father, it may have preserved a memory of tribal origins or associations. The Horites were a pre-Edomite, possibly Hurrian-linked, people known for dwelling in caves and mountainous regions.
חֹרִי (Chori, H2752) — This is the identical spelling used as a gentilic noun for the Horite people, whereas H2753 is its application as a personal name.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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