🔼The name Zereth-shahar: Summary
- Meaning
- Distress At A Solar Eclipse, Bound By Obscurity, Darkness At Midday
- Etymology
- From (1) the name Zereth, from צהר (sahar), to be high or ripe, or צרר (sarar), to bind, and (2) the noun שחר (shahar), darkness or eclipse.
🔼The name Zereth-shahar in the Bible
The name Zereth-shahar occurs only once in the Bible. It's mentioned as one of the cities of Reuben, east of the Jordan (Joshua 13:19). This city is actually called Zereth-hashahar, but for some reason all translations ignore the letter ה (he) in front of the shahar-part.
🔼Etymology of the name Zereth-shahar
The name Zereth-shahar obviously consists of two (of three) elements. The first part is the same as the name Zereth, which is of unclear origin. Some scholars take it from the root צהר:
צהר
The unused verb צהר (sahar) probably meant something like to be at an apex (and not to be bright, as many scholars appear to think). Noun צהר (sohar) means roof or top. It's used as a synonym for midday, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. It may also refer to the highest degree of merriment or justice.
Noun יצהר (yishar) refers to fresh olive oil; the unprocessed product of the olive tree (the concepts of ripeness and highness correlate in Biblical thought). The denominative verb צהר (sahar) means to press oil (to process the high/ripe things).
Others note that the name Zereth is identical to the word צרת (zeret), meaning distress:
צור
- Verb צור (sur I) probably means to lean or incline. Noun צואר (sawwa'r) means neck and צורון (sawwaron) means necklace.
- Verb צור (sur II) means to confine, secure or besiege. Noun מצור (masor) means siege and מצורה (mesura) means stronghold. This verb relates to verb צרר (sarar I).
- Verb צור (sur III) means to be an adversary. It relates to צרר (sarar II).
- Verb צור (sur IV) means to form or fashion. Noun צורה (sura) means form and noun ציר (sir) means image. This verb relates to יצר (yasar).
- Verb צור (sur V) probably relates to verb צרר (sarar III) and probably means to be sharp. The important noun צור (sur) means rock, and is equivalent to the Greek noun πετρα (petra), from which comes the name Peter.
צרר
- Verb צרר (sarar I) means to bind and relates to צור (sur II). Adjective צר (sar) means narrow. Nouns צר (sar) and צרה (sara) mean distress and yield denominative verb צרה (sara), meaning to suffer distress. Noun צרור (seror) means bundle or parcel. Noun מצר (mesar) means distress.
- Verb צרר (sarar II) means to show hostility and relates to verb צור (sur III). Noun צר (sar) means adversary. Noun צרה (sara) means vexer or rival-wife. Denominative verb צרר (sarar) means to create a rival wife.
- Verb צרר (sarar III) probably means to be sharp and relates to צור (sur V). Nouns צר (sar), צר (sor) and צרור (seror) mean flint or pebble.
יצר
Verb יצר (yasar) means to fashion or form and relates to צור (sur IV). Noun יצר (yeser) denotes that what is formed, and noun יצרים (yesurim) means forms or members.
צרה
Verb צרה (srh) probably describes the bleeding of an odoriferous tree. Noun צרי (sari) denotes a kind of costly balsam.
The second part of our name is identical to the noun שחר (shahar), eclipse:
שחר
The verb שחר (shahar) means to be black or dark (mostly of skin, hair and horses). The adjective שחר (shahor) means black, and adjective שחרחר (sheharhor) means blackish. Nouns שחור (shehor) and שחרות (shaharut) mean blackness.
The noun שחר (shahar) is generally thought to mean dawn, but here at Abarim Publications we find that unlikely (for our reasoning, follow the link at the foot of this paragraph, to the full Dictionary article). Instead, we propose that this noun describes a solar eclipse, which occurs when an invisible moon moves in front of the sun and blocks out its light. This causes a brief and unexpected moment of nightly darkness, which in turn makes the stars and planets visible.
An observer can see other people, but she cannot see what they see. This means that the sun she sees is hers alone, and equal to her own ratio. A solar eclipse also eclipses one's own solar ratio and reveals the many ratios of other people. This awakens one's stellar consciousness, or Theory of Mind, which counts as being "born from above" (John 3:3). These events are obviously mimicked in the Biblical accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection.
From the noun שחר (shahar), solar eclipse, derives the denominative verb שחר (shahar), meaning to diligent search for God and wisdom; again qualities of a stellar consciousness.
The letter ה (he) in front of the shahar-part is either the definite article, or it declares a motion towards shahar. Note that Psalm 22, the Psalm of the Cross, is dedicated to Aijeleth ha-shahar, or Protruding Onto Shahar (the first part, Aijeleth, comes from איל, 'ayil, to protrude).
🔼Zereth-shahar meaning
The name Zereth-shahar has many meanings and it's ultimately unclear what the original name-giver had in mind. But as said above, here at Abarim Publications we propose that the noun שחר (shahar) does not mean dawn, as is generally stated, but rather solar eclipse, which certainly was a deeply shocking experience to anyone who witnessed one.
NOBSE Study Bible Name List translates שחר (shahar) with dawn and takes the first part from צהר (sahar) and interprets that root with being bright. Hence NOBSE translates our name with The Splendor Of Dawn. At first glance this seems a pretty consistent phrase but it's highly unlikely that anyone who would want to captivate the brilliance of a sunrise would choose these words. It seems more likely that a Hebrew audience would interpret this name as Distress At A Solar Eclipse.
Neither Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names nor BDB Theological Dictionary offer an interpretation of this name.