Topical Encyclopedia
Introduction:Haran is a significant location in biblical history, often associated with the patriarchs of Israel. It is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, serving as a backdrop for key events in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Haran is both a person and a place, and its dual significance is reflected in the biblical narrative.
Haran as a Person:Haran is first introduced as a person in the genealogy of Terah. Haran is the son of Terah and the brother of Abram (later Abraham) and Nahor. He is the father of Lot, Milcah, and Iscah. Haran's early death in Ur of the Chaldeans is noted in
Genesis 11:28: "While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans."
Haran as a Place:Haran, the place, is a city located in the region of Paddan Aram, which is in modern-day southeastern Turkey. It is a significant location in the biblical narrative for several reasons:
1.
Abraham's Journey: After the death of Haran, Terah took his family, including Abram, Sarai, and Lot, and set out from Ur to go to Canaan. However, they settled in Haran instead.
Genesis 11:31 states, "Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there."
2.
God's Call to Abram: Haran is the place where God called Abram to leave his country and go to the land that He would show him. This call marks the beginning of Abram's journey of faith and the establishment of the covenant between God and Abram.
Genesis 12:1-4 records this pivotal moment: "Then the LORD said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.'"
3.
Jacob's Sojourn: Haran is also significant in the life of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. After deceiving his brother Esau, Jacob fled to Haran to escape Esau's wrath and to find a wife from his mother's family. In Haran, Jacob worked for his uncle Laban and married Leah and Rachel.
Genesis 28:10-29:30 details Jacob's journey and experiences in Haran.
4.
Return to Canaan: After many years in Haran, Jacob returned to Canaan with his family and possessions. This return journey is marked by Jacob's wrestling with God and his reconciliation with Esau.
Cultural and Historical Context:Haran was an important city in ancient Mesopotamia, known for its strategic location on trade routes. It was a center of worship for the moon god Sin, which may have influenced the religious practices of the surrounding regions. The city's prominence in trade and religion made it a significant cultural hub during the time of the patriarchs.
Biblical References:·
Genesis 11:26-32·
Genesis 12:1-5·
Genesis 27:43-28:5
·
Genesis 29:1-30·
Genesis 31:17-21Conclusion:Haran serves as a critical geographical and narrative link in the biblical account of the patriarchs. It is a place of transition, where significant divine encounters and family events occur, shaping the course of Israel's history.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Haranmountainous country
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Haran(a mountaineer).
- The third son of Terah, and therefore youngest brother of Abram. (Genesis 11:26) (B.C. 1926.) Three children are ascribed to him --Lot, vs. (Genesis 11:27,31) and two daughters, viz., Milcah, who married her uncle Nahor, ver. (Genesis 11:29) and Iscah. ver. (Genesis 11:29) Haran was born in Ur of the Chaldees, and he died there while his father was still living. ver. (Genesis 11:28)
- A Gershonite Levite in the time of David, one of the family of Shimei. (1 Chronicles 23:9)
- A son of the great Caleb by his concubine Ephah. (1 Chronicles 2:46)
- HARAN orCHARRAN, (Acts 7:2,4) name of the place whither Abraham migrated with his family from Ur of the Chaldees, and where the descendants of his brother Nahor established themselves. Comp. (Genesis 24:10) with Genesis27:43 It is said to be in Mesopotamia, (Genesis 24:10) or more definitely in Padan-aram, ch. (Genesis 25:20) the cultivated district at the foot of the hills, a name well applying to the beautiful stretch of country which lies below Mount Masius between the Khabour and the Euphrates. Here, about midway in this district, is a small village still calledHarran . It was celebrated among the Romans, under the name of Charrae, as the scene of the defeat of Crassus.
ATS Bible Dictionary
Haran1. The eldest son of Terah, brother of Abraham, and father of Lot, Milcah, and Iscah. He died before his father Terah,Genesis 11:26 31.
2. An ancient city called in the New Testament Charran, in the northwest part of Mesopotamia. Here, after leaving Ur, Abraham dwelt till is father Terah died; and to this old homestead Isaac sent for a wife, and Jacob fled from the wrath of Esau,Genesis 11:31,32; 12:5; 24:1-67; 27:43; 28:10; 29:4. Haran was ravaged by the Assyrians in the time of Hezekiah,2 Kings 19:12;Isaiah 37:12. Here also Crassus the Roman general was defeated and killed by the Parthiuated on a branch of the Euphrates, in 36 degrees 52- north latitude, and 39 degrees 5- east longitude, in a flat and sandy plain, and is only peopled by a few wandering Arabs, who select it for the delicious water it furnishes.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(1.) Hebrews haran; i.e., "mountaineer." The eldest son of Terah, brother of Abraham and Nahor, and father of Lot, Milcah, and Iscah. He died before his father (Genesis 11:27), in Ur of the Chaldees.
