יַעֲרֵי אֹרְגִים
Jaare-Oregim, an Israelite
Definition
Yaʻărêy ʼÔrᵉgîym (Jaare-Oregim) is a proper name appearing only in 2 Samuel 21:19, where it is identified as the father of Elhanan, who killed Goliath the Gittite. The name itself is a compound phrase meaning 'woods of weavers' or 'forests of the weavers.' In the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 20:5, the father's name is given simply as 'Jair,' suggesting a possible textual variation or abbreviation. This single reference places Jaare-Oregim within the context of the Israelite warriors who fought the Philistines during King David's reign.
Biblical Usage
This proper noun is used only once in the Old Testament, in 2 Samuel 21:19. It functions solely as a patronymic, identifying the lineage of the warrior Elhanan within a list of David's mighty men and their victories over Philistine champions. The usage is strictly historical and genealogical, with no narrative development beyond this identification.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements: the plural construct form of 'yaʻar' (H3293), meaning 'forest' or 'woods,' and the masculine plural active participle 'ʼoregîm' from the root 'ʼārag' (H707), meaning 'to weave.' Thus, the name translates literally as 'woods of weavers.' This may refer to a geographical location associated with weaving or metaphorically describe a dense, interwoven thicket.
Semantic Range
The name's meaning, 'woods of weavers,' may hint at a familial trade, a clan's geographical origin near a forest where weaving was practiced, or could be a metaphorical descriptor. The variation between 'Jaare-Oregim' in Samuel and 'Jair' in Chronicles reflects common practices in biblical transmission where lengthy, descriptive names were sometimes shortened or recorded differently by scribes. As the father of a noted warrior, the name connects an individual to the military successes of David's kingdom.
Jair (Yāʻîr, H2971) — The shortened form of the name found in the parallel chronicler's account (1 Chronicles 20:5).
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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