Original Word: תִּרְעָתִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Tir`athiy
Pronunciation: tee-rah-theem
Phonetic Spelling: (teer-aw-thee')
KJV: Tirathite
NASB: Tirathites
Word Origin: [patrial from an unused name meaning gate]

1. a Tirathite or inhabitant of an unknown Tirah

Tirathite

Patrial from an unused name meaning gate; a Tirathite or inhabitant of an unknown Tirah -- Tirathite.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a Kenite family
NASB Translation
Tirathites (1).

תִּרְעָתִים proper name, masculine plural a Kenite family, 1 Chronicles 2:55; Θαργαθυμ.

Biblical Setting

The Tirathites appear a single time in Scripture. “And the clans of scribes who lived at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab” (1 Chronicles 2:55). They are grouped with other families of professional scribes and explicitly linked to the Kenite line that ultimately produced the Rechabites (Jeremiah 35:6–10).

Historical Context

1 Chronicles 2 arranges Judah’s genealogy to show how non-Israelite groups became assimilated into covenant life through faithful service. The Kenites, originally associated with Midian and noted for their alliance with Israel from the days of Moses (Exodus 18:10–12; Judges 1:16), settled among Judah and contributed skilled labor. By the time the Chronicler writes, their role as scribes is firmly established, suggesting a respected professional guild that likely survived the exile and assisted in compiling Israel’s genealogical records (compare Ezra 2:62; Nehemiah 7:64).

Occupation and Ministry

Scribes in the Old Testament copied legal documents (Jeremiah 36:32), kept royal annals (Esther 6:1), and preserved the prophetic word (Proverbs 25:1). Placing the Tirathites within this tradition highlights:
• The widening circle of participants God employed to safeguard His revelation.
• The importance of specialized, multi-generational training that maintained textual accuracy (Deuteronomy 17:18).
• A reminder that devotion to Scripture is not confined to a single tribe; even foreigners were grafted into this sacred trust, foreshadowing the gospel’s reach to “every nation” (Revelation 5:9).

Connection to the Rechabites

The Chronicler traces the Tirathites back to “Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.” The Rechabites are celebrated for steadfast obedience when tested by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 35:14–19). That same line produced scribes underlines how covenant faithfulness can manifest both in lifestyle discipline (Rechabite abstinence) and in scholarly stewardship (Tirathite copying of Scripture).

Theological Significance

1. Scripture’s Preservation: God ordained not only prophets to receive His word but also craftsmen to transmit it. The Tirathites exemplify Psalm 102:18—“Let this be written for a future generation.”
2. Unity within Diversity: Their Kenite origin reflects Ephesians 2:19, where outsiders become “fellow citizens with the saints.”
3. Generational Legacy: Like the sons of Korah who turned from rebellion to worship (Psalm 84 superscription), the Tirathites demonstrate that a family heritage, when surrendered to God, can bless succeeding generations and the entire covenant community.

Practical Lessons for Today

• Honor the ministries behind the scenes—editors, translators, archivists—whose diligence allows the Church to hold a reliable Bible.
• Cultivate inter-generational discipleship that passes down both reverence for Scripture and skill in handling it (2 Timothy 2:2).
• Embrace believers from varied backgrounds, recognizing that God often entrusts key kingdom tasks to those once considered outsiders.

In a single verse the Tirathites step from obscurity onto Scripture’s stage, yet their quiet labor reverberates through every faithfully copied scroll and every life shaped by the written word they helped preserve.

תִּרְעָתִ֥ים תרעתים tir‘āṯîm tir·‘ā·ṯîm tiraTimInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts