Ζαρά (Zara)
Zara
Zerah
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The name Zara appears just once in the New Testament, listed among the ancestors of Jesus in Matthew 1:3. It is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Zerah, which means "a rising" or "brightness," likely referring to the sun. In the biblical narrative, this was the name given to the twin son of Judah and Tamar, who emerged first but then pulled his hand back before his brother Perez was fully born.
Its inclusion in Matthew’s genealogy highlights the presence of non-Israelite women and complex family histories in the lineage of Christ. By preserving this specific form, the text connects the reader directly to the ancient Hebrew roots of Jesus’ human ancestry, grounding the Christian claim in a tangible historical record.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Zara, appearing in Matthew’s genealogy, carries the meaning of brightness or a rising sun. In the ancient story, this twin emerged first from his mother Tamar’s womb, only to pull back so that his brother Perez could be born first. This unusual birth narrative adds a layer of human complexity to Jesus’ family tree.
Seeing Zara in the list reminds us that God’s plan includes real people with messy histories and unexpected moments. It shows that the lineage of Christ is not just a list of perfect saints, but a record of ordinary lives where God works through every detail. This connection grounds our faith in tangible history, showing that light can come from the most surprising places.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Zerah1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- Ζάρα1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 1:3
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
This verse records Zara as one of the twin sons of Judah and Tamar, highlighting his specific place in the ancestral line before Perez.