Boy Old Testament Rare
Hur
liberty; whiteness; hole
בֶּן־חוּר ben-chur
Hur (Hebrew: חוּר, chur) means “liberty; whiteness; hole”, by traditional interpretation. Four men in scripture bear the name; the best attested belongs to the Exodus period. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Balaam in Numbers 31.
Which Hur?
Four men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Hur
son of Caleb; father of Ishma; father of Achsah
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Hur
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Hur
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Hur
father of Rephaiah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 16 across 7 books
- Bearers
- 4 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Exodus
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 | Exodus 17:10 |
| Last appears | Nehemiah 3:9 |
| Cross-references | 174 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Uri co-occurrence Appears with Uri in 1 Chronicles 2.
- Bezalel co-occurrence Appears with Bezalel in 1 Chronicles 2.
- Zur co-occurrence Appears with Zur in Numbers 31.
- Reba co-occurrence Appears with Reba in Numbers 31.
- Rekem co-occurrence Appears with Rekem in Numbers 31.
- Evi co-occurrence Appears with Evi in Numbers 31.
- Ephrathah co-occurrence Appears with Ephrathah in 1 Chronicles 2.
- Penuel co-occurrence Appears with Penuel in 1 Chronicles 4.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.4.8;
father of: Ben-hur (H1133)
§ Ben-hur = "son of whiteness" or "son of Chur"
a man who was commissariat officer for Solomon in Mount Ephraim
Hur was one of the twelve district governors appointed by King Solomon to oversee the provision of food for the royal household.
The biblical story
Hur is mentioned in 1Ki.4.8 as one of the twelve district governors appointed by King Solomon during his reign over Israel. Each governor was responsible for providing food for the royal household for one month out of the year.
The twelve districts were strategically located throughout the kingdom of Israel, ensuring a steady supply of provisions for the king's court. Hur's specific district is not mentioned in the text.
The appointment of district governors was part of Solomon's administrative strategy to organize and manage the resources of his kingdom effectively. By dividing the land into twelve districts and appointing governors over each one, Solomon was able to ensure that the needs of his royal household were met and that the resources of the land were efficiently utilized.
The fact that Hur is mentioned by name suggests that he was a person of some importance or influence, as he was entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing a district and providing for the king's needs.
Apart from this brief mention in 1Ki.4.8, no other information is provided about Hur in the Bible. His role as a district governor under Solomon highlights the king's organizational skills and the structure of the Israelite kingdom during this period of peace and prosperity.
Key verses
Hur appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
1 Kings 4:8
Show all 1 reference
1 Kings (1)
- 1 Kings 4:8