Bible Word Study
הָרֻם
Hârum · Harum, an Israelite
הָרֻם
Harum, an Israelite
Definition
Harum is a proper name of an Israelite man, appearing only once in the Bible. The name is derived from a Hebrew root meaning 'high' or 'exalted,' likely functioning as a descriptive or aspirational name. In its sole biblical occurrence, Harum is listed as a descendant of Judah through the line of Caleb (1 Chronicles 4:8). As a proper noun, it refers specifically to this individual within a genealogical record.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a personal name in a single genealogical context. It appears in 1 Chronicles 4:8 within a list of descendants of Judah, specifically from the line of Caleb. There are no other usages or patterns, as it is a unique name for a single individual.
Etymology
The name Harum (הָרֻם) is a passive participle form derived from the root רום (rûm), meaning 'to be high' or 'to be exalted.' It shares the same etymological root as the name Horam (הֹרָם, H2036). Its formation as a passive participle suggests a meaning like 'the exalted one' or 'the one who is lifted up.'
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried significant meaning, reflecting character, destiny, or a parent's hopes. A name like Harum ('exalted') may have expressed a hope for the child's status or a recognition of God's exaltation. Its placement in the Judahite genealogy connects this individual to the messianic tribe, though no further narrative is provided about his life or deeds. Horam (Hôrām, H2036) — A similar proper name derived from the same root, but referring to a different individual, a king of Gezer (Joshua 10:33).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]