Eber
“Beyond, the other side, one who crosses over”
Summary
A descendant of Shem and ancestor of Abraham, from whose name the term 'Hebrew' is derived, signifying those who came from 'the other side' of the Euphrates River.
☩Identity and Lineage
Eber was the son of Salah and great-grandson of Shem, appearing in the genealogies of Genesis as a key ancestor in the line from Noah to Abraham. He fathered two sons: Peleg, through whom the line of Abraham descends, and Joktan, ancestor of various Arabian tribes. His name occurs in the genealogy of Jesus Christ as recorded by Luke. The name Eber means 'the other side' or 'across,' and from it derives the designation 'Hebrew,' identifying the people who came from 'the other side of the river'—that is, the Euphrates—when Abraham migrated from Haran to Canaan.
☩Prophetic Reference
In Balaam's oracle, Eber appears in a prophetic context: 'Ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.' Here 'Eber' represents not merely the Hebrews but more broadly the western descendants of Shem, including those sprung from Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram—both the posterity of Abraham through Peleg and the descendants of Eber through Joktan. As 'Asshur' represented the eastern Shemites including Elam, so Eber represents the western Shemites in this prophecy.
☩Other Persons Named Eber
Besides the patriarch, several other individuals bear this name in Scripture. A Gadite named Eber is listed among the warriors of that tribe, also called Heber. Two Benjamites appear in the genealogies of that tribe: one a son of Elpaal and descendant of Sharahaim, and another listed among those dwelling in Jerusalem. Finally, a priest named Eber headed a priestly family in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, during the post-exilic period. The Hebrew word is sometimes translated 'Heber' in the King James Version, causing occasional confusion between these figures.
Related Verses16 mentions
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Eber," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Eber," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Eber," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 4.George Morrish, "Eber," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).