Jerah

At a Glance

A biblical personal name appearing in Old Testament genealogies.

Key Points

• Found in the Table of Nations genealogy
• listed among Joktan's descendants
• a proper-name entry, not a doctrinal term.

Description

Jerah appears in the Old Testament genealogies as one of Joktan's descendants (Gen 10:26; 1 Chr 1:20). The term is a proper name rather than a doctrinal or conceptual label, so it belongs as a brief biblical-name entry. Its main significance is historical and genealogical, contributing to Scripture's record of families and nations.

Biblical Context

Jerah is listed in the post-flood genealogy of Joktan in Genesis 10 and repeated in 1 Chronicles 1. These genealogies function as part of Scripture's historical framework and help trace the spread of nations and families.

Historical Context

In the ancient Near Eastern world, genealogies helped preserve lineage, identity, and communal memory. The biblical genealogies serve those purposes while also locating the story of redemption in real history.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Genealogical lists were important in ancient Israel for remembering ancestry, clan identity, and historical continuity. Jerah belongs to that broader biblical pattern of named family lines.

Primary Key Texts

• Genesis 10:26
• 1 Chronicles 1:20

Original Language Note

A Hebrew proper name transliterated as Jerah.

Theological Significance

The name itself carries no doctrinal teaching, but its inclusion in Scripture contributes to the Bible's historical and genealogical witness.

Philosophical Explanation

As a proper name, Jerah is not a philosophical category and does not represent a concept or abstraction.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not treat Jerah as a theological term or build unsupported biography beyond the brief genealogical notices provided in Scripture.

Major Views

There is no major interpretive debate attached to the name itself; the main question is simply how to classify it correctly.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should remain a concise biblical-name notice. It should not be expanded into unsupported doctrine, symbolism, or biography.

Practical Significance

Jerah reminds readers that Scripture preserves real names and family lines as part of redemptive history.

Related Entries

• Genesis 10
• 1 Chronicles 1
• Joktan
• Table of Nations
• Genealogy

See Also

• Joktan
• Table of Nations
• Genealogy
• Genesis 10
• 1 Chronicles 1