Arad
Arad was a Benjamite, one of the sons of Beriah.
Biography
Arad is listed in the genealogy of Benjamin as one of the sons of Beriah, a family that settled in Aijalon and drove out the inhabitants of Gath (1 Chronicles 8:15). He lived during the period associated with the Egyptian sojourn and the wilderness era, though his specific biography is confined to these genealogical notices. As a Benjamite, Arad belonged to the tribe that would later produce Israel's first king, Saul, and which occupied a strategic corridor between the northern and southern territories. His name, possibly related to the Hebrew root meaning "wild donkey" or associated with the Canaanite city Arad, is preserved through the Chronicler's careful compilation of Benjamite family lines that shaped Israel's settlement in the land.
Significance
Arad's brief mention in the Benjamite genealogy of 1 Chronicles 8 carries significance within the Chronicler's theological project of affirming Israel's tribal continuity and the faithfulness of God across generations. Benjamin was one of the two tribes that remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty after the kingdom split, and preserving its complete family record underscored the legitimacy of that loyalty. For the post-exilic community, such genealogies were far from mere historical lists, they established identity, inheritance rights, and belonging within the covenant people. Arad's name in this record testifies that even the least prominent members of God's people are known and remembered.
Verse Appearances (1)
1 Chronicles
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]