1. Younger twin son with Pharez of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38:30; 1 Chronicles 2:6; Matthew 1:3).
2. Son of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:24). (See ZOHAR in Genesis 46:10.
3. A Gershonite Levite, son of Iddo or Adaiah (1 Chronicles 6:21; 1 Chronicles 6:41).
4. The Ethiopian (Cushite) invader defeated by ASA . About this very time there reigned a king Azerch Amar in Ethiopia, whose monuments are found at Napata. The Hebrew abbreviated the name into Zerah. Also an Ozorchon occupied the throne from 956 to 933 B.C. Ozorchon II. succeeded to the throne in right of his wife, sister of the previous king, and so may have been an Ethiopian; but the former is more probable. The defeat of the army of such a great world power as Egypt or Ethiopia is unparalleled in Israel's history, and could only have been through the divine aid.
"Jehovah smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled, and Asa pursued them unto Gerar, and the Ethiopians were overthrown that they could not recover themselves, for they were destroyed before Jehovah and before His host, and they carried away much spoil" (2 Chronicles 14:9-13). The greatness of Egypt which Shishak had caused diminished at his death. His immediate successors were of no note in the monuments. Hence Asa was able in the first ten years of his reign to recruit his forces and guard against such another invasion as that of Shishak had been. Zerah seems to have taken advantage of Egypt's weakness to extort permission to march his enormous force, composed of the same nationalities (Ethiopians and Lubims: 2 Chronicles 16:8; 2 Chronicles 12:3) as those of the preceding invader Shishak, through Egypt, into Judah.
Fausset's Bible Dictionary Home
Bible History Online Home
Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
Online Bible (KJV)
Naves Topical Bible
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Schaff's Bible Dictionary
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Hitchcock's Bible Dictionary
Meaning and definition of fasting, what is fasting in the bible, fasting definition, why should I fast, the power of prayer and fasting, Location of Galilee, where was galilee in the bible?, fasting definition, Galilee region, cities of Galilee, Sea of Galilee, Definition of biblical fire, what is fire in the bible?, fire and brimstone, fire meaning, baking bread with fire, Definition of the biblical firmament in Genesis, what is the firmament in the bible?, was the firmament the third heaven, firmament meaning, did the firmament bring the flood of Noah?.