Lexical Summary Charchuwr: Wrangling, contention, strife Original Word: חַרְחוּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Harhur A fuller form of charchur; inflammation; Charchur, one of the Nethinim -- Harhur. see HEBREW charchur Brown-Driver-Briggs חַרְחוּר proper name, masculine head of a family of returning exiles Ezra 2:51 = Nehemiah 7:53; ᵐ5 Αρου(α)ρ (meaning as above ? or from II. חרר ?). II. חרר (√ of following; Arabic Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrences Historical Setting Harhur designates a post-exilic family enrolled among “the servants of Solomon,” a subset of the Temple-servant class (Nethinim) who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (Ezra) and who were again registered under Nehemiah. Their appearance in both return lists reveals a continuity of service spanning almost a century—from the initial wave of returnees in 538 B.C. to the covenant-renewal generation around 445 B.C. Role among Temple Servants 1. Temple Support. The Nethinim maintained the day-to-day infrastructure that enabled priests and Levites to focus on sacrificial and instructional duties. Harhur’s descendants therefore belonged to the cadre that drew water, prepared wood and supplies, guarded entrances, and performed other essential but often unnoticed tasks (compare Joshua 9:27; 1 Chronicles 23:28-32). Textual Note Ezra records “32” male heads for the clan, while Nehemiah lists “101.” The larger Nehemiah number reflects subsequent growth or a more complete registration, illustrating demographic recovery in the restored community. Theological Significance • Covenant Inclusion. Though not of priestly or Levitical descent, Harhur’s line stood within Israel’s covenant community. Their names in Scripture attest to God’s concern for every stratum of His people (Isaiah 56:6-7). Ministerial Insights 1. Hidden Service Matters. Harhur’s name surfaces only in genealogical registers, yet his descendants’ work sustained public worship. Modern ministry likewise depends on unseen labor. Key Scripture Nehemiah 7:53: “the descendants of Harhur, one hundred one.” Related Topics Nethinim; Solomon’s Servants; Post-Exilic Restoration; Genealogies in Scripture; Theology of Work Forms and Transliterations חַרְחֽוּר׃ חרחור׃ charChur ḥar·ḥūr ḥarḥūrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 2:51 HEB: חֲקוּפָ֖א בְּנֵ֥י חַרְחֽוּר׃ NAS: of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, KJV: of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, INT: of Hakupha the sons of Harhur Nehemiah 7:53 2 Occurrences |