TIRATHITES.A family of scribes (1Ch_2:55).
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Published in 1909
Descendants from Tira, one of the three scribe families residing at Jabez (1Ch_2:55). The other two were sprung from Shimea and Suchah. The Vulgate translation is not tenable, Tirathites ("the singers"), Shimeathites ("those repeating in song what they have heard"), and the Suchathites ("dwellers in tents").
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
By Andrew Robert Fausset, co-Author of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown's 1888.
tı̄?rath-ı̄ts (תּרעתים, tir‛āthı̄m; Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus, Ἀργαθιείμ, Argathieı́m; Lucian, Θαραθεί, Tharatheı́: A family of scribes that dwelt at Jabez (1Ch_2:55). The three families mentioned in this verse (Tirathites, Shimathites and Sucathites) are taken by Jerome to be three different classes of religious functionaries - singers, scribes, recorders (?canentes atque resonances et in tabernaculis commorantes?). The Targum takes the same view, save that the ?Sucathites? are those ?covered? with a spirit of prophecy. Bertheau sees the Tirathites as ?gate-keepers? (Aramaic תּרע, tera‛ = Heb שׁער, sha‛ar). Keil holds the three names to be those of the descendants of unknown men named Tira, Shemei and Sucah. The passage seems too obscure to admit of interpretation.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PRINTER 1915.