🔼The name Huri: Summary
- Meaning
- Freeman, Cave Man, Maker Of Whites, Central Authority
- Etymology
- From the root חרר (harar), to be a central hub of heat.
🔼The name Huri in the Bible
The name Huri occurs only once in the Bible. He is mentioned as the father of Abihail of the Gadites of Bashan (1 Chronicles 5:14). Huri's father was called Jaroah, but that's all we know about him.
Also note that our name Huri is spelled identical to the names Hori(te) and Hurai. The difference between these names was concocted by the Masoretes, who operates a thousand years after Chronicles was written.
🔼Etymology of the name Huri
The name Huri comes from the root חרר (harar), to be a central hub of heat, and more specifically, probably from any of the verbs חור:
חרר
The root חרר (harar) describes a society's central and enclosed source of heat. It thus may express a geographical depression, but more so a being hot and ultimately a being a ruler (whether by might, political clout or wisdom).
Verb חרר (harar I) means to be hot, burned or charred. Noun חרר (harer) denotes a parched place and noun חרחר (harhur) describes a violent heat or fever. The unused verb חרר (harar II) means to be free in cognate languages, which is the opposite of being a slave. Noun חר (hor) means noble or nobleman. The unused verb חרר (harar III) appears to refer to the enclosure of kilns and ovens, as the first ones were most likely built in natural hollows. The nouns חר (hor) and חור (hor) mean hole or cavern, but obviously relate to the previous word in that freemen surround themselves with walls and armies.
Verb חרה (hara) means to burn or ignite (in the Bible solely in an emotional way: to get angry). Noun חרון (haron) describes the burning of anger. Noun חרי (hori) refers to a general burning.
Verb חור (hawar) means to be or grow white (like ash or baked bricks). Nouns חור (hur) and חורי (huray) refer to any white stuff, including garments and linen, and noun חרי (hori) describes white bread or cake.
Verb נחר (nahar) looks very much like a passive or reflexive version of חרר (harar) or its participle. This verb isn't used in the Bible but nouns נחר (nahar) and נחרה (naharah) describe the vigorous snorting of a horse, and noun נחיר (nahir) means nostril (which in turn reminds of a cavern).
The letter י (yod) upon which our name ends, may either create an adjective (such-and-such-like), a possessive form (my such and such), or may be a remnant of יה (Yah), which is short for יהוה, which is the name YHWH, or Yahweh.
🔼Huri meaning
For a meaning of the name Huri, both NOBSE Study Bible Name List and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names have Linen Worker, which is possible albeit a tad specific. BDB Theological Dictionary does not offer a translation of our name but also lists it under the verb חור (hawar) to be or grow white.