ZARAHEMLA

ZARAHEMLA

Mulekite PN & GN	1. Descendant of Mulek, ca. 225 BC (Omni 14; Helaman 1:15)
			2. City and land apparently named from No. 1, known from at least ca. 225 BC (Omni 12; Mormon 1:10)
			3. All of the land southward so “called by the Nephites,” apparently after their capital, No. 2 (Ether 9:31)

Perhaps Hebrew zeraʿ-ḥemlāh, “seed of compassion/mercy” (JAT, JH, and more recently Ricks/Tvedtnes). Confer the biblical PN Zerubbabel (Ezra, passim; 1 Chronicles 
3:17–19) from Babylonian zēru-babil, “scion/offspring of Babylon.” Less likely is the meaning “scattering of mercy” (RFS) from the verb zrh, “to scatter.” Also less likely 
is Hebrew *zeroʿ-ḥemlāh, “arm of mercy,” a phrase used three times in the Book of Mormon, once by Jesus in 3 Nephi 9:14, after he had described the destruction of the 
Nephite capital Zarahemla and other cities, but never in the KJV. It may be that Jesus used the expression as a wordplay on the name Zarahemla, even if the basis of the 
city’s name is “seed” rather than “arm” (JAT).

ḥemlāh looks like a feminine participle from the verb “to pity.” If -ḥemlāh is a verbal form, the element preceding it would probably not be a verb. Therefore, “merciful 
scion” would seem to be an acceptable translation.

Notice the biblical PN Zerah from Hebrew zrḥ, “to shine forth, light up.” Together with “mercy,” the meaning might be “shining forth of mercy” or “mercy shines,” with 
“mercy” being a DN. This construction is paralleled by the biblical PN Zerahiah, “the shining forth of Jehovah” (JH; see also Reynolds, Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, 
p. 315). This reading would require the two heths to fall together in the English transcription. The root ʿml means effort, trouble, labor, and together with zrḥ could mean 
the “shining forth of effort.”

Cf. Book of Mormon Zerahemnah

Once separate entry but seeming to fit under this one:

What does this entry fall under?
ZARAHEMLAH

See Zerah in Genesis 38:30, Joshua 7:1, and others, meaning to rise, shine, sunrise.