Jarah is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jarah was a descendant of Saul, the first king of Israel, and he is named in the genealogies of the tribe of Benjamin. His single appearance in Scripture is in 1 Chronicles 9:42, where he is listed as the son of Ahaz and the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. The verse also notes that Jarah’s son Zimri became the father of Moza. In this way Jarah stands within a family line that the Chronicler preserved for later generations.
The setting of this mention is a genealogy, not a narrative. The book of Chronicles, written after the Babylonian exile, retells Israel’s history with attention to ancestry, worship, and the continuity of God’s people. In 1 Chronicles 9, the writer records those who lived in Jerusalem and traces several family lines, including the line of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. Jarah appears in that record, linking earlier generations of Saul’s house to descendants who came after him.
Scripture says nothing else about Jarah. It does not record his deeds, his character, or the length of his life. He is known only as a link in a chain of fathers and sons. Yet that is precisely how the Bible often remembers ordinary people: not for great exploits, but for their place in the story of God’s people. Jarah’s brief mention testifies that he belonged to the household of Israel and to the line of Benjamin, and that his name was worth preserving in the sacred record.
The Name
The name Jarah is a Hebrew name whose meaning is not clearly recoverable from the biblical text. Some have suggested possible connections to words for “honeycomb” or “he will teach,” but these proposals are uncertain and not firmly established. Because Scripture gives no explanation of the name and the etymology is debated, it is best to say plainly that the meaning of Jarah is not clearly known. What is certain is that it was a personal name borne by a Benjamite in the genealogy of Saul.
A Closing Thought
Jarah’s life is summed up in a single verse, yet his name was carefully preserved in Israel’s records. Most of us will not be remembered for dramatic deeds either. Our lives are often hidden, ordinary, and known mainly to family and to God. But the Bible’s genealogies remind us that no one in God’s family is forgotten. The Lord keeps His own record, not of fame, but of faithfulness and belonging. Jarah’s quiet place in Scripture invites us to trust that our lives, however small they seem, matter within God’s unfolding story.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 9:42 — And Ahaz begat Jarah; and Jarah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza;