Seera, the Woman Who Built Cities

Throughout the Old Testament, we find a number of genealogies of God’s people. Sometimes these passages contain references to inspiring and curious figures. One such reference is found in 1 Chronicles 7 . This chapter presents a description of the descendants of Ephraim. Among the people mentioned is Sherah, the granddaughter of this patriarch (verse 24). The description of this woman is striking, as she is credited with “building [the cities] Lower and Upper Beth Horon, and Uzen Sherah” (verse 24). This is the only place in the entire Bible where a woman is described as the founder of a city. Who was this pioneering woman who managed to build three cities? Why does the book of 1 Chronicles include a description of her accomplishments when so many other names are mentioned in these genealogies without any description?
The genealogies of 1 Chronicles
The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles consist of a series of genealogies beginning with Adam and continuing with Jacob and his descendants, that is, the twelve tribes of Israel. In chapter 7 we find the genealogy of Ephraim (verses 20–28), among other tribes. First, the birth of Beriah, Ephraim’s last son, is mentioned. He was born after two of his brothers were killed in an attempt to steal cattle from the Canaanites (verses 21–23). In fact, the name “Beriah” means in Hebrew “born in calamity or misfortune.” Next, Sheera is mentioned (verse 24) and her brother, named “Rephah,” of whom no achievements are mentioned (verse 25).
The fact that the reference to Sherah is found between the description of a Beriah – who was born into family misfortune – and Repha – who had no achievements to his name – serves to emphasize her outstanding legacy of city-building. Throughout the historical books of the Bible, the act of conquering or building a city in the Promised Land is seen as an act of divine blessing.
It is also curious that in the genealogies found in the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles only two people are described as city builders. In addition to Sheera, 1 Chronicles 8:12 mentions “Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with their villages.” Shemed built two cities (along with their surrounding villages), in contrast to the three cities built by Sheera (which would certainly include some surrounding villages, see 1 Chronicles 6:68 ). The closeness of the reference to Sheera in chapter 7 and to Shemed in chapter 8 also serves to emphasize the accomplishments of this one woman builder. While Shemed built two cities, she had managed to build three.
The cities of Seera
The first two cities built by Seera were neighbours and were located about 2.5 kilometres from each other. The “lower” city was located at the foot of a mountain, while the “upper” city was located on a mountain peak. Both were linked by a road that was one of the most important trade routes in Canaan. This was because this road linked the commercial cities on the Mediterranean coast with the prosperous Jordan Valley.
The strategic location of the towns of Beth Horon made them the scene of several important events in Israel's history. Joshua's battle against five Canaanite kings in which the sun stood still occurred nearby ( Joshua 8:10 , 11 ). Saul fought the Philistines at this very spot (1 Samuel 13:17, 18). Years later, King Solomon perceived the importance of these towns and fortified them (1 Chronicles 8:5; 1 Kings 9:17 ).
The fact that Seera built such strategic cities implies that she was an intelligent, prudent and forward-thinking person. By building these cities located on an important trade and military route, he not only secured a constant source of income, but also a very important social and political position.
The third city that Sheera built was called “Uzen Seera” (verse 24). In Hebrew, “Uzen” is related to the word for “ear,” so it probably means something like “corner” or “nook.” This implies that the name of the city meant something like “Seera’s little property” or “Seera’s corner of land.”
Conclusion
The curious reference to Sherah in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles has a very important spiritual lesson. Despite not having been born into a notable family or having a family that went through tragic situations, her determination and effort led her to build and possess two important cities that had a strategic position for the people of Israel.
No matter what family we come from or the circumstances God finds us in, if we consecrate ourselves to Him, we can achieve the extraordinary.
Author: Eric E. Richter, Bachelor of Theology and editor at ACES.
Automatic translation to English from the website. Original article in Spanish: revista.adventista.es/seera-la-mujer-constructora-de-ciudades/