Boy Old Testament Rare
Birsha
an evil; a son who beholds
בִּרְשַׁע bir.sah
Birsha (Hebrew: בִּרְשַׁע, bir.sah) means “an evil; a son who beholds”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 2 verses across 1 book of the Bible. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears in the same passages as Amraphel.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
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Birsha
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 2 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 14:2 |
| Last appears | Genesis 14:8 |
| Cross-references | 28 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Shemeber co-occurrence Appears with Shemeber in Genesis 14.
- Shinab co-occurrence Appears with Shinab in Genesis 14.
- Bera co-occurrence Appears with Bera in Genesis 14.
- Aner co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Aner.
- Arioch co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Arioch.
- Eshcol co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Eshcol.
- Mamre co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Mamre.
- Amraphel co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Amraphel.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, only mentioned at Gen.14.2
§ Birsha = "with iniquity"
a king of Gomorrah
Birsha was the king of Gomorrah when Chedorlaomer and his allies invaded the region.
The biblical story
Birsha was the king of Gomorrah during the time of Abraham (Gen. 14:2). He was one of the five kings of the cities of the plain who rebelled against Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, after serving him for twelve years. In response, Chedorlaomer and his allies invaded the region, defeating the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (Zoar) in the Valley of Siddim. The invaders seized the goods and food of Sodom and Gomorrah, and took captives, including Abraham's nephew Lot. This event prompted Abraham to mount a rescue mission, where he successfully defeated Chedorlaomer and his allies, freeing Lot and recovering the stolen goods (Gen. 14:13-16). The mention of Birsha as the king of Gomorrah provides historical context to the biblical narrative and highlights the political dynamics of the region during Abraham's time.
Key verses
Birsha appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
Genesis 14:2
Show all 1 reference
Genesis (1)
- Genesis 14:2