Who was Zohar in the bible?

Zohar (Tsochar) is a biblical name associated with more than one person: a man identified as a Hittite (as the father of Ephron) and an Israelite listed among the sons of Simeon. The name is also glossed as being borne by a Hittite and an Israelite, with a sense connected to “whiteness.”

Zohar in Scripture

The earliest occurrences in the provided verses connect Zohar to Ephron in the setting of a burial negotiation. Abraham speaks to those present and requests that they appeal to Ephron by identifying him through his father:

“He talked with them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,” (Genesis 23:8, WEB)

Later, the same Ephron is again identified by his father’s name, and Zohar is explicitly described as a Hittite in this reference:

“Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is near Mamre,” (Genesis 25:9, WEB)

In another stream of references, Zohar appears as one of Simeon’s sons in a list of names. In the record of Simeon’s sons, Zohar is included among other named brothers, and the list is framed in terms of “families of Simeon”:

“The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.” (Exodus 6:15, WEB)

A similar list appears again, naming Zohar in the same position among Simeon’s sons:

“The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.” (Genesis 46:10, WEB)

Within the supplied full chapter context (1 Chronicles 4, WEB), the narrative is primarily a genealogical survey. It begins with a list under Judah—“The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.” (1 Chronicles 4:1, WEB)—and moves through multiple family lines. In that chapter, the verse associated in the dataset with the Strong’s entry is:

“The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.” (1 Chronicles 4:7, WEB)

In the chapter’s flow, this statement is set within the genealogy of Ashhur: “Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.” (1 Chronicles 4:5, WEB). The text then lists what Naarah bore—“Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.” (1 Chronicles 4:6, WEB)—followed immediately by Helah’s sons in 1 Chronicles 4:7. The chapter continues with further genealogical notices (for example, “Hakkoz became the father of Anub, Zobebah…” in 1 Chronicles 4:8, WEB), and pauses briefly to describe Jabez, including both the explanation of his name and his request to God: “Jabez called on the God of Israel…” (1 Chronicles 4:10, WEB). The chapter then resumes a series of descent lines, occupations, and place-settlements, including a later portion explicitly returning to Simeon’s tribal lines: “The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;” (1 Chronicles 4:24, WEB). From there, it traces descendants (“Shallum his son, Mibsam his son…” in 1 Chronicles 4:25, WEB), notes the size of Shimei’s family (1 Chronicles 4:27, WEB), and lists the towns where these people lived (1 Chronicles 4:28–33, WEB). It concludes with accounts of named leaders, growth of fathers’ houses, and actions to seek pasture and occupy territory (1 Chronicles 4:34–43, WEB), including: “They went to the entrance of Gedor… to seek pasture for their flocks.” (1 Chronicles 4:39, WEB) and “They found fat pasture and good…” (1 Chronicles 4:40, WEB).

Multiple Bearers

The provided verses present Zohar as a name borne by at least two individuals.

1) Zohar the Hittite (father of Ephron). Zohar is not directly quoted speaking or acting in the provided passages, but he functions as an identifying patronym for Ephron. Abraham’s request includes the wording “Ephron the son of Zohar” (Genesis 23:8, WEB). A later reference again identifies Ephron as “the son of Zohar the Hittite” (Genesis 25:9, WEB), explicitly connecting Zohar with the descriptor “the Hittite” in that context.

2) Zohar son of Simeon (an Israelite). Zohar is listed among Simeon’s sons in two Pentateuchal genealogical lists. One includes the concluding note, “these are the families of Simeon” (Exodus 6:15, WEB), and the other repeats the same set of sons (Genesis 46:10, WEB). In both, Zohar appears alongside Jemuel/Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, and Shaul (Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15, WEB).

Name and Meaning

The name is written in Hebrew as צֹחַר, transliterated Tsochar and pronounced tso’-khar. Its derivation is connected to a sense of “whiteness,” traced to a related term glossed as “sheen, i.e. whiteness,” with the component word given as tsachar (צַחַר).

Observation

Across the provided references, Zohar appears not through extended narrative but as a genealogical and identifying name: “Ephron the son of Zohar” (Genesis 23:8, WEB) and “Zohar” among “The sons of Simeon” (Genesis 46:10, WEB).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Zohar mean?

Zohar (Tsochar) means “whiteness.”

How many times does Zohar appear in the Bible?

Zohar appears 5 times.

Who was Zohar in the Bible?

Zohar (Tsochar) is the name of a Hittite and of an Israelite. In Genesis, Ephron is called “the son of Zohar” (Genesis 23:8; 25:9).

Where is Zohar mentioned in connection with Ephron?

Abraham asks others to “entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar” (Genesis 23:8), and Ephron is called “the son of Zohar the Hittite” in the burial account in Genesis 25:9.

Explore Further

If you found this page about Zohar 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).