Eber

Biblical Record

Eber is a descendant of Shem, the son of Noah. Genesis 10, a genealogy tracing the branches of the nations, introduces Shem as "the father of all the children of Eber" (Genesis 10:21). It then records that Salah begat Eber and that Eber begat two sons, Peleg and Joktan. The name Peleg is accompanied by the explanation "for in his days was the earth divided" (Genesis 10:24–25). The descendants of Joktan are listed as the ancestors of various tribes in the region of Arabia.

The genealogy of Shem in Genesis 11 records Eber's age. He begat Peleg at the age of thirty-four and afterward lived another 430 years, fathering other children (Genesis 11:14–17). The same line is repeated in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 1. "Eber" also appears in the prophecy of Balaam in Numbers 24:24, though interpreters differ on whether it refers to the descendants of this individual or to a particular region or people.

The Bible records no narratives or events from his life. Separately, 1 Chronicles and Nehemiah (e.g., Nehemiah 12:20) mention other individuals who merely share the same name.

Significance Within Scripture

Eber is an intermediate link in the line that runs from Shem through Terah to Abraham. Many interpreters hold that Genesis's deliberate description of Shem as "the father of all the children of Eber" suggests a connection between Eber's name and the Hebrews who appear later.

In the New Testament, he appears as "Heber" in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:35. The New Korean Revised Version renders the same person's name differently, as "Eber" in the Old Testament and "Heber" in Luke.

Interpretations and Debates

• Etymology of "Hebrew": Traditionally, "Hebrew" (ʿIvri) has been understood to mean "descendant of Eber." Another view, noting that "Eber" shares a root with a word meaning "the other side," takes it to mean "one who came from across the river." Some theories link it to a group called the Habiru mentioned in ancient Near Eastern documents, but this connection is disputed.
• Meaning of "the earth divided": A widely known interpretation reads this phrase as referring to the dispersion of languages and peoples after the episode of the Tower of Babel. Other interpretations take it as a reference to the apportioning of land or to a geographical division.
• Textual differences: In the Masoretic Text, Salah is the son of Arphaxad. The Septuagint and Luke 3:36, by contrast, insert Cainan between the two.
• Extrabiblical traditions: Jewish tradition holds that Eber was a prophet. It also relates that he founded an academy together with Shem and that Jacob studied there. A straightforward sum of the ages given in Genesis indicates that Eber died after Abraham, and this calculation is understood to lie behind such traditions. These stories are not found in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Eber is rarely the subject of sermons. He is usually mentioned when the genealogies of Genesis and 1 Chronicles are read during reading through the Bible, or when the origin of the name "Hebrew" is explained.