Tiras

Biblical Record

Tiras was a son of Japheth, the son of Noah. In the genealogies of Genesis 10:2 and 1 Chronicles 1:5, he is listed seventh among the sons of Japheth, after Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, and Meshech. Both passages repeat the same list. Unlike some of his brothers, Tiras has no descendants named in the text. Scripture likewise records nothing about his deeds or his life.

Significance Within the Bible

Genesis 10 records that after the Flood the nations were divided and spread abroad from the three sons of Noah. This chapter is commonly called the "Table of Nations." Within this list, the name Tiras represents one branch of Japheth's line. The genealogy in 1 Chronicles 1, which traces the line from Adam to Israel, includes the name again. Tiras is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretations and Debates

The biblical text does not state which people descended from Tiras. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus is reported to have regarded Tiras as the ancestor of the Thracians. Some modern scholars have proposed connections with other ancient peoples of the Mediterranean region. Such identifications are conjectures based on similarities of name and have not become a scholarly consensus. Traditions that add further details about Tiras himself likewise do not derive from the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Tiras is treated mainly as a name encountered in the genealogies, whether while reading through the Bible or in expository preaching on Genesis and 1 Chronicles.