(2.) Hebrews haran, i.e., "parched;" or probably from the Accadian charana, meaning "a road." A celebrated city of Western Asia, now Harran, where Abram remained, after he left Ur of the Chaldees, till his father Terah died (Genesis 11:31, 32), when he continued his journey into the land of Canaan. It is called "Charran" in the LXX. and inActs 7:2. It is called the "city of Nahor" (Genesis 24:10), and Jacob resided here with Laban (30:43). It stood on the river Belik, an affluent of the Euphrates, about 70 miles above where it joins that river in Upper Mesopotamia or Padan-aram, and about 600 miles northwest of Ur in a direct line. It was on the caravan route between the east and west. It is afterwards mentioned among the towns taken by the king of Assyria (2 Kings 19:12;Isaiah 37:12). It was known to the Greeks and Romans under the name Carrhae.
(3.) The son of Caleb of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:46) by his concubine Ephah.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
HARAN (1)ha'-ran (haran):
(1) Son of Terah, younger brother of Abraham and Nahor, and father of Lot (Genesis 11:27). He had two daughters, Milcah and Iscah (Genesis 11:29).
(2) A Gershonite, of the family of Shimei (1 Chronicles 23:9).
HARAN (2)
ha'-ran (charan; Charhran): The city where Terah settled on his departure from Ur (Genesis 11:31 f); whence Abram set out on his pilgrimage of faith to Canaan (Genesis 12:1). It was probably "the city of Nahor" to which Abraham's servant came to find a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:10). Hither came Jacob when he fled from Esau's anger (Genesis 27:43). Here he met his bride (Genesis 29:4), and in the neighboring pastures he tended the flocks of Laban. It is one of the cities named by Rabshakeh as destroyed by the king of Assyria (2 Kings 19:12Isaiah 37:12). Ezekiel speaks of the merchants of Haran as trading with Tyre (27:23).
The name appears in Assyro-Babalonian as Charran, which means "road"; possibly because here the trade route from Damascus joined that from Nineveh to Carchemish. It is mentioned in the prism inscription of Tiglath-pileser I. It was a seat of the worship of Sin, the moon-god, from very ancient times. A temple was built by Shalmaneser II. Haran seems to have shared in the rebellion of Assur (763 B.C., the year of the solar eclipse, June 15). The privileges then lost were restored by Sargon II. The temple, which had been destroyed, was rebuilt by Ashurbanipal, who was here crowned with the crown of Sin. Haran and the temple suffered much damage in the invasion of the Umman-Manda (the Medes). Nabuna`id restored temple and city, adorning them on a lavish scale. Near Haran the Parthians defeated and slew Crassus (53 B.C.), and here Caracalla was assassinated (217 A.D.). In the 4th century it was the seat of a bishopric; but the cult of the moon persisted far into the Christian centuries. The chief temple was the scene of heathen worship until the 11th century, and was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th.
The ancient city is represented by the modern Charran to the Southeast of Edessa, on the river Belias, an affluent of the Euphrates. The ruins lie on both sides of the stream, and include those of a very ancient castle, built of great basaltic blocks, with square columns, 8 ft. thick, which support an arched roof some 30 ft. in height. Remains of the old cathedral are also conspicuous. No inscriptions have yet been found here, but a fragment of an Assyrian lion has been uncovered. A well nearby is identified as that where Eliezer met Rebekah.
InActs 7:2, 4, the King James Version gives the name as Charran.
W. Ewing
Greek
5488. Charran --Haran, a city in northwest Mesopotamia...Haran, a city in northwest Mesopotamia. Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Charran Phonetic Spelling: (khar-hran') Short Definition
...Strong's Hebrew
2039.Haran -- "mountaineer," a brother of Abram, also an...... 2038, 2039.
Haran. 2040 . "mountaineer," a brother of Abram, also an Israelite.
Transliteration:
Haran Phonetic Spelling: (haw-rawn') Short Definition:
Haran...1028. BethHaran -- Beth-haran
BethHaran. 1027, 1028. BethHaran. 1029 . Beth-haran. Transliteration: Beth
Haran Phonetic Spelling: (bayth haw-rawn') Short Definition: Beth-haran....
3252. Yiskah -- a daughter ofHaran
... 3251, 3252. Yiskah. 3253 . a daughter ofHaran. Transliteration: Yiskah
Phonetic Spelling: (yis-kaw') Short Definition: Iscah. Word...
