Bible Word Study
אֻזֵּן שֶׁאֱרָה
ʼUzzên Sheʼĕrâh · Uzzen-Sheerah, a place in Palestine
אֻזֵּן שֶׁאֱרָה
Uzzen-Sheerah, a place in Palestine
Definition
Uzzen-Sheerah is a proper noun referring to a specific place in ancient Palestine, mentioned only once in the Bible. It is identified as a town built by Sheerah, the daughter of Ephraim, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 7:24. The name itself means 'plot of Sheerah' or 'Sheerah's portion,' indicating it was a settlement established by or named for this individual. As a geographical location, it represents a specific, albeit obscure, site within the tribal territory of Ephraim.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 7:24. The context is a genealogical record of the tribe of Ephraim. The verse states, 'And his daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and Uzzen-sheerah.' Its usage is strictly as a proper place name within a historical and genealogical list, with no other patterns or occurrences in different contexts.
Etymology
The name Uzzen-Sheerah is a compound Hebrew word derived from the root אָזַן (ʼāzan, H238), meaning 'to give ear, listen,' but in this context likely related to a derived noun meaning 'plot' or 'portion of land,' combined with the proper name שֶׁאֱרָה (Sheʼĕrâh, H7609), 'Sheerah.' Thus, the name literally means 'Sheerah's plot' or 'portion of Sheerah,' signifying a settlement founded by or belonging to her.
Semantic Range
The mention of Uzzen-Sheerah in 1 Chronicles 7:24 is culturally significant as it credits a woman, Sheerah, with founding multiple towns, including Beth-horon and this settlement. In the patriarchal context of ancient Israel, this is a notable exception, highlighting female agency and accomplishment in city-building and land development within the tribal lineage. It reflects the cultural practice of naming places after their founders or prominent figures associated with them. בֵּית־חוֹרוֹן (Bêyth-Chôrôwn, H1032) — Another town built by Sheerah, mentioned in the same verse (1 Chronicles 7:24).
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]