הָרָא
𐤄𐤓𐤀
Hara
H2024 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A toponym referring to a specific region associated with the exile of northern Israelites, likely designating a mountainous district within the broader territory of Media in northwestern Iran. Its lexical meaning relates to 'mountain region,' given the root association, but functions in the Hebrew Bible solely as a proper name for a geographic location to which Israelite exiles were deported.
Semantic Range
region name; mountainous district; proper geographical designation; potential sense of 'mountain (region)' if not strictly as a proper name
Root / Etymology
Probably derived from the root הר (har), meaning 'mountain.' The word הָרָא represents a toponym—possibly a local or Aramaic adaptation—formed with a definite article or a locative ending, signifying 'the mountain region' or 'mountaineer/country.' Exact derivation and application uncertain; no secure extra-biblical attestations clarify the name.
Historical & Contextual Notes
הָרָא appears only in 1 Chronicles 5:26 as one of three regions (alongside Halah and Habor) to which the Assyrian king exiled Israelite communities. Its identification is uncertain; many propose it refers to a mountain district in Media (northwestern Iran), but no clear archaeological or historical evidence locates it with certainty. The toponym may preserve a local usage or variant unknown outside biblical Hebrew. Later Jewish and Christian tradition sometimes transliterates or interprets it purely as 'Hara,' but it is not associated with post-biblical populations. English translations typically retain the Hebrew form as a proper name and do not convey its possible 'mountainous' etymology; the English term 'Hara' offers no geographic specificity. The word is not used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible or in reference to later Judean or Israelite history.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
perhaps from הַר; mountainousness; Hara, a region of Media; Hara.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
הר (h-r) — mountain, hill, highland
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2024-01 |
וְ/הָרָא֙ | vehara | HC/Np |
and Hara | Mountain-Region | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2024-01 |
1 Chronicles 5:26 | וְ/הָרָא֙ | vehara | HC/Np |
and Hara | Mountain-Region |