2771. Charan -- "crossroads," a city in N. Mesopotamia
... 2770, 2771. Charan. 2771a . "crossroads," a city in N. Mesopotamia.
Transliteration: Charan Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-rawn') Short Definition:Haran....
2771b. Charan -- son of Caleb
... son of Caleb. Transliteration: Charan Short Definition:Haran. Word Origin from
the same as Charan Definition son of Caleb NASB Word UsageHaran (2)....
2771a. Charan -- "crossroads," a city in N. Mesopotamia
... 2771, 2771a. Charan. 2771b . "crossroads," a city in N. Mesopotamia.
Transliteration: Charan Short Definition:Haran. Word Origin...
1027. Beth Haram -- "house of the height," a place East of the...
... Word Origin from bayith and perhaps rum Definition "house of the height," a place
E. of the Jordan NASB Word Usage Beth-haram (1), Beth-haran (1). Beth-aram....
Library
Of the Time of the Migration of Abraham, When, According to the...
... Book XVI. Chapter 15."Of the Time of the Migration of Abraham, When, According
to the Commandment of God, He Went Out fromHaran....
Of the Years of Terah, who Completed his Lifetime inHaran.
... Book XVI. Chapter 14."Of the Years of Terah, Who Completed His Lifetime
inHaran. On Terah's death in Mesopotamia, where he is...
Abraham's Four Surrenders
... So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram
was seventy five years old and when he departed out ofHaran."....
Of the Order and Nature of the Promises of God which were Made to...
... be blessed." Eusebius thought this promise was made in Abraham's seventy-fifth year,
as if soon after it was made Abraham had departed out ofHaran because the...
An Example of Faith
... So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram
was seventy and five years old when he departed out ofHaran....
Here Followeth the Life of Abraham
... Then I turn again to Terah which had three sons, which was Abram, Nahor, and
Haran.... OfHaran came Lot and two daughters, Melcha and Sara....
Why, in the Account of Terah's Emigration, on his Forsaking the...
... Nahor. Next it is related how Terah with his family left the region of the
Chaldeans and came into Mesopotamia, and dwelt inHaran....
Of the Era in Abraham's Life from which a New Period in the Holy...
... Shem, Noah's son, down to Abraham, it then signalizes an era by saying, "These are
the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, andHaran; andHaran...
Entire Sanctification in Patriarchal Times.
... And he came out of his native land, it is true, but not yet into the promised land.
"He came toHaran and dwelt there," or to give the record in full, "And...
The Story of the Tower of Babel
... and Japheth. Terah, a descendant of Shem, was the father of Abraham, Nahor
andHaran; andHaran was the father of Lot. Jehovah said...
Thesaurus
Beth-haran (1 Occurrence)Beth-
haran. Bethharan, Beth-
haran. Beth-har'an . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia BETH-
HARAN. beth-ha'-ran (beth
haran): A
...Haran (19 Occurrences)
... (1.) Hebrewsharan; ie, "mountaineer." The eldest son of Terah, brother of Abraham
and Nahor, and father of Lot, Milcah, and Iscah....HARAN (1)....
Terah (12 Occurrences)
... He had three sons,Haran, Nahor, and Abraham, and one daughter, Sarah.
He... Lot. Nahor settled atHaran, a place on the way to Ur....
Nahor (18 Occurrences)
... He married Milcah, the daughter of his brotherHaran, and remained in the land of
his nativity on the east of the river Euphrates atHaran (Genesis 11:27-32)....
Abram (48 Occurrences)
... Genesis 11:27 Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became
the father of Abram, Nahor, andHaran.Haran became the father of Lot....
Chaldees (13 Occurrences)
... Owing to its nearness toHaran, and because Stephen placed it in Mesopotamia, Urfa
or Oorfa, named Edessa by the Greeks, has also in modern times been...
Ur (5 Occurrences)
... Light, or the moon city, a city "of the Chaldees," the birthplace ofHaran (Genesis
11:28, 31), the largest city of Shinar or northern Chaldea, and the...
Rezeph (2 Occurrences)
... Solid; a stone, (2 Kings 19:12; Isaiah 37:12), a fortress nearHaran, probably
on the west of the Euphrates, conquered by Sennacherib. Int....
Chalde'ans (74 Occurrences)
... Acts 7:4 Then having come forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt inHaran,
and from thence, after the death of his father, He did remove him to this...
Settled (112 Occurrences)
... God Most Glorious appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was living in Mesopotamia,
before he settled inHaran, (WEY).... They came toHaran and lived there....
Resources
Who was Haran in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Lot in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Jacob in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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