Haran

In Bible versions:

Haran: NET AVS NIV NRSV NASB TEV

a town of upper Mesopotamia
an English name representing two different Hebrew names
as representing the Hebrew name 'Haran'
son of Terah; brother of Abraham
a Levitical chief of the descendants of Ladan under King David; son of Shimei
as representing the Hebrew name 'Xaran', beginning with a velar fricative
son of Caleb of Judah and Ephah his concubine

---

mountainous country

NETBible Maps: OT1 D2 ; OT5 D2 ; OT6 D2

Google Maps: Haran (36° 51´, 39° 1´)

Greek

Strongs #5488: Xarran Charrhan

Haran = "a mountaineer"

1) a city in Mesopotamia, of great antiquity and made famous by the
defeat of Crassus

5488 Charrhan khar-hran'

of Hebrew origin (2771); Charrhan (i.e. Charan), a place in
Mesopotamia:-Charran.
see HEBREW for 02771

Hebrew

Strongs #02039: Nrh Haran

Haran = "mountaineer"

n pr m
1) youngest son of Terah, brother of Abraham, father of Lot, Milcah,
and Iscah; born and died in Ur of the Chaldees
2) a Gershonite Levite in the time of David, one of the family of Shimei
3) a son of Caleb by the concubine Ephah

n pr loc
4) name of the place to which Abraham migrated from Ur of the Chaldees
and where the descendants of his brother Nahor established themselves;
probably located in Mesopotamia, in Padanaram, the cultivated district
at the foot of the hills between the Khabour and the Euphrates below
Mount Masius

2039 Haran haw-rawn'

perhaps from 2022; mountaineer; Haran, the name of two
men:-Haran.
see HEBREW for 02022

Strongs #02771: Nrx Charan

Haran = "mountaineer"

n pr m
1) a son of Caleb by his concubine Ephah

n pr loc
2) the city to which Abraham migrated when he left Ur of the Chaldees
and where he stayed until his father died before leaving for the
promised land; located in Mesopotamia in Padan-aram at the foot of
Mount Masius between the Khabour and the Euphrates

2771 Charan kaw-rawn'

from 2787; parched; Charan, the name of a man and also of a
place:-Haran.
see HEBREW for 02787

Haran [EBD]

(1.) Heb. 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 (Gen. 11:27), in Ur of the Chaldees.

(2.) Heb. 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 (Gen. 11:31, 32), when he continued his journey into the land of Canaan. It is called "Charran" in the LXX. and in Acts 7:2. It is called the "city of Nahor" (Gen. 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; Isa. 37:12). It was known to the Greeks and Romans under the name Carrhae.

(3.) The son of Caleb of Judah (1 Chr. 2:46) by his concubine Ephah.

Haran [NAVE]

HARAN
1. Father of Lot and brother of Abraham, Gen. 11:26-31.
2. Son of Caleb, 1 Chr. 2:46.
3. A Levite, 1 Chr. 23:9.
4. Called also Charran. A place in Mesopotamia to which Terah and Abraham migrated, Gen. 11:31; 12:4, 5; Acts 7:4.
Death of Terah at, Gen. 11:32.
Abraham leaves, by divine command, Gen. 12:1-5.
Jacob flees to, Gen. 27:43; 28:7; 29; returns from, with Rachel and Leah, Gen. 31:17-21.
Conquest of, by king of Assyria, 2 Kin. 19:12.
Merchants of, Ezek. 27:23.
Idolatry in, Josh. 24:2, 14; Isa. 37:12.

HARAN [SMITH]

(a mountaineer).

1. 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)
2. A Gershonite Levite in the time of David, one of the family of Shimei. (1 Chronicles 23:9)
3. A son of the great Caleb by his concubine Ephah. (1 Chronicles 2:46)
4. HARAN or CHARRAN, (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 called Harran . It was celebrated among the Romans, under the name of Charrae, as the scene of the defeat of Crassus.

HARAN (1) [ISBE]

HARAN (1) - ha'-ran (haran):

(1) Son of Terah, younger brother of Abraham and Nahor, and father of Lot (Gen 11:27). He had two daughters, Milcah and Iscah (Gen 11:29).

(2) A Gershonite, of the family of Shimei (1 Ch 23:9).

HARAN (2) [ISBE]

HARAN (2) - ha'-ran (charan; Charhran): The city where Terah settled on his departure from Ur (Gen 11:31 f); whence Abram set out on his pilgrimage of faith to Canaan (Gen 12:1 ff). It was probably "the city of Nahor" to which Abraham's servant came to find a wife for Isaac (Gen 24:10 ff). Hither came Jacob when he fled from Esau's anger (Gen 27:43). Here he met his bride (Gen 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 Ki 19:12; Isa 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 BC, 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 BC), and here Caracalla was assassinated (217 AD). 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.

In Acts 7:2,4, the King James Version gives the name as Charran.

W. Ewing