7842. Shacharayim
Lexical Summary
Shacharayim: Shacharayim

Original Word: שַׁחֲרַיִם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Shacharayim
Pronunciation: shah-khah-RAH-yeem
Phonetic Spelling: (shakh-ar-ah'-yim)
KJV: Shaharaim
NASB: Shaharaim
Word Origin: [dual of H7837 (שַׁחַר - dawn)]

1. double dawn
2. Shacharajim, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Shaharaim

Dual of shachar; double dawn; Shacharajim, an Israelite -- Shaharaim.

see HEBREW shachar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from shachar
Definition
"two dawns," a Benjamite
NASB Translation
Shaharaim (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
שַׁחֲרַ֫יִם proper name, masculine in Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 8:8; Σααρηλ[μ], ᵐ5L Σεωρειν.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical occurrence

Shaharayim appears once in Scripture, in the Benjamite genealogy of 1 Chronicles 8:8–11.

Genealogical context

Placed within the record of Benjamin’s descendants (1 Chronicles 8:1–40), Shaharayim descends from the line of Ehud (verses 6–7). These genealogies, compiled after the exile, affirmed continuity for the tribe of Benjamin and traced the ancestry of King Saul (1 Chronicles 8:33).

Marital history and descendants

The Chronicler notes three wives: Hushim, Baara, and Hodesh. After sending away Hushim and Baara, Shaharayim fathered children by Hodesh during a residence in Moab:

“Through his wife Hodesh he had Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families” (1 Chronicles 8:9–10).

Two additional sons, Abitub and Elpaal, were born to Hushim after the earlier dismissal (verse 11). Elpaal’s line produced builders of Ono and Lod (modern-day Lydda) (verse 12), linking Shaharayim indirectly to a town later visited by the Apostle Peter (Acts 9:32).

Moabite sojourn

His children by Hodesh were born “in the country of Moab” (1 Chronicles 8:8). This detail highlights:

• Interaction between Israel and Moab generations before Ruth.
• The dispersion of Benjamites beyond traditional borders, perhaps through trade, military service, or displacement.
• God’s ability to preserve covenant lineage even when families live among foreign peoples.

Historical and cultural significance

1 Chronicles was written to encourage post-exilic Israel. By naming Shaharayim and his sons, the Chronicler demonstrated that every branch of Benjamin—whether dwelling in Geba, Manahath, or Moab—remained part of God’s unfolding plan. The mention of divorce, remarriage, and relocation shows that the genealogies reflect real family complexities while still affirming the legitimacy of the tribal record.

Theological considerations

1. Providence: Even a single-mentioned figure receives a place in the inspired record, underscoring the Lord’s concern for individual lives within redemptive history.
2. Purity and mission: Living in Moab posed temptations toward syncretism, yet Shaharayim’s household is counted wholly Israelite. Scripture thus balances separation from pagan worship with engagement among the nations.
3. Continuity: Elpaal’s descendants rebuilt strategic towns later used for New Testament ministry, illustrating how Old Testament genealogies anticipate future gospel advance.

Lessons for ministry

• God works through ordinary families—marked by migration, broken relationships, and new beginnings—to further His purposes.
• Faithfulness in one generation can influence distant places and future eras.
• Believers today, like Shaharayim’s household in Moab, may find themselves in unfamiliar settings; steadfast identity in God’s covenant people remains paramount.

Forms and Transliterations
וְשַׁחֲרַ֗יִם ושחרים veshachaRayim wə·ša·ḥă·ra·yim wəšaḥărayim
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Chronicles 8:8
HEB: וְשַׁחֲרַ֗יִם הוֹלִיד֙ בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה
NAS: Shaharaim became the father
KJV: And Shaharaim begat
INT: Shaharaim became the country

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7842
1 Occurrence


wə·ša·ḥă·ra·yim — 1 Occ.

7841
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