Lexical Summary Charuts: Gold, diligent, sharp, decision Original Word: חָרוּץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Haruz The same as charuwts; earnest; Charuts, an Israelite -- Haruz. see HEBREW charuwts NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originpass. part. of charats Definition grandfather of King Amon NASB Translation Haruz (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs IV. חָרוּץ proper name, masculine father of king Amon's mother 2 Kings 21:19, ᵐ5 Αρους. Topical Lexicon Name and Meaning The Hebrew personal name ḥārûṣ appears once in Scripture. It is built on a verb root that conveys the ideas of being sharp, incisive, or diligent. Ancient Hebrews often chose names that reflected desired character traits; thus the name may imply “one who is keen‐minded,” “decisive,” or “energetic.” Biblical Occurrence 2 Kings 21:19 sets ḥārûṣ in the royal genealogy of Judah: “Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah”. The Chronicler records the same maternal line in parallel fashion (2 Chronicles 33:21), confirming the presence of the name in the historical record of the Davidic dynasty. Family Connection to the House of David Haruz’s daughter Meshullemeth became the queen-mother during the troubled reign of Amon. Through her, Haruz was the maternal grandfather of Josiah, the reforming monarch who later “walked in all the way of his father David, turning aside neither to the right nor to the left” (2 Kings 22:2). Though only mentioned in passing, Haruz thus stands at a pivotal generational junction: his grandson would reverse the idolatrous spiral initiated by Manasseh and Amon and lead Judah to covenant renewal. Geographical Setting: Jotbah Haruz is identified as “from Jotbah,” an otherwise unknown location that has stirred various proposals among scholars. Whether situated in the Judean Shephelah, the Negev, or the trans-Jordan, the brief notice underscores how Judah’s royal household drew spouses from towns beyond Jerusalem, extending the court’s social reach and influence. Haruz’s choice (or perhaps the arranged choice) of a royal marriage for his daughter also testifies to the mobility and networking of provincial families under the monarchy. Historical Context Haruz lived during the late eighth and early seventh centuries B.C., a season bracketed by the Assyrian domination of the Levant. His son-in-law Manasseh embraced syncretistic policies (2 Kings 21:3–7), and his grandson Amon “did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done” (2 Kings 21:20). Haruz himself is never evaluated spiritually, yet the contrast between the meaning of his name (“sharp, diligent”) and the dullness of moral discernment evident in Amon offers an implicit warning about generational transmission of faith. Theological and Ministry Insights 1. Divine sovereignty in hidden lives. Haruz is a solitary name in the text, yet the Lord used his family line to bring forth Josiah, illustrating how God’s redemptive purposes unfold through seemingly minor characters. Practical Applications • Encourage families to view their own hidden histories as arenas of God’s providence. Summary Haruz (ḥārûṣ) appears but once, yet his name links the darkest and brightest moments of Judah’s last century. From his household came both the apostate Amon and the reformer Josiah. His cameo invites modern readers to trust God’s unseen work, to labor diligently for covenant faithfulness in the next generation, and to sharpen their own spiritual commitment amid cultural drift. Forms and Transliterations חָר֖וּץ חרוץ chaRutz ḥā·rūṣ ḥārūṣLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 21:19 HEB: מְשֻׁלֶּ֥מֶת בַּת־ חָר֖וּץ מִן־ יָטְבָֽה׃ NAS: the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. KJV: the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. INT: Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz at of Jotbah |
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