Who was Iram in the bible?
Iram refers to an Edomite chief named in Genesis 36:43 and 1 Chronicles 1:54, and to Hiram of Tyre mentioned repeatedly in 1 Kings 5–9.
Edomite Chief
“chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom” (Genesis 36:43; 1 Chronicles 1:54).
Learn More →Tyrian Ally
“Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon” and “There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together” (1 Kings 5:1,12).
Learn More →Iram is a biblical name borne by more than one person in the Hebrew text. In the verses where the spelling corresponds to ‘Iyram, Iram is named as an Edomite chief; a separate, similarly sounding form (Chiyram, often rendered “Hiram”) refers to Tyrians, including a king of Tyre and a craftsman brought from Tyre for Solomon’s work.
Iram in Scripture
The name Iram appears in lists of Edomite chiefs, alongside other named chiefs, and is explicitly associated with Edom and the Edomites.
“chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon,” (Genesis 36:41, WEB)
“chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar,” (Genesis 36:42, WEB)
“chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession. This is Esau, the father of the Edomites.” (Genesis 36:43, WEB)
Chronicles repeats the same cluster of chiefs and ends with Iram in the same position in the list.
“chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon,” (1 Chronicles 1:52, WEB)
“chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar,” (1 Chronicles 1:53, WEB)
“chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom.” (1 Chronicles 1:54, WEB)
Multiple bearers
Besides Iram the Edomite chief, a closely related name form (Chiyram, commonly appearing in English as “Hiram”) is attached to Tyrians in the provided passages. These Tyrian references include both a king of Tyre and a skilled worker summoned from Tyre; they are distinct from the Edomite chief Iram named in Genesis and Chronicles.
In Kings, Hiram the king of Tyre is introduced in relation to Solomon’s reign and his goodwill toward David.
“Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father, and Hiram had always loved David.” (1 Kings 5:1, WEB)
Solomon then communicates his intention to build a house for Yahweh and requests timber from Lebanon, noting the skill of the Sidonians in cutting timber.
“Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,” (1 Kings 5:2, WEB)
“Now therefore command that cedar trees be cut for me out of Lebanon. My servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say. For you know that there is nobody among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.” (1 Kings 5:6, WEB)
Hiram responds with joy at Solomon’s message and blesses Yahweh for giving David a wise son to rule.
“When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said, “Blessed is Yahweh today, who has given to David a wise son to rule over this great people.”” (1 Kings 5:7, WEB)
Hiram agrees to supply both cedar and cypress timber and describes the transport process, while requesting food provisions for his household.
“Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent to me. I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning cypress timber.” (1 Kings 5:8, WEB)
The narrative summarizes the arrangement: Hiram supplies the timber “according to all his desire,” and Solomon supplies measured provisions “year by year.”
“So Hiram gave Solomon cedar timber and cypress timber according to all his desire.” (1 Kings 5:10, WEB)
“Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat for food to his household, and twenty cors of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.” (1 Kings 5:11, WEB)
The relationship is described as peaceful and formalized by treaty.
“Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together.” (1 Kings 5:12, WEB)
The cooperative building effort is also expressed through the mention of “Hiram’s builders” working alongside Solomon’s builders and the Gebalites to prepare timber and stones.
“Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.” (1 Kings 5:18, WEB)
Later, Kings distinguishes a figure named Hiram who is brought out of Tyre by Solomon and is associated with making specific vessels and finishing work for the house of Yahweh.
“King Solomon sent and brought Hiram out of Tyre.” (1 Kings 7:13, WEB)
This Hiram is credited with producing multiple temple implements and completing his assigned work.
“Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he worked for king Solomon in Yahweh’s house:” (1 Kings 7:40, WEB)
“the pots; the shovels; and the basins: even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon, in Yahweh’s house, were of burnished bronze.” (1 Kings 7:45, WEB)
Kings also notes a later exchange involving the king of Tyre furnishing Solomon with materials, including gold, and Solomon giving Hiram cities in Galilee.
“(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.” (1 Kings 9:11, WEB)
Name and Meaning
The form ‘Iyram (עִירָם), pronounced ee-rawm’, is explained in the lexicon material as deriving from a Hebrew root connected with “city,” yielding the sense “city-wise”; its component word is given as ‘iyr (עִיר), “a city.” In Scripture, this name identifies an Edomite chief listed among “the chiefs of Edom,” alongside “chief Magdiel” and others (Genesis 36:41–43; 1 Chronicles 1:52–54).
A separate spelling form, Chiyram (חִירָם), pronounced khee-rawm’, is presented in the lexicon material as another form related to Chuwram (חוּרָם). In the provided passages this form is associated with Tyrians, including “Hiram king of Tyre” (1 Kings 5:1) and a Hiram “brought… out of Tyre” who made “burnished bronze” vessels for Solomon’s work in “Yahweh’s house” (1 Kings 7:13, 45).
Observation
Across the provided passages, the name Iram/Hiram is attached either to ranked leadership (“chief Iram… chiefs of Edom,” Genesis 36:43) or to royal and skilled service roles tied to major building work (“Hiram king of Tyre,” 1 Kings 5:1; “Hiram… finished doing all the work… in Yahweh’s house,” 1 Kings 7:40).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Iram mean?
Iram is given the meaning “city-wise.”
How many times does Iram appear in the Bible?
Across the entries given, Iram appears a total of 22 times.
Who was Iram?
Iram is named as an Idumaean and is listed among “the chiefs of Edom” (Genesis 36:43; 1 Chronicles 1:54).
Was there more than one person named Iram?
Yes. One entry identifies Chiram/Chirom as the name of two Tyrians, and another entry identifies Iram as an Idumaean listed among the chiefs of Edom (Genesis 36:43; 1 Chronicles 1:54).
Explore Further
If you found this page about Iram interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.
Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).
