NAHOR (nā'hôr, Heb. nāhôr)
NAHOR nā’ hôr (Heb.
נָחֹ֖ור, perhaps not to be connected with the root
nḥr,
to breathe heavily,
to snort;
Ναχωρ), the name of two men among the relatives of Abraham and perhaps also a place name. KJV NACHOR, nā’kôr in
Joshua 24:2;
Luke 3:34. 1. Son of Serug, of the line of Shem (
Gen 11:10-25;
1 Chron 1:26), father of Terah, grandfather of Abraham, and as such an ancestor of Jesus (
Luke 3:34). After the birth of Terah in his twenty-ninth year, Nahor lived a hundred and nineteen years, and had other sons and daughters.
2. The second son of Terah, brother of Abraham and Haran (Gen 11:27-29; Josh 24:2). A list is given of the twelve children of Nahor (Gen 22:20-24), eight by his wife Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran (Gen 11:29; 24:15, 24, 47), and four by his concubine Reumah. The contention that these “children” of Nahor must have represented the names of twelve Aram. tribes or places, does not necessarily follow from the text. The statement that Bethuel became the father of Rebekah (24:23), rather suggests that the names of persons are meant.
Laban is called the “son” of Nahor (29:5) but the Heb. word for “son” has also the meaning of descendant, thus of grandson.
In concluding the covenant at Mizpah, Laban called upon “the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father” (31:53). The indication is that Laban distinguishes between the deities of Jacob and himself (cf. vv. 29 and 42). This distinction, however, does not apply to the God of the patriarchs, as was done by A. Alt, “Der Gott der Väter,” BWANT, vol. III, No 12 (1929).
3. A city mentioned in Genesis 24:10. The reference may be either to a city called Nahor, or else it may be understood as the personal name Nahor (2), and be rendered, “the city where Nahor lived.” Naḫur occurs frequently in the Mari texts, as a city in northern Mesopotamia. It must have been near to Haran (Gen 27:43; 28:10; 29:4, 5). Cf. J. Simons, Geographical and Topographical Texts of the Old Testament, Leiden [1959], 219).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)
(nachor; in the New Testament Nachor):e representative of Naphtali among the 12 spies (Nu 13:14).
(1) Son of Serug and grandfather of Abraham (Ge 11:22-25; 1Ch 1:26).
A city of Nahor is mentioned in Ge 24:10; the God of Nahor in Ge 31:53. In the King James Version Jos 24:2; Lu 3:34, the name is spelled "Nachor."
