King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Haran died before his father Terach in the land where he was born, in Ur of the Kasdim.
Berean Standard Bible:
During his father Terah’s lifetime, Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
American Standard Version:
And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Haran{H2039} died{H4191} before{H6440} his father{H1} Terah{H8646} in the land{H776} of his nativity{H4138}, in Ur{H218} of the Chaldees{H3778}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Genesis 15:7
- ¶ And he said unto him, I [am] the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
Genesis 11:31
- And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
Acts 7:2
- And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
Acts 7:4
- Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
Nehemiah 9:7
- Thou [art] the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 11:28
Genesis 11:28 reads, "And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees." This verse is situated within the broader context of the patriarchal narratives in the Book of Genesis, which trace the ancestry of the Israelites from the creation of the world to the formation of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Haran is a significant figure as he is the brother of Abraham (then called Abram), who is the forefather of the Israelites, Arabs, and many other nations according to Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. The mention of Haran's death in Ur of the Chaldees is not only a biographical note but also serves as a pivotal moment in the narrative, as it precedes the call of Abram by God to leave his homeland and journey to Canaan, which is recounted in the subsequent chapters.
Ur of the Chaldees was an ancient city located in the region of Sumer in southern Mesopotamia, near the modern-day city of Nasiriyah in Iraq. It was a thriving urban center with a rich cultural and religious life, and it was from this cosmopolitan environment that Terah's family, including Abram, would eventually set out on their divinely directed migration.
The verse highlights several themes: the reality of human mortality, the importance of family lineage in the ancient world, and the beginning of a significant transition in the biblical narrative from a focus on Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan, which becomes central to the unfolding story of the Israelites. Haran's death might also symbolize the end of an era and the necessity for Abram to leave behind the familiar in order to fulfill his destiny as the progenitor of a new nation, which is a recurring motif in the Bible—the idea of leaving one's homeland to follow God's calling, thereby entering into a covenant relationship with the divine.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H2039
There are 6 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הָרָן
Transliteration: Hârân
Pronunciation: haw-rawn'
Description: perhaps from הַר; mountaineer; Haran, the name of two men; Haran. - Strong's Number: H4191
There are 694 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מוּת
Transliteration: mûwth
Pronunciation: mooth
Description: a primitive root; to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill; [idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) wise. - Strong's Number: H6440
There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּנִים
Transliteration: pânîym
Pronunciation: paw-neem'
Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. - Strong's Number: H1
There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָב
Transliteration: ʼâb
Pronunciation: awb
Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'. - Strong's Number: H8646
There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תֶּרַח
Transliteration: Terach
Pronunciation: teh'-rakh
Description: of uncertain derivation; Terach, the father of Abraham; also a place in the Desert; Tarah, Terah. - Strong's Number: H776
There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶרֶץ
Transliteration: ʼerets
Pronunciation: eh'-rets
Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. - Strong's Number: H4138
There are 21 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מוֹלֶדֶת
Transliteration: môwledeth
Pronunciation: mo-leh'-deth
Description: from יָלַד; nativity (plural birth-place); by implication, lineage, native country; also offspring, family; begotten, born, issue, kindred, native(-ity). - Strong's Number: H218
There are 146 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אוּר
Transliteration: ʼÛwr
Pronunciation: oor
Description: the same as אוּר; Ur, a place in Chaldaea; also an Israelite; Ur. - Strong's Number: H3778
There are 80 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כַּשְׂדִּי
Transliteration: Kasdîy
Pronunciation: kas-dee'
Description: (occasionally with enclitic) כַּשְׂדִּימָה; towards the Kasdites into Chaldea), patronymically from כֶּשֶׂד (only in the plural); a Kasdite, or descendant of Kesed; by implication, a Chaldaean (as if so descended); also an astrologer (as if proverbial of that people; Chaldeans, Chaldees, inhabitants of Chaldea.