Tirhanah is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Tirhanah was a descendant of Judah whose name appears in the tribal genealogies recorded in 1 Chronicles. He is mentioned only once in the King James Bible, in 1 Chronicles 2:48, where the text reads: “Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.” This places him among the children born to Maachah, the concubine of Caleb, within the larger family record of the tribe of Judah.
The setting of this passage is a genealogical list compiled to trace the descendants of Judah. These records served to document the families and clans of Israel, preserving the heritage of the tribe from which the line of David and, ultimately, the Messiah would come. Tirhanah appears alongside his brothers Sheber and, in the surrounding verses, other sons of Maachah such as Shaharaim and Zur. The text notes nothing further about him beyond his birth and parentage.
Scripture records no deeds, words, or later events in Tirhanah’s life. He is named simply as one of the sons born to Caleb through Maachah. His inclusion in the genealogy is his sole contribution to the biblical narrative, yet it marks him as a member of the covenant people and a link in the family line of Judah.
The Name
The name Tirhanah is a Hebrew name, but its precise meaning is not clearly recoverable from the biblical text or from the standard lexical sources. Various suggestions have been offered by scholars, but none is firmly established, and the Hebrew root behind the name is uncertain. Because the meaning cannot be determined with confidence, it is best to say plainly that the significance of this name is unknown rather than to assign it a meaning that the evidence does not support.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never be remembered in a genealogy, let alone in the pages of Scripture. Tirhanah’s entire legacy is a single line recording that he was born. Yet that line is not nothing. He belonged to a family, a tribe, and a people whom God had chosen and was guiding toward the coming of Christ. A life can be hidden and brief in the record, and still be held within the purposes of God. He knew Tirhanah, even if we do not. That is enough.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 2:48 — Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.