Shemer
“Something kept or preserved”
Summary
The original owner of the hill which King Omri purchased for two talents of silver and upon which he built Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.
☩Seller of Samaria's Site
Shemer owned the hill that became one of the most important sites in Israelite history. King Omri, seeking a strategically located capital, purchased this hill from Shemer for two talents of silver and built thereon the city of Samaria, naming it after the former owner. The site was an excellent choice—a commanding hill with good visibility for defense, suitable for a royal residence and administrative center.
☩Identity and Background
Since Israelites were prohibited by the law from permanently alienating their inherited land, and since Shemer's name appears without the usual genealogical markers, scholars suggest he was likely descended from Canaanites whom the Hebrews had not dispossessed. The name Shemer means 'something kept' or 'lees of wine,' related to the verb 'to watch,' perhaps a wordplay on the hill's function as a strategic observation post. Some texts use the variant form 'Shomer.'
Related Verses1 mention
1 Kings· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Shemer," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Shemer," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).