Serug

Biblical Record

Serug appears in the genealogy that runs from Shem to Abraham. According to Genesis 11:20–23, Reu was thirty-two years old when he became the father of Serug. Serug "lived thirty years, and begat Nahor" (Genesis 11:22), and afterward lived another two hundred years and had other children. Taken together, these figures give him a lifespan of 230 years. Nahor became the father of Terah, and Terah became the father of Abraham, making Serug Abraham's great-grandfather.

Apart from his name and age, Scripture records nothing of his life or deeds. In 1 Chronicles 1:26 he appears again only as a name in a genealogy: "Serug, Nahor, Terah."

Significance Within Scripture

Serug is one link in the line through which the descendants of Shem after the Flood lead to Abraham. Through this genealogy, Genesis shows that the history following Noah's Flood continues into the account of God's call of Abraham (Genesis 12).

In the New Testament, he appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:35, which the King James Version renders "which was the son of Saruch." Luke traces the genealogy of Jesus Christ back to Adam, and Serug is included among the figures who precede Abraham.

Interpretation and Issues

• Differences in the age figures: The Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek translation known as the Septuagint give different numbers in the genealogy of Genesis 11. The Septuagint gives Serug a greater age at the birth of his son. The Samaritan Pentateuch also differs in some figures.
• Genealogy and chronology: Some interpreters add together the ages in Genesis 11 to calculate the number of years from the Flood to Abraham. Others hold that biblical genealogies sometimes omit intervening generations and therefore do not use these numbers directly for chronological calculation. This difference also bears on the discussion surrounding creation and evolution.
• Name and place: The name is commonly explained as related to "branch" or "something intertwined," though its meaning has not been established. Some scholars connect it with Sarugi, an ancient place name near Haran.
• Later traditions: The apocryphal Book of Jubilees and some Jewish traditions relate that idolatry spread in the time of Serug. The text of Genesis, however, contains no such account. Virtually the only place where Scripture speaks directly of the religion of Abraham's ancestors is Joshua 24:2, which states that Terah, dwelling beyond the River, "served other gods."

In the Korean Church

Sermons or songs of praise centered on Serug are rare. He is mentioned chiefly in reading through the Bible or in Bible study when the genealogies of Genesis 11 and Luke 3 are read. In these settings he is introduced as one member of the line leading from the Flood to Abraham.