Tiras תִּירָ֑ס
Son of Japheth, grandson of Noah
Who is Tiras in the Bible?
Tiras was a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah, mentioned in Genesis 10:2 and 1 Chronicles 1:5 as part of the Table of Nations. He was one of seven sons of Japheth, alongside Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, whose descendants populated the earth after the biblical flood. Though Scripture provides no specific details about Tiras himself or his descendants, ancient commentators and historians have speculated that his name may correspond to peoples such as the Thracians or Etruscans, though these identifications remain unconfirmed by the biblical text. Tiras appears in the genealogical records primarily to establish the ethnic and geographic divisions of humanity in the post-flood world, particularly among the peoples of Europe and Asia Minor.
Biography
Tiras is mentioned in Gen.10.2 and 1Ch.1.5 as one of the sons of Japheth, along with Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, and Meshech. Japheth was one of the three sons of Noah, and his descendants are listed in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), which traces the spread of the nations after the flood. The descendants of Japheth are generally associated with the peoples of Europe and Asia Minor. No specific details are provided about Tiras or his descendants, but some ancient historians and Jewish traditions have attempted to identify them with various ethnic groups, such as the Thracians or the Etruscans. However, these identifications remain speculative and cannot be confirmed from the biblical text alone.
Family
Siblings
- Gomer Early PatriarchSon of JaphethSon of Japheth; father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.View full profile →
- Magog Early PatriarchSon of JaphethSon of Japheth; progenitor of a people groupView full profile →
- Madai Early PatriarchSon of JaphethSon of Japheth; progenitor of the MedesView full profile →
- Javan Early PatriarchSon of JaphethSon of Japheth; ancestor of Greek peopleView full profile →
- Tubal Early PatriarchSon of JaphethSon of Japheth, grandson of NoahView full profile →
- Meshech Early PatriarchSon of JaphethSon of Japheth and grandson of Noah.View full profile →
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 1 with study contentGenesis 1 verse
- Genesis 10:2
"The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras."
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1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 1 Chronicles 1:5
"The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | תִּירָ֑ס |
Tiras
y the ancient commentators (so Josephus, Ant, I, vi, 1) to be the same as that of the Thracians (Thrakes); but the removal of the nominative ending -s does away with this surface resemblance. Tuch was the first to suggest the Tursenioi, a race of Pelasgian pirates, who left many traces of their ancient power in the islands and coasts of the Aegean, and who were doubtless identical with the Etruscans of Italy. This brilliant suggestion has since been confirmed by the discovery of the name Turusa among the seafaring peoples who invaded Egypt in the reign of Merenptah (W.M. Muller, AE, 356 ff). Tiras has also been regarded as the same as Tarshish.
Horace J. Wolf
ti'-rath-its (tir`athim; Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus, Argathieim; Lucian, Tharathei: A family of scribes that dwelt at Jabez (1Ch 2:55). The three families mentioned