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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Zeruah

Zeruah meaning

צרועה

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Zeruah.html

🔼The name Zeruah: Summary

Meaning
Leprous, Bi-Colored
Etymology
From the verb צרע (sara'), to be duplicitous.

🔼The name Zeruah in the Bible

Zeruah is the mother of king Jeroboam of Ephraim (1 Kings 11:26). Her husband, Jeroboam's father, is called Nebat, but he passes away before his son becomes king.

🔼Etymology of the name Zeruah

The name Zeruah comes from the unused root צרע (sr'):

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
צרע

It's not clear what the unused verb צרע (sara') may have meant, but possibly to be duplicitous or multifarious.

Noun צרעת (sara'at) describes a wide spectrum of skin diseases marked by a coloration of the skin (including leprosy), and the denominative verb צרע (sara') means to be diseased or have patches of different skin color.

Noun צרעה (sirah) refers to the hornet, probably because of its bicolored body.

🔼Zeruah meaning

The name Zeruah is like this last word with the letter waw inserted for pronunciation and may mean Hornet. But both Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names and NOBSE Study Bible Name List choose to go with the more general verb meaning to be leprous. Hence Jones reads Leprous, and NOBSE reads Smitten; Leprous.