Bible Word Study
תַּחְרֵעַ
Tachrêaʻ · Tachrea, an Israelite
תַּחְרֵעַ
Tachrea, an Israelite
Definition
Tachrea (תַּחְרֵעַ) is a proper name referring to an Israelite man, specifically a descendant of King Saul through his son Jonathan. He is listed in the genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin in 1 Chronicles 9:41. The name appears only in this single biblical instance. In the parallel genealogy of 1 Chronicles 8:35, a similar name, Tahrea (תַּאֲרֵעַ, Strong's H8390), is used, likely referring to the same individual with a minor spelling variation common in ancient manuscripts.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively as a personal name in a genealogical list. It appears only in 1 Chronicles 9:41, within a chapter detailing the post-exilic inhabitants of Jerusalem, specifically the lineage of Saul. Its usage is purely for historical and genealogical record-keeping, identifying one link in the family tree of the Benjaminite king.
Etymology
The name תַּחְרֵעַ (Tachrêaʻ) is a variant spelling of תַּאֲרֵעַ (Ta'arêaʻ, Strong's H8390). The root is uncertain but may be related to the Hebrew verb אָרַע (āraʻ), meaning 'to meet' or 'to happen,' possibly giving the name a sense of 'one whom God has met' or 'an occurrence.' The variation in spelling (ח vs. א) is a known phonetic shift in Hebrew.
Semantic Range
As a personal name in an Israelite genealogy, it reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of recording detailed family lineages to establish tribal identity, inheritance rights, and royal descent. The preservation of such names, even for minor figures, underscores the biblical value of every individual within the covenant community and the importance of historical continuity for Israel's identity. תַּאֲרֵעַ (Ta'arêaʻ, H8390) — A variant spelling of the same name, used in the parallel genealogy of 1 Chronicles 8:35.
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]