HARIM

(Haʹrim) [dedicated].

1. An Aaronic priest selected by lot to head the third of the twenty-four priestly divisions organized by David. (1 Chron. 24:1, 3, 7, 8) “Sons [or descendants] of Harim” are mentioned among the postexilic priests: 1,017 returned from Babylon in 537 B.C.E. (Ezra 2:1, 2, 36, 39; Neh. 7:42) Adna was the head of this paternal house in the following generation. (Neh. 12:12, 15) Five “of the sons of Harim” took foreign wives, but put them away in response to Ezra’s exhortation to do so. (Ezra 10:10, 11, 21, 44) A representative of the family (or possibly one of them bearing the same name) supported the covenant of faithfulness after Nehemiah’s arrival in 455 B.C.E.—Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 5, 8.

2. The founder of a nonpriestly family, 320 of whom returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:1, 2, 32; Neh. 7:35) As with members of the priestly family of the same name (No. 1 above), eight descendants of this Harim also took foreign wives and dismissed them. (Ezra 10:25, 31, 32, 44) Likewise their representative attested the “trustworthy arrangement” contracted during Nehemiah’s governorship. (Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 14, 27) One “son” of Harim, Malchijah, helped repair Jerusalem’s wall.—Neh. 3:11.