Eber

Eber is a name borne by several figures in the Old Testament, but the weight of the tradition rests on the first of them — the great-grandson of Shem from whom Scripture traces the line that leads through Peleg and Abraham to the people called Hebrews. The other Eber bearers — a Gadite, two Benjamites, and a post-exilic priest — share the name without sharing the genealogical centrality.

Eber, son of Shelah

The line is laid down twice in Genesis. In the Table of Nations, "to Shem, the father of all the sons of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were sons born" (Gen 10:21). Shem's descent runs through Arpachshad: "And Arpachshad begot Shelah; and Shelah begot Eber" (Gen 10:24). Eber's own line then forks into two: "And to Eber were born two sons: The name of the one was Peleg. For in his days was the earth divided. And his brother's name was Joktan" (Gen 10:25). The genealogy of Genesis 11 makes the same notice: "And Shelah lived thirty years, and begot Eber" (Gen 11:14).

The Chronicler restates both notices in compressed form. Of Eber's sons: "And to Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan" (1 Chr 1:19). And in the running list of patriarchal names, Eber is set in the line that runs to Abraham: "Eber, Peleg, Reu," (1 Chr 1:25).

The same line carries forward into the genealogy of Christ. Luke traces Jesus' descent backward through David, Abraham, Shem, and Adam, and at the point where Eber appears the list reads: "the [son] of Serug, the [son] of Reu, the [son] of Peleg, the [son] of Eber, the [son] of Shelah," (Lu 3:35). Eber is one link in the chain from Shem to Joseph.

The Hebrews named after Eber

Genesis 10:21 already binds Shem to Eber by a special note — Shem is "the father of all the sons of Eber" — distinguishing this branch of Shem's posterity. The eponymous force of the name surfaces openly in Balaam's last oracle, where the future doom of two great Semitic powers is announced together with that of their attackers: "Those who go out from the coast of Kittim, And they will afflict Asshur, and will afflict Eber; And he also will perish forever" (Nu 24:24). Here "Eber" stands for the descendants of Eber as a people set alongside Asshur — the line and its posterity bearing the patriarch's name.

Other men named Eber

Three later men named Eber appear in the Chronicler's tribal lists, and a fourth in Nehemiah's register of priests.

A Gadite. Among the brothers of the Gadite fathers' houses settled east of the Jordan: "And their brothers of their fathers' houses: Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zia, and Eber, seven" (1 Chr 5:13).

A Benjamite, son of Elpaal. In the genealogy of Benjamin: "And the sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with its towns;" (1 Chr 8:12).

A Benjamite of Jerusalem. Further down the same Benjaminite list, among the chiefs of the fathers' houses dwelling in Jerusalem: "and Ishpan, and Eber, and Eliel," (1 Chr 8:22).

A priest. In the post-exilic register of priestly heads under Joiakim: "of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;" (Ne 12:20). This Eber is named as the head of the priestly house of Amok.