Original Word: חָרִיף
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Chariyph
Pronunciation: khaw-REEF
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-reef')
KJV: Hariph
NASB: Hariph
Word Origin: [from H2778 (חָרַף - To reproach)]

1. autumnal
2. Chariph, the name of two Israelites

Hariph

From charaph.; autumnal; Chariph, the name of two Israelites -- Hariph.

see HEBREW charaph.

Word Origin
from charaph
Definition
an Isr.
NASB Translation
Hariph (2).

חָרִף, חָרִיף proper name, masculine (compare Arabic autumn, see חֹרֶף above) —

1 חָרִף head of a family of returned exiles Nehemiah 7:24 (ᵐ5 Αρειφ, ᵐ5^L Ιωρηε) = יוֺרָה (compare יוֺרָה early rain) Ezra 2:18 (ᵐ5 Ουρα, A Ιωρα, ᵐ5^L Ωραι).

2 חָרִיף one of those sealed Nehemiah 10:20 ᵐ5 Αρειφ(α), ᵐ5^L Αρηφ.

Biblical Setting

חָרִיף (Hariph) appears only in the post-exilic period, embedded in Nehemiah’s twin catalogues of those who returned from Babylon (Nehemiah 7:24) and those who later sealed the renewed covenant (Nehemiah 10:19). Both contexts place the name within the era of Ezra–Nehemiah, when the remnant of Judah was re-forming its national and spiritual identity around the rebuilt temple and the freshly repaired walls of Jerusalem.

Genealogical and Tribal Context

1. “the men of Hariph, 112” (Nehemiah 7:24)
• The name is grouped with lay families rather than with priests or Levites, indicating ordinary Israelites whose ancestral records had survived the exile.
• The fixed number, one hundred twelve, reveals careful record-keeping and underscores God’s faithfulness in preserving even minor clans.

2. “Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai” (Nehemiah 10:19)
• Here Hariph stands among representatives who affixed their seals to the covenant. Their inclusion shows that every layer of society—from governors to everyday families—assumed shared responsibility for the nation’s holiness.

Role in the Post-Exilic Restoration

• Community Reconstruction

The returnees of Hariph contributed manpower, resources, and presence to repopulate Judah’s towns. Though Scripture does not specify a particular task (as it does for some guilds of wall-builders), their numerical listing testifies that each family was vital to the corporate work.

• Covenant Renewal

By placing a seal on the covenant (Nehemiah 10), the representatives of Hariph pledged to separate from pagan marriages, honor the Sabbath, cancel debts in the seventh year, and support temple worship with tithes and offerings. Their commitment models lay participation in national repentance.

Historical Background

After Babylon’s fall, Cyrus’s decree (Ezra 1:1-4) opened the door for return. Decades later, under Nehemiah’s governorship (around 445 BC), the roll of Hariph surfaces. The small census figure implies that the clan had suffered dispersion and attrition, yet retained identity. Persia’s imperial policy allowed such ethnic units to regroup around ancestral lands; Nehemiah’s lists record that grace in tangible detail.

Ministry Significance

1. Valuing the Small

God remembered a family of merely 112 men. Ministry today must honor seemingly insignificant believers whose obedience quietly advances kingdom work.

2. Shared Covenant Responsibility

The presence of non-elite names on the covenant document teaches that spiritual reform is never confined to clergy. Healthy churches enlist entire memberships in vows of purity and stewardship.

3. Intergenerational Faithfulness

That Hariph survived exile testifies to parents passing down identity under adverse conditions. Modern discipleship likewise transmits faith in hostile cultures, trusting God to preserve a remnant.

Associated Scripture Themes

• Remnant Preservation – Isaiah 10:20-22; Romans 11:5
• Corporate Confession – Nehemiah 9:38; 1 John 1:9
• Faithful Record-Keeping – Malachi 3:16; Revelation 20:12

Summary

Though mentioned only twice, Hariph illustrates how God weaves ordinary families into redemptive history: counted among the returnees, covenant signers, and heirs of promises stretching from Abraham to Messiah. Their brief cameo in Scripture echoes the larger biblical conviction that every believer, however obscure, has a place in the unfolding plan of God.

חָרִ֔יף חָרִ֥יף חריף chaRif ḥā·rîp̄ ḥārîp̄Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts