Shaharaim is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Shaharaim was a descendant of Benjamin whose name appears in the tribal genealogies recorded in 1 Chronicles. The chronicler lists him among the Benjamites, tracing the families of that tribe as part of Israel’s larger record of its ancestry. His brief notice comes in the midst of a long register of names, showing that he belonged to the extended household of Benjamin, one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
The single verse that mentions him, 1 Chronicles 8:8, records that Shaharaim fathered children in the country of Moab. This detail is significant because Moab lay east of the Jordan, outside the land of Israel, and it indicates that Shaharaim lived for a time in that foreign territory. The text also notes that he had sent away his wives, Hushim and Baara, before fathering children there. The verse does not explain the circumstances of that sending away, nor does it name the children born to him in Moab.
Scripture says nothing further about Shaharaim—no deeds, no character, no later events. He appears once and then the genealogy moves on. What we know of him is limited to this: he was a Benjamite, he had two wives named Hushim and Baara, he sent them away, and he fathered children in Moab. The account is terse and leaves much unstated, offering only the bare facts the chronicler chose to preserve.
The Name
The name Shaharaim appears to be related to the Hebrew word *shachar*, which means “dawn” or “daybreak,” and the plural ending may suggest something like “double dawn” or “two dawns.” Some readers have connected the name to the idea of early morning light. However, the precise meaning and formation of this name are not firmly established, and scholars differ on how best to render it. Because the etymology is uncertain, it is best to say plainly that the meaning is not clearly recoverable rather than to insist on a definite sense.
A Closing Thought
Shaharaim’s life is remembered in a single verse, and much of it is shadowed—wives sent away, children born in a foreign land, no explanation given. Yet his name is written in the book of Israel’s generations, and God’s record does not forget the obscure. Most of us will live lives that seem small and unrecorded by the world. But the One who numbers the stars also numbers His people, and no life hidden in Him is truly lost. Even a name mentioned once is held in the story of redemption.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 8:8 — And Shaharaim begat children in the country of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.