Lexical Summary Hara: Hara Original Word: הָרָא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Hara Perhaps from har; mountainousness; Hara, a region of Media -- Hara. see HEBREW har NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a region of N. Mesopotamia NASB Translation Hara (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs הָרָא proper name, of a location 1 Chronicles 5:26 but read עָרֵי מָרַי compare SchrKGF 430, see "" 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 18:11. Topical Lexicon Identification and Location Hara is the name of a district within the Assyrian heartland to which part of the northern tribes of Israel were deported. Though the precise coordinates are uncertain, the term suggests a mountainous terrain east of the upper Tigris, lying in proximity to the better-known sites of Halah and Habor (1 Chronicles 5:26). Together these three form a triad of exile stations that Tiglath-pileser III employed for dispersing conquered peoples. Historical Background During the reign of Pekah in Israel and of the Judean king Jotham, Tiglath-pileser III began a policy of deportation to curb resistance and repopulate strategic areas (2 Kings 15:29). A later Assyrian campaign under Shalmaneser V and Sargon II completed the removal of the northern kingdom (2 Kings 17:6). 1 Chronicles summarizes that earlier phase, noting that “the Spirit of the God of Israel stirred up Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria)” (1 Chronicles 5:26), who carried away the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh “to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this day.” Hara thus stands as a geographical witness to the partial exile that preceded the final fall of Samaria. Role in the Exile of the Transjordanian Tribes The tribes east of the Jordan had already shown a tendency to settle outside the original land boundaries (Numbers 32; Joshua 22). Their deportation to Hara and its sister cities underscores the loss that results when covenant fidelity wanes (1 Chronicles 5:25); they “acted unfaithfully against the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land.” Hara therefore functions as a tangible reminder that compromise led to displacement far from the land of promise. Theological Implications 1. Covenant Justice: The removal to Hara illustrates that the LORD’s warnings in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 were not idle threats. Exile was the covenant consequence for persistent idolatry. Connections with Other Exilic Sites • Halah and Habor: Assyrian records reference “Calah” and the Khabur River region as administrative centers; Hara likely completed a triangle of garrison towns. Prophetic Echoes and Later Memory Although later biblical books do not list Hara by name, 2 Chronicles records the subsequent Babylonian exile (2 Chronicles 36:20), creating a literary arc that begins with Hara and culminates in Persia’s release decree (Ezra 1:1). Jewish tradition preserved awareness of the “Ten Lost Tribes,” some of whom, according to extra-biblical writings, lingered in the vicinity of ancient Hara until the Christian era. The site thus functions typologically: a prefigurement of dispersion, followed by an eschatological expectation of regathering under Messiah. Applications for Ministry Today • Calling God’s People to Covenant Fidelity: Hara warns that drift becomes displacement. Pastors may employ its solitary mention to illustrate how a single compromise can alter generational destiny. Summary Though appearing only once, Hara encapsulates a pivotal historical and theological moment: the beginning of Israel’s scattering under Assyria. Its name evokes rugged highlands far from Zion, yet under the same divine watch. Remembering Hara sharpens the church’s understanding of covenant discipline, divine sovereignty, and hope for ultimate restoration in Christ. Forms and Transliterations וְהָרָא֙ והרא vehaRa wə·hā·rā wəhārāLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Chronicles 5:26 HEB: לַחְלַ֨ח וְחָב֤וֹר וְהָרָא֙ וּנְהַ֣ר גּוֹזָ֔ן NAS: Habor, Hara and to the river KJV: and Habor, and Hara, and to the river INT: to Halah Habor Hara the river of Gozan 1 Occurrence |
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