Beriah (Son of Asher)

Biblical Record

Beriah was a son of Asher, the son of Jacob. Scripture mentions him only in genealogical passages and records none of his deeds or words.

• Genesis 46:17: He appears in the list of Jacob's household that went down to Egypt. After naming Asher's sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, along with their sister Serah, the text also lists Beriah's sons Heber and Malchiel.
• Numbers 26:44-45: This passage, from the second census taken in the time of Moses, records the descendants of Asher by their families (that is, clans). Here "of Beriah, the family of the Beriites" (KJV) appears as one branch of the tribe of Asher. The families of Heber and Malchiel, descended from his sons, are also listed separately.
• 1 Chronicles 7:30-31: He appears again as one of the sons of Asher. His sons are Heber and Malchiel, and the text adds that Malchiel was "the father of Birzavith" (KJV). The verses that follow give the genealogy of Heber's descendants.

Significance in Scripture

Beriah's significance lies in his role as the ancestor of a clan within the tribe of Asher. That all three passages carry his line down to his sons' generation indicates that the house of Beriah continued as a distinct branch within the tribe. The New Testament does not mention him.

Interpretation and Discussion

• The omission of his brother Ishvah: Genesis 46 and 1 Chronicles 7 list four sons of Asher, but the clan list in Numbers 26 omits Ishvah, so Beriah appears third in that list. The text does not explain why Ishvah is left out.
• Meaning of the name: 1 Chronicles 7:23 explains that Ephraim named his son Beriah "because it went evil with his house" (KJV). That account, however, concerns a different person, and Scripture does not explain the meaning of the name of Asher's son Beriah.
• Distinguishing others of the same name: Several people in the Old Testament bear this name. Examples include the son of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:23), a Benjamite who became one of the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon (1 Chronicles 8:13), and a son of the Levite Shimei (1 Chronicles 23:10). These are different people from Beriah the son of Asher.

In the Korean Church

Beriah is rarely treated on his own in sermons or Sunday school materials. Church members usually encounter the name while reading through the Bible, as they read the genealogical passages of Genesis, Numbers, and 1 Chronicles.