Asher

Biblical Record

Asher was the eighth son of Jacob. His mother was Zilpah, the maidservant of Leah, and his full brother was Gad. In Genesis 30:12-13, when the child was born, Leah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed," and she named him Asher. The Hebrew name is understood to be related to words meaning "happiness" or "blessedness."

Little is recorded of his life as an individual. Genesis 46:17 lists the names of his sons and of his daughter Serah, who went down to Egypt with Jacob's household. On his deathbed Jacob blessed him, saying, "Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties" (Genesis 49:20). Moses blessed him with the words "let him dip his foot in oil" (Deuteronomy 33:24).

According to Joshua 19:24-31, his descendants, the tribe of Asher, received an allotment along the northwestern coast, extending from Carmel toward Tyre and Sidon. Judges 1:31-32 reports that the tribe of Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Accho, Sidon, and other cities, but dwelt among them. The Song of Deborah (Judges 5:17) says that Asher did not go out to battle but "continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches." By contrast, when Gideon fought against Midian, the tribe of Asher sent troops (Judges 6:35). According to 2 Chronicles 30:11, certain men of Asher took part in Hezekiah's Passover.

Significance Within Scripture

The blessings of both Jacob and Moses speak of rich land and abundance. Because the territory of the tribe of Asher is known to have been well suited to olive cultivation, the two blessings are often read in connection with the produce of this region.

In the New Testament, Luke 2:36 introduces the prophetess Anna, who welcomed the infant Jesus, as "the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser" (see Simeon and Anna). Revelation 7:6 includes twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher in the list of those who were sealed. Asher's name also appears in Ezekiel 48, in the lists of the restored land and of the city gates.

Interpretation and Debate

As a northern tribe, Asher is thought to have been scattered at the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. For this reason, some interpreters point to the appearance of Anna, a member of the tribe of Asher, in the New Testament era as evidence that the identity of the northern tribes was in part preserved. Scholars differ, however, on how far this can be established historically.

The verse concerning Asher in the Song of Deborah is usually read as a rebuke of the tribe's passivity. Others read it instead as reflecting the geographical circumstances of the coastal region.

There are also traditions outside the biblical text. The pseudepigraphal Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs contains a "Testament of Asher." Jewish tradition also preserves stories that Asher's daughter Serah lived to a very great age. These traditions are not found in the biblical text itself.

In the Korean Church

Sermons devoted solely to Asher are relatively rare. Asher is mentioned chiefly when the twelve tribes of Israel are introduced, or in sermons around Christmas that deal with Anna. In Sunday school, his name is often introduced as children learn the names of Jacob's twelve sons.