Who is…
Nahor

Hebrew: נָחוֹר —transliteration: Nachor —possible meaning: snorter or snorting —occurrences: 18 (in Genesis, Joshua 24:2, and 1 Chronicles 1:26)

This was the name of 2 related biblical men.

  1. Nahor I, the father of Terah

    Nahor’s son is Terah the father of Abraham (Abram) (Genesis 11:22-25; Luke 3:34).

    Relatives

  2. Nahor II, a son of Terah

    This Nahor is named after his grandfather and is the elder brother of Abraham (Genesis 11:26-27; Joshua 24:2, Revised King James Version).

    He married Milcah, the daughter of his other brother Haran, and remained in the land of his birth on the east of the Euphrates River at Haran (Genesis 11:27-32).

    Nahor II’s marriage to his niece Milcah was culturally acceptable at the time to keep family lines and property consolidated. Abram married Sarai, who was also a close relative (half-sister, daughter of Terah by another wife).

    Nahor II’s granddaughter Rebekah became Isaac’s wife and Abraham’s daughter-in-law (Gen. 24:67).

    Abraham left that land of idolatry to follow the true God’s instructions and fulfill His plan.

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    And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. —Joshua 24:2 LSB

    Contact was maintained between the family of Abraham in Canaan and the relatives in the old ancestral home at Haran. However, when When Jacob (aka Israel) later fled from his father-in-law Laban in Haran with his wives Rachel and Leah, all connections between the two branches of the family came to an end (Genesis 31:55).

    Nahor’s line produced related peoples (Arameans and others) who interacted with children of Israel.

    Relatives

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Article Version: May 28, 2026