Geber
“Man, strong one, or hero”
Summary
The name of one or two of Solomon's commissariat officers responsible for providing provisions from the region of Gilead.
☩Solomon's Officers
Two men named in connection with 'Geber' appear in the list of Solomon's twelve officers who supplied provisions for the royal household. Ben-Geber (son of Geber) had charge of the district of Ramoth-gilead, including the towns of Jair and the region of Argob with its sixty fortified cities. Geber son of Uri had jurisdiction over the land of Gilead.
☩Interpretation
Some scholars believe these references indicate a father and son both serving as officers, with Geber the father and Ben-Geber the son. Others suggest they may be the same person or that Ben-Geber was a deputy to his father. The statement that Geber son of Uri was 'the only officer in the land' has been variously interpreted, perhaps meaning he alone administered the large region east of the Jordan.
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Geber," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Geber," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Geber," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).