Sheerah

Biblical Record

Sheerah appears in the genealogy of the descendants of Ephraim in 1 Chronicles 7:20–27. The Korean Revised Version renders 1 Chronicles 7:24 so that it explicitly identifies her as the daughter of Ephraim who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah. The KJV reads: "(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah.)" This single verse is all that Scripture says about Sheerah. Her marriage, her children, and any other events of her life are not recorded.

Significance Within the Bible

Biblical genealogies generally proceed through the names of men. Against this background, the naming of a woman as the builder of towns is frequently noted as a rare example. Beth-horon, which Sheerah is said to have built, later appears in Joshua 16 as a point on the boundary of the territory of the tribe of Ephraim. Scripture also records that Solomon built the town (1 Kings 9:17; 2 Chronicles 8:5). Uzzen-sheerah is a place name found only in this verse, and its location is unknown. The final element of the name, "sheerah," is identical to her own name. The New Testament does not mention Sheerah.

Interpretation and Issues

• The Hebrew text says only "his daughter Sheerah." Because the immediately preceding verse (1 Chronicles 7:23) records the birth of Beriah, interpreters differ over whether "his" refers to Ephraim or to Beriah. Some also take "daughter" in the broader sense of a female descendant.
• The word translated "built" can mean founding a new town, but it can also be read as rebuilding an existing town or fortifying it with walls.
• The text does not explain how Sheerah built these towns. Accordingly, specific accounts of her leadership or character are inferences drawn from outside the Bible.

In the Korean Church

Because Sheerah appears in only one verse, she is rarely treated on her own in sermons or Sunday school curricula in the Korean church.