Revision #7463
Sheerah
Localized for English-speaking readers
Status: approved
Changes from the previous English revision
= ## 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.
+ Sheerah appears in the genealogy of the descendants of Ephraim in 1 Chronicles 7:20–27. The King James Version reads: "(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah.)" (1 Chronicles 7:24). Some translations, such as the Korean Revised Version, render the verse so that it explicitly calls her the daughter of Ephraim. 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.
+ Biblical genealogies generally proceed through the names of men, so 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 is identical to her own name. The New Testament does not mention Sheerah.
=
= ## Interpretation and Issues
…
= - 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.
+ ## In Korean Churches
+ Because Sheerah appears in only one verse, she is rarely treated on her own in sermons or Sunday school curricula in Korean churches.
Full revision
Sheerah is a woman named in the genealogy of Ephraim in 1 Chronicles 7. She is recorded as the builder of Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah, and she appears in only this one verse of the Bible.
Biblical Record
Sheerah appears in the genealogy of the descendants of Ephraim in 1 Chronicles 7:20–27. The King James Version reads: "(And his daughter was Sherah, who built Beth-horon the nether, and the upper, and Uzzen-sherah.)" (1 Chronicles 7:24). Some translations, such as the Korean Revised Version, render the verse so that it explicitly calls her the daughter of Ephraim. 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, so 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 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 Korean Churches
Because Sheerah appears in only one verse, she is rarely treated on her own in sermons or Sunday school curricula in Korean churches.