מֶרֶד
Mered, an Israelite
Definition
Mered is a proper name belonging to an Israelite man mentioned in the genealogical records of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4:17-18. He is identified as a son of Ezrah and the husband of Bithiah, who is notably described as a daughter of Pharaoh. The text also names his wife from the tribe of Judah, Jehudijah, and lists several of his children. As a proper name, it carries no other semantic senses, and its significance is tied entirely to this specific individual within the biblical narrative.
Biblical Usage
The name Mered appears exclusively in the genealogical lists of 1 Chronicles 4:17 and 4:18. Its usage is purely nominal, serving to identify a specific ancestor within the lineage of Judah. The context highlights his marital connections, particularly to an Egyptian princess, which is a rare detail in Israelite genealogies.
Etymology
The name Mered (מֶרֶד) is identical to the common Hebrew noun 'mered' (H4777), which means 'rebellion' or 'revolt.' It is derived from the root מרד (m-r-d), meaning 'to rebel.' As a personal name, it likely carried the meaning 'Rebellion,' though whether this was descriptive, aspirational, or simply a known lexical element used in naming is unclear.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not theologically loaded, its bearer's story contains a subtle theological point. Mered's marriage to Bithiah, a daughter of Pharaoh (1 Chronicles 4:18), illustrates God's inclusive grace and the incorporation of outsiders into the lineage of His people. This echoes other stories, like that of Rahab and Ruth, showing that the covenant community was not always ethnically exclusive.
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often meaningful and thought to reflect character or destiny. Bearing a name meaning 'Rebellion' would have been significant. Furthermore, recording a marriage to an Egyptian princess in a Judahite genealogy was culturally notable, potentially indicating a family of high status or a noteworthy historical alliance or event.
There are no direct synonyms for this proper name. The related common noun is: mered (מֶרֶד, H4777) — the common noun meaning 'rebellion,' from which the personal name is derived.
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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