Eshcol
“Cluster (of grapes)”
Summary
An Amorite chief who was Abraham's ally in the recovery of Lot; also the name of a valley near Hebron famous for its grapes.
☩Abraham's Ally
Eshcol was an Amorite chief who lived near Hebron, the brother of Mamre and Aner. When Chedorlaomer and his confederate kings captured Lot, these three brothers joined Abraham in the pursuit and recovery of his nephew and all the goods. Their alliance with Abraham shows that the patriarch maintained friendly relations with certain Canaanite chiefs during his sojourn in the land.
☩Valley of Eshcol
The Valley of Eshcol was a wadi near Hebron where the Israelite spies cut the famous cluster of grapes so large it was carried on a pole between two men. The name means 'cluster,' and the valley may have been named either from the Amorite chief or (as the narrative suggests) from the cluster itself. The area north of Hebron is still known for producing exceptionally large grapes. A spring in the region is still called Ain Eskaly.
Related Verses6 mentions
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Eshcol," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Eshcol," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).