Person

Terah

also TharaMaleb. 2126 BCd. 1921 BC

The wanderer; loiterer, for some unknown reason emigrated with his family from his native mountains in the north to the plains of Mesopotamia. He had three sons, Haran, Nahor, and Abraham, and one daughter, Sarah. He settled in “Ur of the Chaldees,” where his son Haran died, leaving behind him his son Lot. Nahor settled at Haran, a place on the way to Ur. Terah afterwards migrated with Abraham (probably his youngest son) and Lot (his grandson), together with their families, from Ur, intending to go with them to Canaan; but he tarried at Haran, where he spent the remainder of his days, and died at the age of two hundred and five years (Gen. 11:24-32; Josh. 24:2). What a wonderful part the descendants of this Chaldean shepherd have played in the history of the world!

Relationships

Children Abraham, Haran (brother of Abraham), Nahor (brother of Abraham), Sarah

Parents Nahor (father of Terah)

Place of death Haran

Member of Genealogy of Jesus

Events Birth of Terah, Lifetime of Terah, Birth of Abraham, Death of Terah

Appears in Genesis

Key verses

Genesis 11:31

Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.

Joshua 24:2

Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other gods.

Genesis 11:27

Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.

Luke 3:34

the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

Genesis 11:28

Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees.

Genesis 11:26

Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.