John Calvin Commentary Genesis 11:28

"And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees." — Genesis 11:28 (ASV)

And Haran died. Haran is said to have died before his father, because his father survived him. It is also said that he died in his country, that is, in Ur. The Jews interpret the proper name as a common noun, and say that he died in the fire.

For, as they are bold in forging fables, they pretend that he and his brother Abram were thrown by the Chaldeans into the fire because they shunned idolatry; but that Abram escaped by the constancy of his faith. The twenty-fourth chapter of Joshua (Joshua 24:1), however, which I have cited above, openly declares that this whole family was not less infected with superstition than the country itself.

I confess, indeed, that the name Ur is derived from fire. Names, however, are usually assigned to cities, either from their situation or from some particular event. It is possible that they cherished the sacred fire there, or that the splendor of the sun was more conspicuous there than in other places.

Others maintain that the city was so named because it was situated in a valley, for the Hebrews call valleys ארוים (Uraim). But there is no reason why we should be very anxious about such a matter. Let it suffice that Moses, speaking of the country of Abram immediately afterwards, declares it to have been Ur of the Chaldeans.